Explore the best rated trails in Lenoir, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail and Railroad Grade Road. With more than 26 trails covering 127 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Nestled into the recreational playground of northeastern Tennessee, a homespun pathway connects two charming towns in the Appalachian foothills. The Tweetsie Trail links Johnson City, home to East...
The Purple Martin Greenway provides a beautiful community amenity in Rutherfordton. The quaint western North Carolina town was established in 1787 and has many buildings on the National Register of...
The Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
The multi-use Yadkin River Trail accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers in the beautiful Happy Valley area of Caldwell County. The 2-mile trail is paved and includes a walking loop near the...
The Laurel Creek Trail takes travelers into the Cherokee National Forest in Johnson County. There is no shortage of scenery in this wildlife rich-haven, where rushing waters slice through serene...
The City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
The Railroad Grade Road is a 10-mile road built on an old railroad grade that was once part of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad (Virginia Creeper). This part of the Virginia Creeper line was abandoned...
The Yadkin River Greenway is a work in progress, currently in three segments that have yet to be joined. Construction will take place during summer 2011. The first segment of the greenway begins at...
The Elkin & Alleghany Rail-Trail is part of an effort to connect the rural town of Elkin with the nearby Stone Mountain State Park, utilizing the long-abandoned route of the historic Elkin & Alleghany...
The Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail, known locally as the Lincolnton Rail-Trail, offers a chance to explore the heart of this small Southern town, highlighted by a stately courthouse, model Main...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
Statesville’s greenway system is still a collection of unlinked segments, but there are plans in place to build a truly connected non-motorized path network. Today, the discrete sections offer a...
Boone Greenway is a hidden gem in the town of Boone, and each step traveled takes to across different settings, with nature, history and culture all on display. The trail traverses the town, winding,...
About 12 miles north of Charlotte, the McDowell Creek Greenway links the communities of Huntersville and Cornelius. The paved, mile-and-a-half route is part of the larger Carolina Thread Trail, a...
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The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
The Heritage Trail Greenway is a multiuse path in Newton, North Carolina. The first two phases of the trail are complete, stretching 1.5 miles from West 7th Street, winding through the wooded...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
The paved, 3.62-mile Point Lookout Trail follows the Old NC 10/Highway 70 route through the Royal Gorge, once known at the Central Highway, through the Pisgah National Forest. The trail ascends more...
The 1-mile Troutman Rail-Trail runs from Troutman's business district to a newer north end shopping area, following the former rail bed of the Statesville to Charlotte Norfolk Southern Line. The...
The Heritage Trail Greenway is a multiuse path in Newton, North Carolina. The first two phases of the trail are complete, stretching 1.5 miles from West 7th Street, winding through the wooded...
Boone Greenway is a hidden gem in the town of Boone, and each step traveled takes to across different settings, with nature, history and culture all on display. The trail traverses the town, winding,...
About 12 miles north of Charlotte, the McDowell Creek Greenway links the communities of Huntersville and Cornelius. The paved, mile-and-a-half route is part of the larger Carolina Thread Trail, a...
The Laurel Creek Trail takes travelers into the Cherokee National Forest in Johnson County. There is no shortage of scenery in this wildlife rich-haven, where rushing waters slice through serene...
The Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail offers scenic wonders from dense forests, open fields and lush waterways to railroad relics and delightful small towns. Cyclists and equestrians love the...
Nestled into the recreational playground of northeastern Tennessee, a homespun pathway connects two charming towns in the Appalachian foothills. The Tweetsie Trail links Johnson City, home to East...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
Shelby's rail-trail winds through the western edge of the city between West Grover Street and Dixon Boulevard. Following the former right-of-way of Norfolk Southern Railroad, the unpaved pathway...
The Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail, known locally as the Lincolnton Rail-Trail, offers a chance to explore the heart of this small Southern town, highlighted by a stately courthouse, model Main...
The Railroad Grade Road is a 10-mile road built on an old railroad grade that was once part of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad (Virginia Creeper). This part of the Virginia Creeper line was abandoned...
The Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway has several neighborhood entrances in Gastonia. The 1.9-mile trail winds alongside Catawba Creek and Avon Creek with a few small bridges crossings along the way....
The paved, 3.62-mile Point Lookout Trail follows the Old NC 10/Highway 70 route through the Royal Gorge, once known at the Central Highway, through the Pisgah National Forest. The trail ascends more...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
As you might expect, the South Fork Rail-Trail closely follows the South Fork of the Catawba River on the south end of Lincolnton. The trail rests atop a former rail corridor within land preserved by...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
The Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
The 1-mile Troutman Rail-Trail runs from Troutman's business district to a newer north end shopping area, following the former rail bed of the Statesville to Charlotte Norfolk Southern Line. The...
The City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
The Yadkin River Greenway is a work in progress, currently in three segments that have yet to be joined. Construction will take place during summer 2011. The first segment of the greenway begins at...
About 12 miles north of Charlotte, the McDowell Creek Greenway links the communities of Huntersville and Cornelius. The paved, mile-and-a-half route is part of the larger Carolina Thread Trail, a...
The Elkin & Alleghany Rail-Trail is part of an effort to connect the rural town of Elkin with the nearby Stone Mountain State Park, utilizing the long-abandoned route of the historic Elkin & Alleghany...
The Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail, known locally as the Lincolnton Rail-Trail, offers a chance to explore the heart of this small Southern town, highlighted by a stately courthouse, model Main...
