Find the top rated trails in Sanford, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Sam's Branch Greenway is a short, but scenic trail in the town of Clayton, just south of Raleigh. At the Neuse River, it connects to the Clayton River Walk, which in turn connects to the Neuse River...
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The Rocky Branch Trail offers beautiful views of the Raleigh city skyline, while also passing through the length of the North Carolina State University campus. It also links to Pullen Park, which has...
The Reedy Creek Trail links William B. Umstead State Park to Meredith College. Beginning at the edge of Umstead State Park, the trail passes among some of the area's feature attractions, including the...
The short Libba Cotton Bikeway is built along an active rail spur right-of-way: the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The bikeway connects Carrboro's central business district to just west of the UNC...
The Tanglewood Trail is a short, gravel trail in the Tanglewood section of the Southern Pines community, Moore County, North Carolina. The trail is part of a larger system of greenways in Southern...
The Mill Creek Trail provides an important linkage between Reservoir Park -- a popular fishing, boating and hiking spot -- and the Warrior Woods residential area. On its western end, the 1-mile trail...
The Hare Snipe Trail provides access to Lake Lynn; its northern terminus follows Hare Snipe Creek from Ray Road to Wooten Meadow Park. From here the trail makes a loop around Lake Lynn, with a...
The Knoll Road trail is part of the Southern Pines Greenway system in Moore County, North Carolina. It is 1.5 miles and relatively flat, coursing through a quiet residential area of the community of...
Endor Iron Furnace Greenway runs along Big Buffalo Creek on the west side of Sanford, which sits about 40 miles southwest of Raleigh. The paved trail begins at Kiwanis Family Park, which offers a...
The Snelling Branch Trail is just under 1 mile and links Shelley Lake with Optimist Park. The Snelling Branch Trail, which runs east and west, joins Mine Creek Trail north of Shelley Lake. The...
The Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail traverses 5.3 miles of the Aberdeen and Rockfish corridor in Harnett County, North Carolina. It connects the downtown areas of Dunn and Erwin, coursing through the suburbs,...
The Reservoir Park Greenway is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in Moore County, North Carolina. The trail loops around the Southern Pines Reservoir (95...
The Forest Creek Access Trail is a short connector trail between the Reservoir Park Greenway and Forest Creek Trail. It is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in...
The Tall Timbers Trail is a short connector trail between the Longleaf Access Trail and the Reservoir Park Greenway. It is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in...
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The Walnut Creek Trails spans more than 19 miles on an east-west route through Raleigh. Only its western end, through Lake Johnson Park, is unpaved. The trail affords stunning views of Lake...
Just a short section of the Deep River Rail-Trail is complete through Franklinville as of early 2011. Highlights of the Deep River Rail-Trail include an old fish weir built by early Native...
The Wakefield Trail follows the power line from Falls of Neuse Road south to Dunard Street, just under 1.5 miles. There is a slight jog in the trail where it meets Wakefield Plantation Drive. If...
Abbotts Creek Trail courses along a tree-lined route beside open fields and subdivisions in a suburban community near Wake Forest, North Carolina. The trail follows Abbotts Creek and passes by North...
The White Oak Creek Greenway runs through Cary, a city in North Carolina’s Triangle region that also includes Raleigh and Durham. In fact, future plans call for linking it to the American Tobacco...
The short Libba Cotton Bikeway is built along an active rail spur right-of-way: the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The bikeway connects Carrboro's central business district to just west of the UNC...
Nestled in the northern outskirts of the charming town of Southern Pines, the Longleaf Trail provides a useful connection between the Pine Grove Village, Talamore and Longleaf neighborhoods. Running...
The White Oak Creek Greenway runs through Cary, a city in North Carolina’s Triangle region that also includes Raleigh and Durham. In fact, future plans call for linking it to the American Tobacco...
The Eagle Spur Rail-Trail follows 2.2 miles of the former Durham-New Hill Railroad, from Stagecoach Road along New Hope Creek to Jordan Lake. When you're done exploring the Eagle Spur, cross over...
The Reservoir Park Greenway is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in Moore County, North Carolina. The trail loops around the Southern Pines Reservoir (95...
Opened in August, 2014, the Mingo Creek Trail connects the town of Knightdale from Mingo Creek Park to the Neuse River Trail, just north of Anderson Point Park in Raleigh. Along its 3.4-mile paved...
The Hare Snipe Trail provides access to Lake Lynn; its northern terminus follows Hare Snipe Creek from Ray Road to Wooten Meadow Park. From here the trail makes a loop around Lake Lynn, with a...
The Knoll Road trail is part of the Southern Pines Greenway system in Moore County, North Carolina. It is 1.5 miles and relatively flat, coursing through a quiet residential area of the community of...
The Mine Creek Trail consists of five distinct segments: Bent Creek (paved), Inman Connector (unpaved), Ironwood (paved), Lake Park (unpaved), Sawmill (unpaved) and Shelley Lake (paved). The segments...
