Our site can help you find out what fine rail-trails are already here in North Carolina and how NCRT is working to get more developed. That's why this site is important. You'll discover that surplus rail corridors are valuable public assets and well worth preserving.
Want to help? Start by becoming a member of North Carolina Rail-Trails!
Mountains | 
Charlotte | 
Triad | 
Triangle | 
Piedmont | 
Coastal
Brevard Bike Path, 3.9 miles open as of Spring 2010. City of Brevard, Phase III. Pathway from Allison Road, along the former Norfolk & Southern line/Poplar Street to McLean Road, Transylvania County. An additional section will conect to ther Art Loeb Trail. (See Little Toots - Summer 2007 and Winter 2008 and the description in Traillink.com for more on Brevard.)
Forrest Hunt Greenway, 0.8 mile, Bechtler Development Corp. Alexander Mills community in the Town of Forest City, Rutherford County
Laurel River Trail, 3.6 miles in Madison County.
Nantahala Bikeway, 1.2 miles, (0.5 miles on abandoned RR bed), U.S Forest Service, Nantahala Gorge, Swain County.
(See Little Toot - Summer 2000 for background.)
Railroad Grade Road, 10 miles, Ashe County. Todd-to-Fleetwood. Paved road built on section of abandoned Virginia-Carolina Railroad. A favorite place for a leisurely bicycle ride in north-western North Carolina. Runs between Fleetwood and Todd and is built on an old railroad grade and is practically flat—not one hill to climb! It is paved, but too narrow to have a center stripe; in fact, it is so narrow in places that when two cars meet one has to pull halfway off the road. This road goes through a valley right by the South Fork of the New River, which has been declared the first of the nation's American Heritage Rivers.
Lansing Trail, 0.5 miles on the former Virginia-Carolina rail bed. Blue Ridge Resource Conservation & Development Council, near Lansing in Ashe County.
Thermal Belt Rail-Trail, 8 miles, Bechtler Development Corp., Spindale to Gilkey in Rutherford County. If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. This natural surface route runs eight miles from Spindale north to Gilkey, passing through the equally tiny towns of Rutherfordton and Ruth. Its crushed stone surface barely disguises the old tracks and ties, which peek through all along the trail. Old railroad signs also line the corridor. Some nice views.
Little Tennessee River Greenway, 4.5 miles in Macon County.
The Little Tennessee River Greenway in Franklin winds 4.5 quiet, asphalt-paved miles through Franklin. The 13-foot wide path is used for bicycling and hiking and has a children’s park, picnic shelters, benches, an historic bridge and a new, covered bridge. Almost two miles of the trail lie on the old rail bed of the Tallulah Falls Railroad, which carried passengers until 1946. All services ended in 1961. Please see the LTRG web site for more information.
Mt. Mitchell Railroad and Toll Road
Variously named walking trails are on the abandoned 21-mile rail corridor of the Mt. Mitchell Railroad, which runs from Montreat to the mountain summit. At least five miles travel through Mt. Mitchell State Park. The Mount Mitchell Railroad carried passengers and lumber for four years prior to June 1919. When the lumber supply was exhausted. In August 1921, the railroad was converted into a toll road for vehicles. The toll road died in 1939 when the Blue Ridge Parkway opened, which offered free access for passenger vehicles. Information, photos and maps are on the park Web site. The two-mile Commissary Trail starts at the State Park office’s parking area and is an easy walk to Camp Alice - a historic logging and later tourist camp below the summit of Mt. Mitchell.
Gold Hill Rail-Trail, ~1 mile, Gold Hill in Rowan County. (See Little Toot -Winter 1999 and Summer 2001 for background.) For more see historic Gold Hill site
Marcia Cloninger Rail-Trail, Lincolnton. 1.0 mile on Carolina & Northwestern corridor on the South Fork River in the City of Lincolnton. Runs through business district. Contact: Chafin Rhyne at 704-735-1746. Photos 1-5 courtesy of Nancy Pierce Photo. PIC #1 | PIC #2 | PIC #3 | PIC #4 | PIC #5 | PIC #6
South Fork River Rail-Trail, 1 mile on the old Carolina & Northwestern corridor along the South Fork River, Lincoln County. Views of the falls, a trail section and a quiet section on the river. PIC #1 | PIC #2 | PIC #3
Rock Creek Park Greenway, Albemarle in Stanly County. 1 mile on Yadkin RR corridor. Contact Toby Thorpe, DIrector, Albemarle Parks and Recreation 704 984 9654.
