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The county holds 52 miles of developed greenway trails, many of which fit under the greater Carolina Thread Trail, a regional network of trails reaching across 15 counties. This is just the beginning of local greenway development – there’s so much more to come. Charlotte is situated in Mecklenburg County, featuring an elaborate system of linear parks, or greenways. They not only support wildlife and water quality but connect visitors and locals to destinations across the area.
Greenways in Mecklenburg County North Carolina

This 1.4-mile segment of the Thread Trail is comprised of a both paved and gravel surfaces. Walkers, runners, and bikers will enjoy exercising along this trail, which at various points, provides appealing views of the creek. This short section of greenway is 3 miles out and back near South End. It runs from Revolution Park with a turf football field across a golf course to Clayton Park. It is a little odd to venture directly through a golf course, but the trail is pretty empty and the rest of it follows a creek through a more relaxing setting. Both Mallard Greek and Clarks Creek Greenways feature a half-dozen connecting trails to neighborhoods.
Popular road trips from Charlotte
This benefits cities by reducing vehicle traffic, pollution and individuals’ carbon footprints. When you’re new to hiking or returning to the trails after an extended break, getting started can be overwhelming, and heading straight to the mountains can feel daunting. Rest assured, you don’t have to tackle North Carolina’s hardest trails right away to reap the physical and mental health benefits of hiking. There are 11 total segments of the Cross Charlotte Trail, plus a bicycle boulevard that improves connectivity to the trail in North Charlotte. Street parking is reserved for handicap access, specific retailers and short-term parking. Levels P1-P3 of the parking deck are exclusively reserved for Metropolitan visitors.
Greenways
In addition to shopping, dining and running errands all in one convenient location, you can walk the greenway and enjoy time with friends in an ever-changing and energetic urban landscape. First Broad River TrailFirst Broad River Trail is currently closed to the public for trail maintenance. Please check back and enjoy the improved trail once work is done. There is also a lower section of the McAlpine Creek Greenway running 8 miles out and back going further South, here is the AllTrails link. This greenway is segmented across parts of Charlotte and has multiple different sections, arguably this is the most confusing greenway in CLT. There are a variety of entry points depending on the section of Little Sugar Creek you’d like to hike or walk.
Trail Tips
These greenways are dog friendly and visitors are treated to wooden bridges, boardwalks and paved surfaces. Mecklenburg County is home to 15 greenways offering more than 60 miles (and growing!) of developed trails for Charlotte-area residents and visitors to explore. The trails vary in length and are a mix of pavement, gravel and dirt making them ideal for all fitness levels. Each greenway below is linked to a trail map and trailhead parking is linked to addresses or pinned locations on Google Maps.
Bridge collapse closes part of Fort Mill greenway - WCNC.com
Bridge collapse closes part of Fort Mill greenway.
Posted: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Hop on at the west end of Four Mile Creek Greenway where it meets Lower McAlpine Greenway. There’s a parking lot on Johnston Road where you can take a connector to the main trail. Or, at the eastern end of the trail, there is a parking long at the corner of Rea Road and Bevington Place. For locals living nearby, neighborhood access to the trail can be found at the end of Radner Lane and near Stanton Green Court.
eedy Creek Nature Center
Taggart Creek Greenway is a short, 1-mile out-and-back trail along Taggart Creek off Billy Graham Parkway, near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. This fully paved trail skirts around a neighborhood and is close to Southview Recreation Center, so it’s easy to add mileage walking nearby residential streets. Located in Charlotte, near Pineville, Six Mile Creek Greenway is 1.8 miles out-and-back. The trail is paved and shady, but it’s worth noting that some lower sections are prone to flooding after heavy rainfall. Six Mile is a great place to walk, bike, walk your dog and spot wildlife. Eventually, this trail will connect to neighborhoods in Mecklenburg and Union counties.
olonel Francis J. Beatty Park
These trails also serve as vegetated natural buffers that promote water quality, help reduce the impacts of flooding and provide wildlife habitat. In addition to the County's greenway system, there are numerous miles of mountain bike trails managed by the Tarheel Trailblazers. As a heads up one of the Google Maps locations will take you to an apartment complex without parking options, so I’d recommend the parking lot AllTrails directs you to. Unfortunately this parking lot is not at the exact beginning/end of the trail, it is right on Margaret Wallace and intersects the trail. If you follow the path from this parking lot on the same side of the road as the parking lot you will hit McAlpine Creek Greenway in about a half mile.
Provide recreation, transportation, fitness, and economic benefits for all to enjoy.
Town Brewing and Blue Blaze Brewing are both right near the trail to enjoy a beer after! Here is the AllTrails link to show the map of Irwin Creek and Wesley Heights. Here is the AllTrails link to show the map of Wesley Heights and Stewart Creek.

As you increase your fitness and endurance, it helps to have a clear picture of the total mileage you could get on any of Mecklenburg County’s greenway trails. Phase 1 of this project connects pedestrians to Long Creek Club Drive, Reames Road, Secretariat Drive, Northlake Center Parkway, Bayview Parkway and Treyburn Drive. Two additional phases are in the works to extend the trail an additional 4.8 miles.
Short sections of the greenway feature boardwalks meandering through wetlands, and the trail can get muddy after heavy rainfall. Parallel parking spaces along Innovation Drive get you closest to the north end of the trailhead for Taggart Creek Greenway. Or, park at Southview Recreation Center and access the trail via a short walk along Burnett Avenue.
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