Abbotts Creek Trail courses along a tree-lined route beside open fields and subdivisions in a suburban community near Wake Forest, North Carolina. The trail follows Abbotts Creek and passes by North...
Most of the short and sweet Baileywick Trail runs through Baileywick Park in the oakwood neighborhood of suburban Raleigh, North Carolina. The 50-acre park has two baseball diamonds, picnic shelters,...
Beginning at E. Martin Street, the Little Rock Trail heads south through Chavis Park, running parallel with Chavis Way. The park features rock outcroppings, swimming pool, baseball diamond, shelters...
The Tanglewood Trail is a short, gravel trail in the Tanglewood section of the Southern Pines community, Moore County, North Carolina. The trail is part of a larger system of greenways in Southern...
The Walnut Creek Trails spans more than 19 miles on an east-west route through Raleigh. Only its western end, through Lake Johnson Park, is unpaved. The trail affords stunning views of Lake...
The Mill Creek Trail provides an important linkage between Reservoir Park -- a popular fishing, boating and hiking spot -- and the Warrior Woods residential area. On its western end, the 1-mile trail...
The Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 12 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
The Simms Branch Trail boasts several areas of large loblolly pine and connects Falls River to Durant Park. Watch for wildlife, including plenty of deer and maybe some beaver. You'll find a small...
The Pinehurst Greenway is located in the heart of a premier golf destination. It winds for nearly 6 miles through the community of Pinehurst and its historic business district. The greenway links...
The House Creek Greenway Trail is a 2.8-mile-long paved trail that runs from Crabtree Valley Avenue near the intersection with Blue Ridge Road (near the McDonald's) until it meets the Reedy Creek...
The Forest Creek Trail is an important connecter between the Longleaf Trail at its southern tip and Nick's Creek Trail at its northern end. The adjoining Forest Creek Access also links it to Reservoir...
Beaver Creek Greenway offers a pleasant, paved route in the community of Apex, a western suburb of Raleigh. Much of the trail is wooded and it connects two parks, Kelly Road Park and Jaycee Park. The...
The Tanglewood Trail is a short, gravel trail in the Tanglewood section of the Southern Pines community, Moore County, North Carolina. The trail is part of a larger system of greenways in Southern...
The American Tobacco Trail extends uninterrupted from Durham more than 22 miles south through Chatham County to its southern terminus in Wake County. In 2014, a bridge for the trail over Interstate 40...
The Tall Timbers Trail is a short connector trail between the Longleaf Access Trail and the Reservoir Park Greenway. It is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in...
Nick's Creek Trail provides a tranquil route through scenic woodlands. The 1-mile trail runs from Highway 22 south to the Forest Creek Trail, which leads to Reservoir Park, a popular recreational...
The Mill Creek Trail provides an important linkage between Reservoir Park -- a popular fishing, boating and hiking spot -- and the Warrior Woods residential area. On its western end, the 1-mile trail...
The Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 12 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
The Walnut Creek Trails spans more than 19 miles on an east-west route through Raleigh. Only its western end, through Lake Johnson Park, is unpaved. The trail affords stunning views of Lake...
The Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail traverses 5.3 miles of the Aberdeen and Rockfish corridor in Harnett County, North Carolina. It connects the downtown areas of Dunn and Erwin, coursing through the suburbs,...
Nestled in the northern outskirts of the charming town of Southern Pines, the Longleaf Trail provides a useful connection between the Pine Grove Village, Talamore and Longleaf neighborhoods. Running...
The Eagle Spur Rail-Trail follows 2.2 miles of the former Durham-New Hill Railroad, from Stagecoach Road along New Hope Creek to Jordan Lake. When you're done exploring the Eagle Spur, cross over...
The Reservoir Park Greenway is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in Moore County, North Carolina. The trail loops around the Southern Pines Reservoir (95...
The short Libba Cotton Bikeway is built along an active rail spur right-of-way: the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The bikeway connects Carrboro's central business district to just west of the UNC...
Speight Branch Greenway offers a paved, shaded route through a residential area of Cary, which lies on the western edges of Raleigh. The trail begins at Southeast Cary Parkway and travels north along...
Just a short section of the Deep River Rail-Trail is complete through Franklinville as of early 2011. Highlights of the Deep River Rail-Trail include an old fish weir built by early Native...
The Pinehurst Greenway is located in the heart of a premier golf destination. It winds for nearly 6 miles through the community of Pinehurst and its historic business district. The greenway links...
Beginning at E. Martin Street, the Little Rock Trail heads south through Chavis Park, running parallel with Chavis Way. The park features rock outcroppings, swimming pool, baseball diamond, shelters...
The Rocky Branch Trail offers beautiful views of the Raleigh city skyline, while also passing through the length of the North Carolina State University campus. It also links to Pullen Park, which has...