Highland Rail-Trail, Gaston County. The City of Gastonia used two $75,000 NC-DENR Recreational Trails grants, along with funding from the Community Foundation of Gaston County, the local Glenn Foundation, The Bikes Belong Coalition and City appropriations to complete conversion of the 1.5 mile former C&NW rail corridor to a paved trail, which now extends from downtown to I-85. The trail is part of the Carolina Thread Trail system that, once finished, will connect 15 counties in the region. (See Little Toot - Spring 2008 for background on the Highland trail.) In 2006, the City worked with Norfolk Southern to establish the first city federally railbanked corridor in North Carolina. In early 2009, the City was awarded $850,000 in Federal Stimulus funding to extend the trail through downtown along street corridors. The City plans to extend the trail along a riparian corridor another 1.2 miles to Rankin Lake Park when other funding is obtained. This multi-use trail weaves through a neighborhood whose residents are heavily dependent upon walking and bicycling for transportation and provides critical, low-cost grade separated crossings of I-85 and the Norfolk Southern main line. For more see October 2009 article from the Gaston Gazette Contact Jack Kiser: 704-854-6632.
Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway, 7.5 miles, City of Greensboro and Guilford County. The rail trail on the old Atlantic and Yadkin corridor connects 25-mile High Point-to-Greensboro Bicentennial Greenway to parks and 27-mile trail system around Lake Brandt Reservoir. For more information go to the Parks site and click on links to maps and trails info.
Strollway, 1.2 miles, City of Winston-Salem. Central business district south to historic Old Salem, Forsythe County. Downtown Winston Salem Map
Troutman Greenway, 1 mile paved trail in downtown Troutman, Iredell County. Photos courtesy of Nancy Pierce Photo
(See Little Toot - Winter 2004 for background.)
American Tobacco Trail, 22+ miles, Durham, Chatham and Wake Counties. Durham-to-New Hill corridor railbanked by NC DOT. Leased to local governments. Wake County section and first two sections in Durham are open to the public. Construction on 4.68 mile Chatham section was completed in late 2009 and formally dedicated on Trails Day 2010. A contract for asphalt paving of the third section in Durham (In southern Durham) and construction of the bicycle/pedestrian bridge over I-40 should be awarded in late 2010. No firm completion for this final work on the ATT; City staff estimate Spring 2012. The ATT has been designated as part of the East Coast Greenway. For more information including printable maps please see the TRTC site.
Eagle Spur, Durham 2.2 miles, Corps of Engineers. Stagecoach Road to Jordan Lake. Provides natural surface access to northern edge of Jordan Lake using a section of former Durham-New Hill RR. See our new map and a picture in our Photo Gallery. Near the ATT. See TRTC site for more information.
Libba Cotton Bikeway, 1 mile, City of Carrboro. On active rail spur right-of-way. Connects Carrboro central business district to UNC campus between Roberson St. and Brewer Lane. In late 2009, discussions began on the feasibility of extending this bikeway to the Carolina North project.
Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail, 5.3 miles on the Aberdeen and Rockfish Corridor, Harnett County. The trail emerges from the heart of Dunn and Erwin and travels through their suburban and light industrial fringe, through rural farmland dotted with cotton fields and cottages across the beautiful Black River and its wetlands. Trail has been designated as part of the East Coast Greenway. Trail heads located in both downtown Dunn and downtown Erwin. Historic markers are located along the trail as well as restaurants and shops at both ends. Trail is open in daylight hours only. For information contact (910) 892-3282 and see Dunn Erwin Trail Map
(See Little Toots - Fall 2001, Spring 2002 for background.)
Louisburg-Franklinton Trail, 2.2 miles from the the Tar River in downtown Louisburg to Vance-Granville Community College in Franklin County.
(See Little Toot - Spring 2006 for background.) For a map, a view of the trail, a nearby lumber yard and an old factory building click below: Trail Map
PIC #1 | PIC #2 | PIC #3
Sabina Gould Walkway, 1.2 miles on Seaboard Railroad corridor in the town of Littleton in Warren County. Asphalt, north of Main St.
