Find the top rated mountain biking trails in North Carolina, whether you're looking for an easy short mountain biking trail or a long mountain biking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a mountain biking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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As an extension to our ride on the Salem Lake Trail, we rode this greenway to add some extra miles. In my opinion, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
The greenway itself is fairly narrow, and the pavement is rough in places and in need of repair. That said, the planners did a good job minimizing at-grade crossings, which helps keep the ride moving smoothly.
At one point, the trail closely follows Salem Creek and includes a fun water crossing. Be aware, though, that in this section there is a damaged concrete area where the trail narrows to a single pass—use caution when navigating through.
We rode as far as Central Park, though the greenway continues beyond that point.
The trail is mostly dirt, sand, and gravel, but it’s wide enough that passing walkers, runners, or other cyclists is easy. A few sections have been recently repaired with large gravel, so you’ll need to ride carefully in those areas.
There’s a lovely mix of sun and shade, along with cool breezes that make it feel far removed from populated areas. Parking is ample at the marina, though more limited at the Linville Road access. Both locations offer restroom facilities.
Part of the trail runs alongside Linville Road but remains completely separated from traffic. There are several hills, including a steep one near the marina. That section is paved, but unfortunately the asphalt is narrow and somewhat broken along one edge.
Near the marina, you can connect to the Salem Creek Greenway to extend your ride.
Definitely a trail I plan to return to.
Even so, we had a great time. We parked at McCrary park and went around uncw campus. We rode to wrightsville beach
The suspension bridge is now fully repaired. The trail is in good condition. Wish there were trees around the parking lot for shade.
The greenway now extends to the southwest and ends at the Apex Nature Park. Overall length from Jaycee Park to Apex Nature Park is about 5 miles. Great nature ride. Well designed
The *Emerald Necklace* is an effort to link greenways and local streets into a continuous loop through the northern part of Mecklenburg County, primarily around Cornelius and Davidson. The concept is excellent—creating a connected network for cyclists and walkers—but the current experience is a mix of enjoyable greenway riding and more challenging on-road navigation. Your enjoyment will largely depend on your comfort level riding on streets. At some point in the future, the western portion of the system is expected to connect with a greenway extending to Huntersville.
Riders should be prepared for sections that transition onto streets, some of which are busy or narrow. There are also several crossings at high-traffic intersections that require caution. Currently, connecting the eastern and western portions of the Necklace requires riding along very busy Catawba Avenue or Sam Furr Road, which may be uncomfortable for some cyclists.
To make the experience more enjoyable, we’ve found it best to ride the Necklace in sections rather than attempting the full loop at once, thereby avoiding some of the more difficult road segments. Signage and naming can also be confusing—for example, the trail beginning at Shearer Road is referred to by different names on various maps, making navigation less intuitive. And the signs on the street along this route and small and easy to miss.
On our most recent outing, we completed an out-and-back ride on the South Prong Rocky River Greenway, traveling from Shearer Road to the River Run Athletic Field. Much of this segment follows neighborhood streets rather than a dedicated greenway. While the River Run area is quite lovely, the bike lanes are in need of repainting, and signage directing riders from one street to another is minimal or nonexistent.
Parking is available at various points along the route, but locating access points can be challenging. It is helpful to download a trail map in advance:
[https://www.carolinathreadtrailmap.org/trails/trail/south-prong-rocky-river-greenway]
The terrain in this section is notably hilly, adding an extra level of challenge to the ride.
**Overall:**
A promising and scenic concept that still needs improved signage, clearer mapping, and safer, more consistent bike infrastructure to fully realize its potential.
The 5-star reviews likely refer to the paved section at the Kings Mountain trailhead, which is an easy to moderate ride with a couple of hills and excellent amenities (restrooms, water, picnic tables). The town of Kings Mountain has done a great job maintaining this portion of the trail
The Foote Trail, however, is very challenging and I would not recommend it for biking. The surface is large, loose gravel, and diagonal railroad ties on the slopped portions make maintaining momentum difficult. The steep, rocky section along I-85 was especially tough—we had to walk our e-bikes both downhill and uphill.
Once you reach the bridge over the interstate, the trail improves significantly, becoming level with finely crushed gravel and very enjoyable to ride. The trail ends at Gilead Church Road, where there are no amenities.
Recommendation: Stick to the paved trail and the section south of I-85; skip the Foote Trail for biking.
Only rode 15 miles from Auburn-Knightdale to Milburne Dam and back but this is one of the very best trails for casual bicyclists. Paved. Wide. Scenic. Mostly shaded. Daily level with occasional hills that are a bit challenging for old and out-of-shapers but not too bad. Did not see a single electric terror bike--very unusual these days. Very friendly users (95% respond to greetings). Not many terrorizing "serious" riders. Great ride. Lots of bridges. Perfectly maintained.
good for walking and ok to see some sites. not very good if you try to ride at a higher pace.
We rode only 10 miles or so mostly upcreek from the park in South Park. Perfectly paved trail crosses back and forth over creek. Pretty level with some small hills. Woods, mature developments, parks, occasionally through streets with very little traffic. Probably better scenery when not middle of winter. Real nice ride.
I am also a local. To the tourist that think this is meant to be a trail—it’s a ROAD. people live here and are driving to and from work. we are constantly made late by people riding bikes and leisurely walking while refusing to let cars by and being hateful because they are out of towners who believe this to be a biking trail. i’m sorry but it’s just not, this road is dangerous enough as a vehicle coming up on another vehicle. that becomes disaster when there’s people standing in blind curves taking pictures and gawking when people are trying to go make a living and not be made late by out of touch tourists.
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