Explore the best rated trails in Wake Forest, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Tobacco Heritage Trail and Riverwalk Greenway. With more than 58 trails covering 223 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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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...
The Yates Store Road Street-Side Trail in Cary is over a shared use pathway linking residents of the surrounding neighborhoods to the other trails in their town. So while the trail itself is just a...
At first glance, Swift Creek Greenway fits neatly into the mold of Cary's impressive network of pathways - it's a paved, bike-ped facility along a watercourse, which connects people to parks and out...
The Ellerbee Creek Trail is part of a chain of trails running across Durham, known as the North-South Greenway. This trail picks up where the Stadium Drive leaves off, on Stadium Drive next to the...
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...
Indian Creek Greenway is a hike-and-bike asphalt pathway that sits in the swathe cut by Indian Creek through residential Morrisville. About a third of the trail parallels Town Hall Road as a dedicated...
The 2.2-mile, paved Louisburg Bike Trail runs from S. Main Street to Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC). At the Main St. end, you'll find the trail at Depot Street Hill, just south of the Tar...
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 northernmost segment of Durham's North-South Greenway, Warren Creek Trail provides a serene hiking or biking experience and access to a neighborhood park. The trail extends between Horton Road...
Green Hope School Greenway is a meandering collection of shared-use paths through Cary's Highcroft neighborhood. While the trail provides space for locals to get outside for fitness or fun, it also...
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...
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...
The Southbridge Greenway is a charming neighborhood path in the neighborhood of the same name, on the west side of Cary, North Carolina. On any given day on the trail you will find parents pushing...
Hinshaw Greenway is a 1.7 mile north-south recreational trail in Cary, NC. The trail runs riparian forest, and acts as a conduit for children to travel safely between the play areas within MacDonald’s...
The Morgan Creek Trail is named after the nearby stream and is a well-used asphalt and boardwalk trail in the town of Chapel Hill. The trail gives residents a safe connection to Merritt's Pasture, an...
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 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...
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...
Walk, run or roll; the Nancy Branch Greenway invites you to go at your own pace. The trail is flat and paved, making it easy enough for even the youngest members of the family to enjoy. Sandwiched...
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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 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 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...
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...
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 Tar River Trail parallels the Tar River, where Tuscarora Indians traveled before colonists settled here. Along the trail you will find evidence of early colonial history, the industrial...
The White Oak Creek Greenway runs through Cary, a city in North Carolina’s Triangle region that also includes Raleigh and Durham. On the west end the trail connects to the American Tobacco Trail, the...
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A morning jog, an evening walk or a place to take off the training wheels, this short neighborhood path provides opportunities for that and more. Located in the Stanton Place neighborhood of Cary, the...
The Morgan Creek Trail is named after the nearby stream and is a well-used asphalt and boardwalk trail in the town of Chapel Hill. The trail gives residents a safe connection to Merritt's Pasture, an...
The Fan Branch Trail is a pave hike and bike trail cutting through the Southern Village neighborhood of Chapel Hill. It's 10-feet wide and kicks off at the Southern Community Park, which features a...
Green Hope School Greenway is a meandering collection of shared-use paths through Cary's Highcroft neighborhood. While the trail provides space for locals to get outside for fitness or fun, it also...
Bolin Creek Trail is a 3-mile out and back multipurpose trail in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The paved trail begins at Community Center Park and heads west, then ducks under the Franklin St. bridge....
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...
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...
Annie Jones Greenway provides a natural escape in the middle of the city. The trail goes through woods, and past streams for a short, though serene journey. The trail begins on SW Cary Parkway and...
Batchelor Branch Greenway is a short stretch of trail in northeast Cary. The trail is 0.8 miles long and 10 feet wide, accommodating uses ranging from walking and running, to biking, rollerblading,...
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...
Along the eastern outskirts of Raleigh, the Neuse River Trail follows the river for nearly 30 miles from Falls Lake Dam to the Wake/Johnston County line. There are several river crossings along the...
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 Stadium Drive Trail is a component of Durham's North-South Greenway, a series of ped-bike trails crossing the city of Durham. The trail is an important connector; it links the Warren Creek Trail...
The White Oak Creek Greenway runs through Cary, a city in North Carolina’s Triangle region that also includes Raleigh and Durham. On the west end the trail connects to the American Tobacco Trail, the...
The Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail traverses 5.3 miles of the Aberdeen and Rockfish (previously Durham & Southern Railway) corridor in Harnett County, North Carolina. It connects the downtown areas of Dunn and...
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 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...
The Edwards Mill Connector in West Raleigh is an off-shoot of the Reedy Creek Trail. The shared use is adjacent to Edwards Mill Road, and stretches down to Chapel Hill Road. On the way, the trail...
The Ellerbee Creek Trail is part of a chain of trails running across Durham, known as the North-South Greenway. This trail picks up where the Stadium Drive leaves off, on Stadium Drive next to the...
The Spring Forest Trail parallels Triangle Town Boulevard from Sumner Boulevard for only 0.5 mile north. Use caution at the crossing on Old Wake Forest Road.
The 2.2-mile, paved Louisburg Bike Trail runs from S. Main Street to Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC). At the Main St. end, you'll find the trail at Depot Street Hill, just south of the Tar...
Trail users can always count on the Meadowmont Trail for a pleasant, scenic amble that takes you up grassy hills, through leafy woodlands and across stately neighborhoods with pretty gardens. The...
Walk, run or roll; the Nancy Branch Greenway invites you to go at your own pace. The trail is flat and paved, making it easy enough for even the youngest members of the family to enjoy. Sandwiched...
