Franklin, NC Bike Trails and Maps

130 Reviews

Looking for the best Bike trails around Franklin?

Find the top rated bike trails in Franklin, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
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13 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Bill and Dustie MacKay Trail

1.6 mi
State: GA
Asphalt, Dirt

Doodle Rail Trail

8.5 mi
State: SC
Asphalt

Gatlinburg Trail (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)

1.3 mi
State: TN
Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Nantahala Bikeway

1.2 mi
State: NC
Asphalt

Oconaluftee River Trail

1.5 mi
State: NC
Dirt

Riverwalk Greenway (Pigeon Forge)

3.8 mi
State: TN
Asphalt, Concrete

Townsend Historical Trail

9 mi
State: TN
Asphalt, Concrete

Estatoe Trail

5.9 mi
State: NC
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Gravel

Little Tennessee River Greenway

4.9 mi
State: NC
Asphalt

Veterans Boulevard Greenway

4 mi
State: TN
Asphalt

Gatlinburg Greenway

0.4 mi
State: TN
Asphalt

Green Crescent Pedestrian Bridge

0.4 mi
State: SC
Concrete

Patrick Square Lake Loop

0.6 mi
State: SC
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview The Bill and Dustie MacKay Trail (formerly known as the Shortline Trail) spins a short, smooth circuit through Tallulah Gorge State Park.  About the Route From its trailhead beside...
GA 1.6 mi Asphalt, Dirt
Overview The Doodle Rail Trail connects the towns of Pickens and Easley in the northwest corner of South Carolina. The paved trail follows a former railbed for 8.5 miles and includes two wooden...
SC 8.5 mi Asphalt
Starting along River Rd in Gatlinburg, the Gatlinburg Trail travels 1.3 miles along the Little Pigeon River. This trail provides park visitors and Gatlinburg locals with a connection between the...
TN 1.3 mi Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt
The 1.2-mile Nantahala Bikeway extends from National Forest Rd./Winding Stairs Rd. to the Nantahala Gorge raft launch site in the Nantahala National Forest. A half-mile of the trail follows an...
NC 1.2 mi Asphalt
The Oconaluftee River Trail is a popular 3 mile out-and-back trail along the banks of the river of the same name. The popular gravel trail is one of two in the Smokey Mountains National Park that...
NC 1.5 mi Dirt
Overview Pigeon Forge's Riverwalk Greenway is a beautiful multi-use trail in the resort town of Pigeon Forge in eastern Tennessee. About the Route While the town is better known for its...
TN 3.8 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Townsend is a gateway community to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The small town, however, has its own charms, including this beautiful hike-and-bike trail. The Townsend Historical Trail...
TN 9 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Overview The Estatoe Trail is a relatively flat trail, spanning almost 6 miles between downtown Brevard and Pisgah National Forest. About the Route The bike path has an asphalt surface for...
NC 5.9 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Gravel
Overview From woods to wetlands to meadows, the 4.9-mile Little Tennessee River Greenway passes through a variety of habitats as it follows the scenic banks of the Little Tennessee River. Part of...
NC 4.9 mi Asphalt
This dedicated off-street pathway runs parallel to Veterans Boulevard connecting Sevierville to Pigeon Forge. The trail heads south to Goldrush Road, across from the Dolllyworld Splash Country. It is...
TN 4 mi Asphalt
Overview The Gatlinburg Greenway is the city’s first and only greenway. Currently 0.4 miles long, it is already quite popular. It is fully paved and ADA compliant.  About the Route Currently,...
TN 0.4 mi Asphalt
This pedestrian bridge, the Green Crescent Bridge, is in the City of Clemson and first opened in 2017 as part of a joint effort between the city, Friends of the Green Crescent and Clemson Elementary...
SC 0.4 mi Concrete
This 12-ft wide paved trail encircles the fresh-water Patrick Square Lake and continues alongside Eighteenmile Creek through a wooded area to Nettles Park. A bridge over the creek connects the loop to...
SC 0.6 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete

Recent Trail Reviews

Townsend Historical Trail

Easy peasant ride. All paved on both sides of the road. Nice spots to stop, shop, eat and drink. Close to Cades Cove and entrance to Smoky Mountains. Worth the visit.

May, 2025 by palaciosm025

Easy peasant ride. All paved on both sides of the road. Nice spots to stop, shop, eat and drink. Close to Cades Cove and entrance to Smoky Mountains. Worth the visit.

