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The Emerald Necklace is a developing 13-mile trail loop of greenways and multiuse paths in the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville. The route makes use of portions of the Caldwell Station Creek Greenway, the Plum Creek Greenway, the South Prong Rocky River Greenway, the McDowell Creek Greenway, Antiquity Greenway, and the Bailey Road Multi-Use Path.
From the intersection of Statesville Road/US-21 and Northcross Center Court, the Emerald Necklace route runs north along the Caldwell Station Creek Greenway from Statesville Road/US-21 to Old Statesville Road/Highway 115, where it curves east to follow the Bailey Road Multi-Use Path until it connects with the southern end of the Plum Creek Greenway. The route continues north on the Plum Creek Greenway. Crossing the Rocky River, the Plum Creek Greenway ends with a seamless connection to the South Prong Rocky River Greenway.
The Emerald Necklace route continues north and then west on the South Prong Rocky River Greenway. At South Street, there is a seamless link to the Antiquity Greenway. After running along the entirety of the Antiquity Greenway to its southern trailhead (20036 Zion Ave, Cornelius), there is a gap until the route picks up at the McDowell Creek Greenway's northern trailhead (8509 Magnolia Estates Dr, Cornelius). The Emerald Necklace route runs along the McDowell Creek Greenway to its southern trailhead (8871 Sam Furr Rd, Huntersville). There is a gap between the southern trailhead of the McDowell Creek Greenway and the southern end of the Caldwell Station Creek Greenway.
As of February 2023, there are two gaps in the loop—along Jetton Road Ext/Sefton Park Road to Catawba Avenue and along Highway 73/Sam Furr Road. There are plans to build multiuse paths to fill the gaps.
Parking is available at a number of locations along the trail. Visit the TrailLink map for all options and detailed directions.
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.
This trail the was nice but clearly intended for residents only. Businesses around it with signage stating “not trail parking.” Little to no parking access for non residents. Construction on trail but detours from the trail side are poorly marked but seem to be well marked in the residential areas surrounding. Trail is really several trails with one area not accessible to the other. Not sure why it is listed as “a” trail. Should be two. If you can access it you will enjoy it but good luck. We tried multiple points and spoke to people on it that did not have any good recommendations.
I do this loop a couple times a week. It’s a series of greenways and residential roads forming a “loop”. Be prepared for some hills. I use an ebike so there are no issues. It does have a lot of wood bridges which can get slippery when it’s damp.
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