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 Stadium Drive Trail is a component of Durham's North-South Greenway, a series of ped-bike trails crossing the city of Durham. The trail is an important connector; it links the Warren Creek Trail...
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The Riverwalk Greenway is a 2-mile trail in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The shared use trail begins at Gold Park and heads east, staying close to the river for most of its length, before concluding...
The Morgan Creek Trail is named after the nearby stream and is a well-used asphalt and boardwalk trail in the town of Chapel Hill. The trail gives residents a safe connection to Merritt's Pasture, an...
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The Buffalo Creek Greenway (also known as the Neuse Riverwalk) meanders along a wooded waterway through the heart of Smithfield in central North Carolina. It is one day hoped to become part of the...
Hinshaw Greenway is a 1.7 mile north-south recreational trail in Cary, NC. The trail runs riparian forest, and acts as a conduit for children to travel safely between the play areas within MacDonald’s...
The Tar River Trail parallels the Tar River, where Tuscarora Indians traveled before colonists settled here. Along the trail you will find evidence of early colonial history, the industrial...
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 northernmost segment of Durham's North-South Greenway, Warren Creek Trail provides a serene hiking or biking experience and access to a neighborhood park. The trail extends between Horton Road...
Had a great time. Gradual upgrades.
I've biked this trail twice since August. Love it. The first time I saw three other cyclists, and the second time I saw one. It's all flat or nearly flat. The unpaved part between Brodnax and Lawrenceville varies between nice hardpack and slow sand, but my gravel bike did fine with it, as I'm sure a mountain bike would. The forest on this trail is hardwood trees. It was great to disappear into the woods by myself for a while. I'll be back, even though I live 80 miles away.
We had a great family bike ride: 4 adults and three kids, started at the Dunn end of the trail and rode to Erwin and back. The section in downtown Erwin is nicely incorporated into a block of downtown that included an excellent bakery. Great cookies to fuel the ride back to the car. Trail is pretty flat, long low grades. Surface is compacted gravel. There are some roads to cross so we had to keep close to the kids. Enjoy
I really got into biking a few months back and have already come to realize how fortunate I am to live less than ten minutes from this trail. It has become my go-to place for riding, as I usually hit it two or three mornings each week and then go for a longer ride on it once almost every weekend.
Thus far I have ridden about 20 of the northernmost miles of the trail; I park near the trailhead by Falls Lake and head south from there before turning around and heading back. One of the things I've really come to appreciate about this trail is that it has virtually no street crossings. The only one I've hit is at Anderson Point Park, and even there you only have to cross the entrance to a seldom-used parking area.
The Neuse River Greenway Trail is beautiful and features numerous scenic crossings back and forth across the river. It is well-maintained, clearly-marked (with mileage markers every quarter-mile) and offers many areas to stop and rest, including some with restroom facilities. It can get a little busy at certain points on the weekends, but users are generally friendly and courteous and I've never found it too crowded to ride at the pace I want.
An added benefit is that the trail offers connections to numerous other trails that are part of Raleigh's excellent and frequently-expanding greenway system, including the Walnut Creek, Crabtree Creek and Abbotts Creek Trail. Once I reach my goal of riding all 27.5 miles of it, I look forwarding the exploring these connected trails.
Great trail for new cyclists. Not intimidating and enough natural elements to get you use on the bike. Inclines to practice braking and getting use to riding at high speeds. I will be back.
I rode 30 miles on Neuse River Trail today. It’s a beautiful, scenic ride. I ride it frequently and it’s never crowded, but it’s always nice to pass walkers, other cyclists, runners and strollers.
My neighbor and I have ridden the entire WCT from Lake Johnson to the Neuse River Trail and back a dozen or more times. It’s fully paved and twists and turns along Walnut Creek. Much of it is shaded. We’ve found it to be less congested than the Neuse River and American Tobacco Trails. The trail is generally well maintained. The signage leaves a bit to be desired - but with almost everyone carrying a smartphone it’s easy to find your way if you take a wrong turn. One word of caution - stay away after a rainstorm! The trail has dozens of boardwalk sections that literally become slick as ice when damp. My neighbor and I (both seasoned cyclists) have each fallen on the wet boardwalks. It’s easy to see lots of scarring on the boardwalks, particularly on the curves - from pedals and chainrings making contact with the wood when someone crashed. I wish the city could apply anti-skid coatings of some kind - particularly where the decking is scarred. Also, after a major rain storm, the longer tunnels and several sections of the trail become covered in silt, in some places, 6 inches deep. It’s a bit nasty riding through a dark tunnel through 1 or more inches of slick, sucking mud. The city does a pretty good job clearing things up, but it may be several days or even weeks before they get to the whole trail. All things considered, it’s a pretty good trail. I will continue to ride it unless I seriously injure myself on the boardwalks.
We ride this trail on our bikes weekly. It’s true the eastern portion is closed to bikes, but there is about 2.5 miles open for very nice biking. It’s best to start at Gold Park in West Hillsborough. This trail can be busy at times, but it is shaded most of the way with great views of the Eno River.
We were trying to make all the trail, very disappointed. A lot of closures areas, thank you for the sewer construction. We had to take Atlantic Ave with a lot of traffic.
OK. The paved portion in nice; the rest of the trail: ugh! Atractive woodland setting, but poorly maintained. Frequent sections were marked by deep sand and loose gravel. Very tiresome to navigate and ride. And not a tobacco plant within miles. LOL
Simple but a nice area and the trail because off into other greenways.
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