The Forest Creek Access Trail is a short connector trail between the Reservoir Park Greenway and Forest Creek Trail. It is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in...
At just over 7 miles, the Black Creek Greenway is one of Cary’s longest and most popular trails. The paved pathway connects several parks, schools, and shopping and dining areas. On its southern...
I have lived in Erwin for 11 years and have used this trail many times. It is a shame, because it is a nice trail, but in the last couple of years I have had more and more problems with off leash dogs. Earlier this year I was chased by a pack of 3 aggressive dogs on the Dunn side of the rail trail, and there is another off leash aggressive dog that will charge and bark at the intersection of the trail and Suggs Rd on the Erwin side. We have tried, unsuccessfully, to alert Harnett Co Animal Control about these dogs. My husband left them messages which they never returned. So we have had to stop walking our dogs on this trail. It was not just the fact that the off leash dogs were taking an interest in our dogs, I also spoke to a couple of people who use the trail for jogging without dogs, and they are also being bothered by the aggressive dogs. So use with caution, and if you can, call the Harnett Co Animal Control if you have the same problem. Perhaps if enough people complain they will do something to make this trail safer.
This is a great location for your first bike ride. We had a great time.
People complaining about sand, that gives you more exercise. I did not think the sand was bad at all. I did the walk from Reservoir park to NIcks creek. Nice little hike
The course for the parts I could find. Unfortunately after the first half mile there weren't markers so difficult to follow
We parked at Buffaloe Rd Park and headed north to US1. Then turned around and went south almost to I-495/Crabtree Trail. 28miles roundtrip. Trail was in good condition, and shaded most of the way. It runs along the river with lots of good scenery. Water and restrooms at Buffaloe Rd park. Tip: this is not a rail-trail, so there are lots of ups and downs, bridges and turns. Will return another day to do the southern half, Crabtree and Walnut trails. Raleigh is fortunate to have such a nice trail system.
We started on the end/beginning of trail on pocardy drive. Once we hit a little over 4 miles, we hit a nice neighborhood on alleghany that was a bit hilly so we turned around. The trail was clean and wide enough for all 5 for us to be side by side. It was pretty flat until we hit that neighborhood.
We traveled there from NJ and stayed at a local hotel a few miles down the road. La Qunita was clean and accepted our dog at no extra charge. We parked at 3 different spots on our 3 days of riding there this past weekend. In the South Point Mall parking lot, at the New Hope Church Road Parking Lot and at the Kroger Parking Lot, with absolutely no problems. We rode the entire length and other than a couple of less respectful people not caring about anyone but themselves, we had a Great time. The trails are used by walkers, joggers, families, novice and very inexperienced riders. We did see a police officer on the trail on day 3. I contacted the local Police Department prior to taking to the trails, and was advised that other than a couple of incidents, that the trail is an excellent place to bike, and that there is no specific location presenting additional hazards. We cautiously rode north to Durham on our 1st day (Friday) and the trail was not very busy at all. As we neared Martin Luther Blvd, there was a growing number of younger folks using the trail for getting around, but none of them were in any disrespectful or threatening. There were also a few just hanging in the area along side of the trails, but were also not threatening to us in any way. Days 2 and 3 we covered from south of the South Point Mall which went from asphalt to finely packed sand and gravel. There were many many people on the trails on Saturday and Sunday, but there was plenty of room for getting around and not at all a "Too Crowded"place to be. We met a few people through out our days and just had an awesome time. We put in about 70 miles during or 3 day trek! and would love to return and bring more of our family with us next time.
As mentioned, parking areas are somewhat hard to find. You have a couple of options for parking - park in the very back of the Timberwood Apartment Complex located off Wicker Street. There is also a parking area close to the intersection of Carbonton Rd and Halifax located at approximately 700 Carbonton Road. You may also choose to connect from the Kiwanis Parking area located off of Wicker Street (this connection is tricky to find and is not rollerblade friendly). There are also random locations along the trail that offer an opportunity to connect. The trail runs along the back side of Applebees, First Bank and Frank Theatres Spring Lane.
In terms of rollerblading - I would probably only do the section from 700 Carbonton and head NW (along Carbonton Road and under the overpass). The section from the Timberwood Apts. to 700 Carbonton is a little rough. It is definitely doable, but not the smoothest riding.
Its a good trail. There are some road crossings to be aware of and it does run through the shopping center. All-in-all it works as a nice paved trail. If blading, please keep in mind there are some hills along the trail. Please be sure to have good brakes and know how to brake properly down hills.
Happy Trails!
Definitely what another reviewer mentioned--great for a Sunday afternoon walk.
We biked the main part of the trail and loved it. The access from the parking area down to the trail is steep in places and not suitable for narrow tires in the loose gravel area. The trail itself is hard-packed gravel and well maintained. There are benches and trash cans. We look forward to the extension.
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