Find the top rated trails in Wake Forest, 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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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...
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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...
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 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...
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...
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 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 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 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 Third Fork Creek Trail offers a paved 3.5-mile route through southwestern Durham. The trail begins at Southern Boundaries Park and continues through a pleasantly wooded corridor to its end at...
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...
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 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 Tobacco Heritage Trail currently runs in a continuous, off-road 17-mile stretch between the southern Virginia communities of Lawrenceville, Brodnax and La Crosse. Along the way, trail-goers can...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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,...
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 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 Tobacco Heritage Trail currently runs in a continuous, off-road 17-mile stretch between the southern Virginia communities of Lawrenceville, Brodnax and La Crosse. Along the way, trail-goers can...
The trail starts on Green Level Church Road and then heads west past suburban homes, skirting the north side of Amberly Lake. You will cross Yates South Road via crosswalk, then continue south along...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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 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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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 Third Fork Creek Trail offers a paved 3.5-mile route through southwestern Durham. The trail begins at Southern Boundaries Park and continues through a pleasantly wooded corridor to its end at...
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 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 Tobacco Heritage Trail currently runs in a continuous, off-road 17-mile stretch between the southern Virginia communities of Lawrenceville, Brodnax and La Crosse. Along the way, trail-goers can...
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...
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 Third Fork Creek Trail offers a paved 3.5-mile route through southwestern Durham. The trail begins at Southern Boundaries Park and continues through a pleasantly wooded corridor to its end at...
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 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...
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 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...
Along the eastern outskirts of Raleigh, the Neuse River Trail follows the river for nearly 28 miles from Falls Lake Dam to the Wake/Johnston County line. There are several river crossings along the...
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 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 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 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 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...
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 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...
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,...
Great trail for a morning walk. It's part of the Cary Greenway and connects to other trails
I had an extra day to spend in the Triangle before heading home, and was excited to squeeze in a ride on this trail. I parked at the White Oak trailhead, which has restrooms. The stone trail was among the best I’ve ever seen; extremely wide, smooth, well-packed. Lots of tree cover, gentle hills. They use the old-fashioned access control gates on this trail, which are a bit narrow to ride through even at a slow speed. But road crossings were not too frequent and didn’t slow me down.
Even though it was a Saturday and a lot of people were using the trail, I didn’t feel hampered to ride at a (relatively) fast pace. The mix of families with strollers, walkers, runners, and riders all got along quite well. I rode to the end of the stone section, then back past my car to the paved section and into Durham. There was a bigger hill and one very urban area where the trail narrows and becomes effectively a sidewalk, then opens up a bit and dives back into the trees. I continued to Mile 5 and turned around where it seemed to be getting more urban again.
And despite the trail’s name, not a single smoker in sight the whole way.
Drove in from Raleigh area to do the peaceful 18 miles from west of La Crosse to Lawrenceville. Western 4-5 miles is a nice paved section. Railroad St. in Brodnax is a seamless transition to crushed stone section (look for the shareroads to confirm you're on the right path). The crushed stone section is clearly designed with horses in mind, but it is a perfectly fine trail for MTBs. And they have provided 4 fixed latrines (Bless'm!) and a multitude of picnic tables. Ate at The Clubhouse Grill in Lawrenceville (turn right at the abrupt end of the trail, down the hill, quick right). Good comfort food with local atmosphere. And the only eatery (except Hardee's) I could find on the trail.
The only reason I didn't give this trail 5 stars is that I think La Crosse needs to solidify it's standing as the premier trail access point by providing at least a changing hut, or better yet rest rooms and water fountain.
Rode from Evans Creek trailhead to LaCrosse and back. It was after heavy rain, so Trail was smooth, if a little heavy to pedal through. We were the ONLY people on the trail. I’m also a horsewoman, and it looks like a great trail to ride on too! The birding was fantastic. We aren’t fussy, just like a nice ride. Highly recommend. PS: if we cyclists want more rail trails, we need to use trails like this one, and visit local businesses. It might not be perfect for some, but if we want more, we need to show the economic advantages to having these trails!
Would have been a five star but the start at the Community Center was not well marked. The end of the Trail in Smithfield was next to the main drag where I found a nice deli. Will be back I love Smithfield!
The trail was excellent. The people on the trail were very friendly. Great place to ride.
We biked from Worthdale park east to the Neuse river trail. Beautiful well maintained and a little hilly. This section is 5 stars. We then went 4 miles or so west ,after struggling to find the street connection , and it was a little more dated , not quite as wide, and in need of some cleaning but pretty nice. We rated this section a 3+. Well worth a visit.
Our group of 5 old guys spent 4 nights in a rental home in Wake Forest. We had a direct trail connection to the Neuse River Trail(NRT). it was our second trip to the area and once again the biking did not disappoint. This is one of the best rails we have ever ridden. Extremely well maintained, scenic and fairly level with some short climbs and descents.
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.
Wy family and I did trail for first time yesterday and enjoyed it. It was easy enough for my 6 yo to do and he had a blAst going through the tunnel. We hooked up with Walnut Creek Trail and enjoyed that too.
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