The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
The Laurel Creek Trail takes travelers into the Cherokee National Forest in Johnson County. There is no shortage of scenery in this wildlife rich-haven, where rushing waters slice through serene...
The multi-use Yadkin River Trail accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers in the beautiful Happy Valley area of Caldwell County. The 2-mile trail is paved and includes a walking loop near the...
The Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
The Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail offers scenic wonders from dense forests, open fields and lush waterways to railroad relics and delightful small towns. Cyclists and equestrians love the...
As you might expect, the South Fork Rail-Trail closely follows the South Fork of the Catawba River on the south end of Lincolnton. The trail rests atop a former rail corridor within land preserved by...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
The Heritage Trail Greenway is a multiuse path in Newton, North Carolina. The first two phases of the trail are complete, stretching 1.5 miles from West 7th Street, winding through the wooded...
The Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway has several neighborhood entrances in Gastonia. The 1.9-mile trail winds alongside Catawba Creek and Avon Creek with a few small bridges crossings along the way....
The City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
Boone Greenway is a hidden gem in the town of Boone, and each step traveled takes to across different settings, with nature, history and culture all on display. The trail traverses the town, winding,...
The Yadkin River Greenway is a work in progress, currently in three segments that have yet to be joined. Construction will take place during summer 2011. The first segment of the greenway begins at...
Beginning less than half a mile from downtown, the Bessemer City Park Trail offers a quiet natural retreat. The 1.3-mile route begins at the basketball court in Bessemer City Park and quickly dives...
The Railroad Grade Road is a 10-mile road built on an old railroad grade that was once part of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad (Virginia Creeper). This part of the Virginia Creeper line was abandoned...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
Statesville’s greenway system is still a collection of unlinked segments, but there are plans in place to build a truly connected non-motorized path network. Today, the discrete sections offer a...
The Purple Martin Greenway provides a beautiful community amenity in Rutherfordton. The quaint western North Carolina town was established in 1787 and has many buildings on the National Register of...
A nice day out. Such a nice trail to relax and bike or walk around the outskirts of Boone. A great asset to the community.
We rode end to end and back yesterday on our tandem. It’s a very nicely done trail and the pavement is smooth as silk. It’s probably not a destination trail, but if you’re in the area, you don’t want to miss it. There are plenty of places to grab a drink or a bit to eat. There is a bike shop in Spindale. The at-grade crossings are plentiful in a few of the towns, but we still managed a decent pace and the crossings were well marked and safe.
We did an out and back from Abingdon to Whitetop and it was an excellent adventure! Two items to take into consideration: 1st ~ There are outfitters who provide a service of taking riders up to Whitetop and they will descend to Damascus. This group will include all different skill levels of cyclists and there are some challenges on that section to include washout ruts, rock gardens {vertical, pointed rocks protruding 2" to 3" out of the ground} and tight corners. If you are still climbing up to Whitetop and they are on the descent ~ you could experience issues. 2nd - Most of the trestles/bridges do not have a smooth transition onto the bridges where some have a 5" to 6" or more drop especially in direction of the descent. With that being said, still a stellar trail, stop in Damascus and explore the local stores right by the Virginia Creeper.
Triking Whitetop to Abingdon 8/9/21: couldn’t do the short backtrack to the state line as the trail is single track and a little overgrown, but rest of trail is accessible to trikes. Shocked at the vanloads of people getting dropped off by outfitters at Whitetop and entire trail was pretty busy for a Monday. Whitetop to Damascus I barely pedaled and aside from a few spots between Damascus and Abingdon where the trail opens up and grass grows between the two tracks, the flats were doable and pleasant.
Trail is marked open from dawn to dusk
We attempted to go along the trail to enjoy the bridge shown in the pictures but it was very apparent once arriving that it no longer exists. Not sure at which point it was dismantled but be prepared not to be able to go from one end of the trail to the other.
What an incredible experience. Took the shuttle from Abingdon to White Top and rode one of the more incredible trails I've seen. The upper portion (about 12 miles) is entirely downhill and bit rough in many areas. Just have to pay attention and it is very doable on a hybrid bike. Have lunch at one of the many places in Damascus, about mile 17 and then get ready for a smoother, flatter 17 mile ride to Abingdon. The views are incredible especially the 44 trestles and other assorted scenery. One of the very best rides ever!
This is an excellent trail for easy walking or riding. Only negative are the irresponsible pet owners who don't pick up their dog waste.
This has the potential to be a good place to ride, follows along the New River. However, it is a one lane road, and there are a lot of cars. Many cars are going fast and do not slow down. Definitely no place for kids to be riding. Be sure to get permission to park, we got permission to park and still got questioned. Virginia Creeper from Damascus is a much nicer ride, and no cars. We won’t go back to Todd or Railroad Grade Rd.
We set out on our gravel bikes from Abington and rode to Whitetop and back. We are avid road cyclists and I’ve got to admit that the stretch from Damascus to Whitetop was no joke. It was a slow, steady grind to Whitetop. We should have brought more fluid. Each of us brought two bottles and we burned through those quickly. We were able to stop for Gatorade and cold water on the way back at the Bike Exchange in Damascus. There was nothing open in Whitetop on the day we rode.
This was our second trip to this trail. We parked at the Forrest Hunt Elementary School and traveled north to Gilkey. It's an extremely well-maintained, well-marked, smooth ride. The trail takes you through small towns and wooded areas offering welcome shade. We stopped at the Bechtler Mint Park where we met and chatted with the Trail Ambassador. Will definitely be riding this trail again and again!
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