Explore the best rated trails in Silver Lake, NC, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Island Greenway and River to the Sea Bikeway . With more than 4 trails covering 30 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.
please don’t do this. me and my mom biked from downtown wilmington to wrightsville beach and it’s pretty generous to call it a trail when the trail is just well traveled roads with the occasional sign to share the road. people do not pay attention and go well over the speed limit. also says it will take 1 hour when it took 3. do not attempt this. just go to the beach in your car.
The lack of adequate parking for walkers along the trails is a glaring oversight by the planning board. It’s evident that they were aware of this shortfall when they designed the parking options. Unfortunately, the influence of developers and boards dominated by politicians and investors continues to overshadow the needs of the community.
As a result, trail users are forced to park in neighborhood easements near trailheads, creating tension with local residents. The planning board must prioritize the addition of sufficient parking areas rather than catering to commercial interests that prioritize land sales over community needs.
Effective planning should involve acquiring land for parking during the trail development process, yet they ignored this critical issue—particularly on Rose Ave, where the only available parking area was eliminated through land sale. The barriers residents have erected in easements are a direct response to this neglect.
These politically motivated decisions are not just disappointing; they are detrimental to the community. It’s time for the planning board to take a stand for the citizens they serve and make informed, responsible choices for our shared spaces.
We usually leave from Carolina Beach State Park and cross Dow Rd and turn right to get to the trail. Using the trail and some quiet roads in the center of the island you can avoid Dow Rd altogether to get to the end where Dow Rd turns to the beach. It’s not a long trail, for sure, but it serves a great little purpose especially for the casual rider who doesn’t want to ride on Dow Rd.
A third of the ride is designated bike trail, the other two thirds are streets, and a few are very busy streets! Many street crossings, and signage is fair. Had to check the map several times to make sure we were on the bikeway. Won’t ride this ever again.
A good portion of this trail presents as a sidewalk along a busy road. Still decent park views, old trolley lines and water side rides at this end. The real beauty is at the Halyburton Park end. Wooded, all natural, rolling hills, the smell of pine and lots of critters. Peaceful and rewarding.
This cross-city trial is really just a sidewalk that runs alongside high traffic roadways and through constructions sites, and dangerous intersections. Beware! Drivers will run you down! There is no wildlife or nature to enjoy along the way. Just traffic buzzing by. If sniffing noxious fumes from passing vehicles is your thing you will love it!
Since moving to Wilmington several years ago, the Gary Shell Cross Trail is the best biking trail that I’ve discovered so far! Most of the trail is paved with signage leading the way, keep your eyes peeled. You’ll have to get creative when crossing several busy roads but, overall it’s a relative easy ride. You’ll pass the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), bike through several parks and even get to explore some of UNCW’s main campus. You can stop for refreshments at Flying Machine Brewery, Soundside Seafood and Raw Bar, or Drift (either at Autumn Hall or R Wrightsville BeCh).
This is a great first ride in Wilmington to learn some nieborhoods. Could use a little better signage.
Not a fan. Poor to non-existant signage - extremely difficult to follow. Some stretches of sidewalk, some bike lanes, some dedicated bike paths - none of which connect smoothly. Rode four frustrating miles and turned around.
Just get out a road map and go for it if you are extremely comfortable road riding. Wilmington is a beautiful town that has had little interest in building bike paths. They think calling a heavily trafficked road a bike path if you add a sign.
I rode this in December 2022 As most of it is on road I would call this a bike route and not really a trail Some of the on road sections are on busy roads without a specific bike lane Some of the route in the downtown area is on brick pavement so not fun to ride on I did see lots of signs for the trail where turns required Some other comments mentioned parts of it are in unsafe areas. I certainly did not feel that was true.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Scan the QR code to get TrailLink on your phone
