Find the top rated walking trails in Wake Forest, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 16 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
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 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 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...
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 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 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 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...
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...
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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...
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,...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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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...
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 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...
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...
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,...
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 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...
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...
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 Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 16 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
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...
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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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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,...
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 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 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...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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 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 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 Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 16 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
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 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.
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...
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....
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...
I rode theTrail in September I would give it a 10 star out of 10 stars real fantastic trail I love the trees the pavement the scenery and I own a bike shop in Wisconsin . A lot of the trails in my area are not paved this trail is well maintained and paved . I can’t wait to go back to this trail again in the near future .
I am new to the Benson area. A friend came to visit so we thought we would try out the Dunn/Erwin trail. For starters, good luck finding the trail head. There isn’t one. The trail has a lot of large stone and I don’t mean gravel by any means. Packed crush and run would be wonderful but this is large stone which is hard to ride on. There are no warning signs that roads are ahead. We were riding along and all of a sudden we had to brake fast because out of no where there was a road. This happened time and time again. Worse yet, the roads are not marked with white pedestrian walking/biking paths letting drivers know bikers or walkers may be entering from either side. I find this trail a bit dangerous and should be better marked. Maybe it’s lack of funding. I usually ride in Wake County, Clayton and Garner. Loose dogs yes, I would never walk my pack of 3 on that trail. It’ s sad because it could be used by so many more people. We need more hiking trails in this area and we need to bring more greenways for biking in this area.
The part in Durham I got to ride was shady and well-maintained but I'd never ride it again. I'm used to riding trails that have long stretches and don't cross dangerous, busy streets every block or so. While this trail would be *excellent* for walking and I do see people biking, it's not one I'd recommend for the latter. There are too many opportunities for a bad interaction with an inattentive driver. I had a near-miss with a driver who didn't respect the trail/crosswalk warning lights as it was.
Used this when I was visiting NC in July 2019. This trail is short but well maintained and the maps show that it will be expanded and connected to other trails. Cary will some day have trails all over it. It was 95 out when I used this trail, you may want a cooler day but my bike takes the heat good.
Greenway has overgrown trees hanging over in the path. Grass is high on side of path. Reason for keeping grass cut weekly is so snakes can be seen. Boards on bridges are sticking up. ( Dangerous for cyclist and more for runners.)
It is a nice greenway and we enjoy riding it. Town just needs to take more pride in it other than just ham and yam time each year.
As a former volunteer under the auspices of The NRPD I’ve ridden this Greenway many times end to end. Not a security risk but suggest ride or jog in pairs for enjoyment. Be aware of children and strollers and prepared to stop on busy weekends. Even in hot weather trail has many mature trees for cool shade ,be aware of possible loose large branches on windy days,wear a helmet!. The prettiest and perhaps most challenging/exciting is the section from Anderson Park S. Plenty of parking on either side of bridge entering park. But entrance to trail hidden by cedars down on left 2nd entrance,nearest white cottage, once youve ridden you will always find it,caution returning cyclists ride fast on exit ,be vigilant,wear bright clothing to be seen. Restrooms at Anderson last on trail until Garner! My favorite section is Anderson Park S. to Mial Plantation ,lovely sweeps and downhill runs ,countryside resembles Vermont with long white fences. This is the quieter section .triathlon rider groups on weekend s prevalent. There are numerous benches for a picnic along the way. Come prepared . Near “Riverside subdivision past Johnson County line theres a bridge with picnic tables at each end and on bridge ,nice in fall weather and occasional bald eagles can be observed.
This greenway is poorly marked and the trail is broken in places by a detour through busy city streets and 50 mph traffic. This was an awful ride spent being slightly lost and pretty frustrated at the large detour required to get back on the greenway trail. I won’t be back.
Wife and I rode Lawrenceville to La Crosse and returned the following day, staying at the Fairfield Marriott right off the trail. The trail is pretty flat, but more uphill on the way to La Crosse. The trail is in pretty good shape except for a fallen tree from the recent storms. The grass on the trail was recently cut so there was a lot of room to the sides and the center grass was low. The facilities along this trail are excellent—several bathrooms, garbage cans, and benches. The last four miles to La Crosse are paved which made for easy riding. We saw quite a few deer, a snake or two, and a couple of turtles on the journey. I keep telling the snakes to stay away because my wife is afraid of them; but they don’t listen to me.
There really isn’t that much along the trail so take food and water with you. La Crosse and South Hill have all kinds of places to eat, so once you get there you have plenty of choices.
My only complaints are the lack of use of the trail and the need for crushed limestone. The trail is really nice and we really did not see any use. With all that infrastructure people should take advantage of it being there and the towns and the county should try to highlight it more. The trail cover is more of a sandy material, not like the typical crushed limestone. When it is dry you can lose traction pretty easily and you will slide. Be careful with that. There is also an issue with the mile markers. It seems like you go from mile 1 to mile 4 with no 2 or 3.
This trail provides a nice diversion from the main Neuse River trail. It is less crowded, and gives you a diversity of scenery, running near neighborhoods and wetlands. Mostly shaded. It follows a powerline, creek and railway most of the way. Some stretches are on boardwalks. The remainder is smooth asphalt. Mostly flat. Very good. Will ride again sometime.
You can ride from the Neuse River trail to about New Bern Blvd, but west of there is all torn up for sewer work. Check the link on this page to the Raleigh Greenways page to get construction updates to see what parts are open.
Rode this trail today. Started at the Avent lot at Lake Johnson. Unfortunately they are doing some sort of construction there that involves part of the trail so almost immediately we were forced on a detour of about 2 miles of just sidewalks up and around Lake Dam Rd until we could get the trail again. The trail is nicely paved and partially wooded. Very enjoyable to ride. Love the marsh bridges and tunnels. Adds some fun variety to the ride we hadn't experienced on any other trail. Also loved area at Lake Raleigh. Definite photo op!!! My only "complaint" would be that the trail is not well marked when it hits Water Works street and the Rocky Branch trail. We lost the trail on our way out at the water works area and some other bikers helped us get straight and then on the return we somehow ended up on Rocky Branch Trail instead of Walnut Creek. They may merge as one but we didn't know and didn't have extra time to hope they did so we used the traillink map and took a street to get us back to Walnut Creek Trail. Hope to come back and ride again sometime. Had about 5 miles to opposite end but had to turn to head back (time crunch) so missed riding the long marsh bridge which would have loved to have done.
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