A quality rail to trail project, this outdoor attraction adjoins some other parklands, and is far…read moreenough from the downtown of any of the nearby metropolitan areas to be relatively quiet and safe and to offer some interesting views of the countryside. Having said that, it's long enough that there are sections of it for which the verdict is apparently different. Everything was in good condition when I visited, though water fountains in the neighboring park were shut off for the winter.

At first, I thought the trail would be inundated with tobacco products but learned that it was just…read morethe name. The trail goes on forever! We walked for two hours. The scenery was nice and trail was super safe during the day. Highly recommend this trail! There's a lot of trees, bushes, plants, flowers. Some people bike, walk, skateboard, or rollerblade.

This is a semi paved 20-30 mile walking/running/bike path that connects Apex, Cary, and Durham. It…read moregoes through Wake, Chatham and Durham county. The south end is flat dirt with pine needles and small gravel that line the path, as you gravel north, it turns into a paved path. I love coming here to ride my bike. During the waking hours of 9am-6pm it is fairly populated so I feel plenty safe. The path crosses a road every 4-5 miles or so with parking near most road crossings. Today when I was out, people were running virtual marathons and it was very exciting to see. Bathrooms are available at maybe half the parking areas (the larger ones). No it is not lit, no street lights. Rules are to stay right, pass left, and no motorized vehicles unless a wheelchair. Love it here!

Great rails to trail. Wide paved path and crushed course sand path next to paved to ride/run on…read more You have to cross roads about every mile, but it is set up to give you the right of way. Good amount of use so everyone should feel safe.

I happened upon this trial 15 years after the last time here! This was a go to spot during school…read morehere and remains just as beautiful as it was then! The loop is a little less than 3 miles and has some good ups and downs. The 2 parking lots to the East start up on the hill, with the main downhills shortly after starting. The path goes along the golf course and is well manicured. Hardcore runner, causal walker, or something in between, this is a great place for some time outside!

There are a couple of parking lots to this trail. The one closest to the campus at least appeared…read moreto require a campus parking permit; Duke is quite stingy about parking for all the open space that's theoretically available. The restrictions end at 5, which perhaps explains the rush at 5:10 or so when I arrived. The trail was a loop around the golf course and various other facilities, which was verdant and had some interesting signage about the ecological development of the area. There were some snakes and other creatures on the trail despite it being relatively busy with human activity.

I came to the Walnut Creek Center for a family reunion. I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed my time…read morehere. Upon entering the facility they have an educational center and an area where you can hold events. The event room is of nice side to hold a good amount of table and chairs. There is a kitchen available should you need to cook. The educational center was staffed on this date, and there was lots of information about creepy crawlers, animals and the like. The staff were knowledgeable and helpful. It was great resource for the kids that were there. Also, because it is a wetland, there were trails that you could walk behind the center. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go as far as I would have liked due to time constraints, but from what I saw it was pretty cool. I think this is an awesome resource for events and for educational purposes for the kiddos.

I didn't expect this in a spot not too far from downtown Raleigh…read more The Walnut Creek Wetland Center is both an education center and a nice getaway for a mini-commune with nature, for joining a program or two, or just to explore on your own. It's about sixty acres of wetlands. The building, set above the flood plain, mostly built with recycled materials, has a cistern collecting rain, large windows facing the back deck to bring in natural light and blend the building into the scenery. There are recycle bins in the back and a couple of EV charging stations in the parking lot. The center is across the street from the Little Rock Trail and near the Walnut Creek greenway. The center has rocking chairs on the back deck, good for relaxing and watching (or listening to) the activity. If you stay long enough, the birds, squirrels, ducks, will come by and so, too, will other animals part of this wetland system. Frogs, snakes, deer, beavers, and turtles have all been in the area according to the literature and center staff. There are bird feeders just off the side deck and near the cistern, with non-stop activity from several different species. There are large rooms available to rent for birthday parties or to host some of the programs the Center offers on the wetlands and the ecosystem, just for kids. The main lobby has general information and a "touch" table. Mr. It, a turtle, takes it all in, although his only view of the world is probably the ceiling and then people peering over the edge of his container and reaching in to touch him. He seems pretty mellow about it all.

I visited Rocky Branch Greenway a recent morning while staying nearby for business. I searched and…read morefound it was not too far from the hotel and it being a nice morning to get out and exercise I did just that. I found the trail to be shaded and varying terrain. Some parts flat, but more common were gently hills. The scenery was beautiful, even for parts of the trail along a busy road. I found it a great way to get away from the city and into a little nature. My main complaint would be a lack of good signage. I seemed to be on the trail for the most part but may have gone off into a nearby trail system by accident. Either way I enjoyed the walk/run, the scenery, the available trash bins (as there was some trash I picked up and was appreciative of the bins) and the experience was very pleasant. I'll certainly go again.