Riverwalk Greenway (Pigeon Forge)

bridge out

May, 2025 by jskibi_tl

The bridge is out by patriot park so the trail is now only about .8 miles long, and it is not very well marked

Gatlinburg Trail (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)

Beautiful Trail

April, 2025 by leahfoxwell

The trail itself is a definite 5-star experience—beautiful, peaceful, and perfect for exploring with kids. The bridges and the walk along the river were serene and made for a fun adventure. However, I’m giving it 4 stars due to the parking situation. It was a bit tricky to find a spot, but once we figured it out and luckily found a quieter area near one of the less crowded trail entrances, the rest of the visit was fantastic.

Accordion

Nantahala Bikeway

Must try! :)

April, 2025 by vanessateresaseitz

I walked this trail yesterday, and it was one of the most magical experiences. I brought my dog along, and he was able to cool off with a dip in the water when he started to get too hot. I highly recommend this trail to anyone looking for a peaceful, paved, path shaded by trees, with beautiful views of the water.

Doodle Rail Trail

Love this trail

November, 2024 by rawatt06

My husband and I love this trail. We have done it a couple of times. Took my sister and her husband on it. They enjoyed too. It’s smooth and clean. We park in Easley and ride up to Pickens. We always stop in Pickens at a restaurant and eat. (So my sugar levels don’t go too low). Then we head back. Very nice and polite people on the trail.

Little Tennessee River Greenway

Great little trail but a few spots are unpaved.

November, 2024 by susancnett

This is a nice trail that runs beside and crosses over the river. Most of the trail is paved, but parts were not paved or were perhaps covered in sand and dirt. (Hence the 4-star rating.) I am unsure if it is always this way or a result of the recent Hurricane that passed this way. (Fall 2024).

I was impressed with the number of benches along the trail and the great signs helping us know where to go. One portion (in Franklin) runs through an unpaved parking lot behind some stores. At first, we were confused but then we saw a sign explaining where to go to get back to the trail.

Also in Franklin is a small "Women's History Park" with a statue and plaques explaining the park and the statue. It was worth the time to look and read.

There are also some cafes and restaurants in that area so you can enjoy a quick coffee or a more relaxed meal.

Being autumn, there was a lot of "tree debris" on sections of the path but overall this was a nice path that we hope to enjoy again.

Doodle Rail Trail

A Beautiful and Challenging Bike Ride

November, 2024 by traillink user

This trail was beautiful and fun, but the hills made it pretty challenging. I had to get off my bike and walk quite a bit more than I’d hoped. I parked at Doodle Park in Easley, and managed to make it to Pickens and back! The bathrooms at both end were clean, and the trail wasn’t crowded. I went on a weekday morning though ¿.

Veterans Boulevard Greenway

Unpleasant

May, 2024 by tmassey1

The Veterans Boulevard greenway in Sevierville is no more than an extra large sidewalk…on the side of a busy highway. It’s very unpleasant to ride with lots of traffic whizzing by. There is also nowhere to park at the trailhead, so the best options put a rider having to navigate some busy intersections and impatient drivers. However, there is a connection to another trail at the intersection with Middle Creek Road and although it isn’t very long it is at least pleasant. Also, the cover image for this trail is incorrect. That bridge is nowhere to be seen on this trail.

Gatlinburg Greenway

Don't bother

April, 2024 by jme_cox

This is a 0.3 mile long, 8' wide asphalt paved offset 50' and parallel to a public road. To call this a "greenway" is a bit silly.

Doodle Rail Trail

Hilly, not crowded

March, 2024 by woodencanoe1

This was my third ride on the Doodle trail. It is hillier than the Greenville Swamp Rabbit trail, and much less crowded. Good bathrooms at each end, and a nice store at the Pickens end that serves sandwiches and craft beers in cans and bottles.

Little Tennessee River Greenway

excellent greenway

October, 2023 by tinalivingston108

Graveled roads as well as paved. Reminded me of the creeper as well as Chattanooga greenway combined. I would recommend this greenway …absolutely gorgeous!! Wish it could be longer. We rode 11 miles, but it’s so beautiful, you could ride it twice.

Townsend Historical Trail

Nice trail that you can easily add on to

September, 2023 by mailtobark

Nice trail through Townsend area. Paved, some ups and downs but no hard climbs. Not a whole lot to see really. Restaurant near north end has good food. You can take the bike underpass at the north end, cross under the four lane and then cross the small river and pick up the road on the left along the river. Take that through Walland all the way to the intersection with Ellejoy road. This is a nice ride along the river with minimal traffic and only one hill at Walland. There is a parking lot just across the intersection on Ellejoy road. I ve parked there, pedaled to the end of the trail in Townsend and back.

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