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While I agree with one of the other reviews, the trail is a little hard to follow but if you map your ride before you start, you should be ok. Most of the Trail now has a separate pathway which makes it safer especially if you are riding alone which I often do. There are beautiful stretches along side bodies of water, even a small waterfall. Parts of the trail are on a wooded and well shaded path. If you start at Mayfaire and go through a couple of neighborhoods and the UNCW campus you can get as much as 44 miles or more if you want. To me this is the best Wilmington has to offer and I very highly recommend it.
This trail has many twists and turns as it crosses the city. If you are unfamiliar with the area, it’s easy to make a wrong turn, because the trail is so poorly marked. The trail crosses many busy intersections, and part of the time you have to ride on a busy road to complete the 15-mile trail.
I love the idea of a downtown to beach bike ride. Like others, I was disappointed from the start when I realized it would be mostly on roads, not bike trails. However, the first approx. 2/3 of the ride is pleasant for the most part.
I was SHOCKED by the last portion of the ride. I can't believe someone hasn't died yet...perhaps they have. It strikes me as extremely irresponsible to have this ride even exist and be marked with signs because it gives the impression that it is at least relatively safe (which it is not). It's reckless to have bikers crossing without a crosswalk or light and, more notably, to be riding in tiny shoulders with cars zooming by at 45+. A slight drift of a vehicle into the shoulder would result in biker death. Even the most experienced bikers are putting themselves at risk.
It's poorly marked and you mostly ride on roads. Some of the roads are quiet but many have heavy traffic with a shoulder to ride on. In a few cases you are expected to cross busy streets at a site with no traffic light and no crosswalk. This is a dangerous trails and IMO shouldn't even be on this site. Don't ride it!
I had difficulty finding parking at the end of the trail but was able to find a public beach access parking in Indian Beach just past the end of the off-the-road portion. The cross road stops could get a little monotonous in the busier months but were not a big issue in November. It was cold and windy but still was an enjoyable ride. There are several public restrooms along the route.
The description only includes the portion of the trail that parallels, but is off, the main road (about 11 miles). There is an on-road trail that continues into Indian Beach and Atlantic Beach (probably close to 25 miles total). This road is fairly busy but the bike path is wide enough so it isn't uncomfortable.
All paved, gets a little busy with cross car traffic around downtown Emerald Isle on the path. Nice path for the most part. I would suggest early morning or later afternoon to heat. Has water stop, rest rooms at the beach access and tourist center. We like to ride along Ocean Drive along the ocean and end at the beach (end of Coast Guard Road). You can park at Boat Ramp or several beach access locations.
We were visiting Wilmington, NC and were told by hoteliers about the River to Sea Bikeway. Others have said it all and I'm just updating since this it is 2 1/2 years since the last review. As others have said, this is not really a trail. Some sections are very well marked but many are not and we got lost several times, landing us in heavy traffic areas. My husband and I are avid cyclists and have no problem riding in heavy traffic when there is a shoulder. There are some nice sections of this route that are paved "trail" but it is intermittent. The route is mostly roadway, some of which has shoulder but some of the heavy, high speed traffic areas that are supposed to be part of the "bikeway" do not, especially as you get closer to Wrightsville Beach. Our basic conclusion was that it takes a lot of nerve to call this a "Bikeway".
In the autumn of 2014 I began at the North end of " Military Cutoff Trail". There are plenty of parking options at various businesses.
The surface is smooth, wide concrete suitable for Road, hybrid or even mountain bikes.
I met a few riders; all smiled and waved, as did some joggers.
There is a 6' swath of well-tended grass separating the trail from the roadway. Fortuitously, it was grass mowing day; ahh, nothing like the sweet aroma of fresh-cut grass!
As its only 2 miles from the 'trailhead', I did not stop at the endpoint; opted to turn on Hwy. 74 [Eastwood Rd.]. This is the trailhead of the "Gary Shell Cross-City Trail". I pedaled abt. 2 miles, then the trail takes an abrupt left. Don't miss it; its an average size sign. The transition from the urban road to a wooded, secluded setting is surreal! The sounds of traffic gives way to a silent parade of Live Oak trees flanking both sides of the asphalt trail. Evidently, few know of this 'dog leg' as it winds its way thru the trees; not a soul did I meet. An image of Hobbiton flashed thru my mind....
The TrailLink map says that Summer Rest Road is the Endpoint. However, I turned right on Summer Rest Rd. and continued on abt. a 1/2 mile to Hwy. 74 [Wrightsville Ave].
Wrightsville Ave. is the Trailhead of the "River to the Sea Bikeway" trail. I turned left and followed the trail to the bridge that spans the Intracoastal Waterway. Just had to stop and watch the boats and birds for awhile. Back on the bike for 2 miles and I was walking the sands next to Johnny Mercer's Pier. After a leisurely walk in the surf I was ready to make the return trip.[Caution; this last section of the "River to Sea Bikeway" is not recommended for Recreational cyclists. You must know how to ride in traffic].
So, back on "River to Sea Bikeway" to connect with "Gary Shell Cross-City Trail" which connects to my trailhead on "Military Cutoff Trail".
Upon reaching the south-end of "Military Cutoff Trail", I was hungry. I stopped at Wild Wings Café and rewarded myself with zesty, delicious wings and a Red Oak Lager and several glasses of water, as my water bottle was empty at this point. They let me bring my bike inside for security, treated me like family, and even filled up my water bottle! Great place.
Back to the bike and pedaled to the Trailhead at the North end of the trail. Three 'epic' trails in one day!
I ride this trail regularly. Most of the route is on city and neighborhood streets with some pedestrian/bike dedicated connectors. Some of the portions along Park Avenue have inadequate lane width to allow safe passage by cars and the edges of the pavement are broken in several places, making it difficult or impossible to "bail out." Much of this will be corrected in the future with a dedicated bike lane along a portion of Park Ave. The portion along Oleander Dr/US 76 is dangerous, as it is shared with heavy traffic. An alternative is to pick up the Cross-City Trail at Empie Park or Donna Ave. east of Wallace Ave. via the wooden bridge, then following Wood Dale to UNC-W campus. None of Wilmington's bike routes are adequately marked so take a map or GPS your intended route.
Actually, if you complete the entire trail (CLNC old gate to just past Jones Funeral Home) it is a litte over 7 miles. I have walked this trail many times, even by myself, both during the day and at 5:00 pm after work (I carry mace and taser). It gets a litte scarry in some parts and you definately need to be aware of your surroundings. Very shady and paved with asphalt so it has a little more cusiony of a step. If I could change anything about the trail, it would be the following: Extend it to a full 10 miles, have better security (I have NEVER seen a JPD bike patrol on the trail), a couple of water fountains along the way. Thats it! Overall, very enjoyable! mejf
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