Jacksonville-Camp LeJeune Rail-to-Trails, Onslow County 5.5 miles from Camp LeJeune to the City of Jacksonville. (See Little Toots - Winter 2007, Spring 2008 for background.) The trail is a proposed part of the East Coast Greenway. Click below for shots of the highway spans, a water bridge and wooded areas near a base housing area. PIC #1 | PIC #2 | PIC #3 | PIC #4 | PIC #5 | PIC #6 | PIC #7 | PIC #8 | PIC #9 For info contact Onslow County Parks at 910 938-5313.
River to the Sea Trail, 11.5 miles, packed sand surface bike route. City of Wilmington. Partially on old Wrightsville Beach Trolleyway. Info on getting around Wilmington.
Skewarkee Trail, 1 mile paved biking and walking trail from downtown Williamston to the Roanoke River waterfront in Martin County. Martin County info.
(See Little Toots - Summer 2002, Spring 2004 for background.)
Battleground Rail Trail, 1.1 mile trail in downtown Greeensboro. The BRT will connect to the Lake Brandt and Bicentennial Greenways. See the Master Plan for this project for a map and background. The trail has been delayed from earlier timelines but construction began in the Spring of 2009. A June 2009 News-Record article provides project details and funding information and an August article reports construction details with a map and picture. The BRT page on the City's website estimates completion in the Spring of 2010. An initial section was dedicated on March 24, 2010. Please see Greensboro News-Record article on the dedication and the project. In early April 2010, Greensboro announced plans to include the BRT and Downtown Greeenway into a newly named Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway. Contact: Harry Clapp for info. (336) 697-7499
Washington-Greenville Greenway, 30 miles, Beaufort, Martin and Pitt Counties. See October 2009 and February 2010 News articles for status reports. Please see Little Toot - Winter 2008 for background.) Also see W-G Bike Route Map. Contact: AL Capehart 919-542-0022.
West Pender Rail Trail, will connect Pender County (near Burgaw) to New Hanover County on part of the Atlantic Coast Line. Lead group is the West Pender Rail-Trail Alliance. Contact: Susan Bullers at 910 283-1788
Deep River Rail-Trail Construction of the first 3/4 mile completed November 2008 in Franklinville. The Deep River Rail-Trail in Randolph County follows an abandoned 18-mile railbed once used by the Atlantic and Yadkin Railroad (1897-1980). This shady, peaceful trail passes an old native American fish weir. The nearby town of Ramseur plans a 3.5 mile eastward extension, and Franklinville plans to lengthen the trail westward to Cedar Falls. In April 2010, Franklinville received a $10,000 grant from the Central Park organization to fund trail and park improvements and pay for a trail easement survey.
The Deep River Rail-Trail is part of a State Trail authorized by the legislature and signed by Governor Easley in August 2007. Have questions? Want to volunteer? Contact: Perry Conner:(336)549-4908 or Harvey Harman:(919)799-6819 or Al Capehart (w/ NCRT) 919-542-0022. Click on the following links to see a map, views of a very wooded trail section, the fish weir, the nearby river and a recently graveled section: Deep River State Trail Map, Deep River Map and Directions , Deep River Rail Trail Concept Brochure
PIC #1 | PIC #2 | PIC #3 | PIC #4 | PIC #5 | PIC #6 | PIC #7
Waccamaw Cypress Trail, 32 miles, Columbus County, Fair Bluff-to-Whiteville Depot-to Lake Waccamaw. Contact: Terry Mann 910-642-5029.
Deep River Nature Trail, 4 miles, north of Ramseur. Chatham and Lee counties. Trail loop study completed. Contact: Margaret Jordan-Ellis, Deep River Park Association, 919-898-4814.
Ecusta Trail, 18.5 miles, Hendersonville to Brevard, Transylvania County. Friends Group formed in 2009. Group exploring options for getting abandoned corridor designated as a State Rail-Trail. The City of Hendersonvile, a declared supporter of the proposed trail, has submitted a request for regional development funds to pay for an economic impact study of the proposed trail. Contact Mike Domonkos 828-884-7648.
Granville Greenway Trail, 32 miles, Granville County. Oxford to Clarksville Contact: Jackie Sergent 252-492-7915 x236.
U.S. Coast Guard Trail, 7 miles, Pasquotank County Elizabeth City-to-Weeksville. Possibile NC DOT railbanking. Contact: Dave Copley, 252-330-4514.