I live near downtown, but I don't love running on sidewalks all the time--especially Raleigh's…read moresidewalks, which can be really bumpy, uneven, and easy to trip. And, there are a lot of lights, which can mean a lot of stopping/waiting. Therefore, I was thankful to learn that the Rocky Branch Greenway--part of the Triangle's wonderful trail system--goes within a half mile of most parts of downtown Raleigh! It is a 3.5 mile trail from south of downtown through NC State's campus. You have to cross several roads, including Western Boulevard at a stop light. Parts of it are wooded (passes through part of Pullen Park), part of it are along the NC state athletic facilities, part of it is along Western Boulevard itself (my least favorite stretch), part is near neighborhoods/apartment complexes, and one stretch is in front of a grassy green at the Dorthea Dix campus. I would caution against running it at night because the wooded parts aren't well lit and there are several tunnels. Although parts of this trail can be boring and it isn't very long, it's still nice to have a trail so close to an urban area. And, it is easy to connect from the ends of the Rocky Branch Greenway to other parts of the Capital Greenway--e.g. from the NC State side you can easily get to the Reedy Creek Trail and from the Wilmington Street Side you can get to the Walnut Creek Trail just by going a block up the road (there are signs). I can't imagine doing a longer run from downtown without using it! If you're curious, here's a link to a Wiki with a lot of information and pictures: https://trianglewiki.org/Rocky_Branch_Greenway.

Nice shaded walk connecting two nice parks. Have walked this greenway several times on my visits to…read moreCary.

Abbott's Creek Trail is a feeder trail within the Bedford Falls River community that connects to…read morethe 26 mile Neuse River Greenway. Excellent 1 mile walk in nature, flat terrain. Can go in and back or loop to the larger trail for more exercise.

When Raleigh was voted the best city in the US last year, one of the defining categories in the…read moreselection process is miles of greenway. I'm a die-hard Durhamite, but I have to concede... Raleigh really has their ish together when it comes to the Capital Area Greenway (separate review to come). And the Little Rock Trail exists to conveniently connect downtown denizens to the miles-and-miles-and-miles of interconnected paved trail options that span all over Raleigh, out into Apex, and elsewhere. That being said... LRT, as a running path, is a little rough around the edges. It goes through some poor-er neighborhoods where you'll pass by the occasional boarded up house and trot over lots of broken glass. One evening, there were three police cars surrounding an apartment complex that the path passes by. The trail doesn't seem to be used much at all on weekdays, though I have seen a cyclist or two. Because there are park benches and pavilions in areas, you might pass folks hanging out. I haven't felt uncomfortable* running alone though; and actually, most of the people seem friendly. Pick the trail up on Chavis (look for Chavis Way signs, then cross the street for the trail entrance) and take it east to the Wetland Center where it drops you off on the Walnut Creek Trail. About 3mi out and back. *with the exception of spotting a pair of discarded purple panties in the tree branches growing up from underneath a bridge I run over.

I chose to park at 501 MLK Jr Blvd, but couldn't find parking (maybe it was early voting?), so I…read moredrove around the corner to a residential area and parked alongside the trail there. There is also a lot at the nature center on 950 Peterson St, right near where the Little Rock Trail connects with the Walnut Creek Trail. When I stopped there, it was completely empty. I decided to park at the end of the Little Rock Trail, and then connect with the Walnut Creek, hoping to get in a twelve mile loop. The positives: The trail is flat and quiet, with bathrooms along the route. There are also tunnels going under the main roads so you don't have to take your life in your hands when you want to cross them. The negatives: According to reviews online, it seemed these trails are populated to the point of overcrowding. I didn't see that. For the first three miles of my run, I was the only one out there, and thankfully the RGreenway app was on my phone since the trails aren't marked all that well (or were, but someone tore the signs down). And while I didn't feel unsafe going through the neighborhoods along the trail for most of my run, there's something unsettling when people in said neighborhoods stared at me, asking if I was lost, and then told me to head back to the main road because it's safer there. I didn't heed that advice until a bunch of teenagers drove by on mopeds and kept circling me. I don't scare easily, but being tired and alone in the middle of an area I don't know, I liked my chances on the main road better than in the middle of the woods. The other down side to this area is that the stretch of the Little Rock Trail between the nature center and the lot at 501 MLK is somewhat close to the women's correctional facility. If you're on the trail, you'll never see it. I didn't see it until I got off the trail and headed back on main roads. A little unsettling because I wasn't expecting it, but perhaps the warning of the locals is what made me feel unsettled by it? Don't know. Bottom line: I don't know if I would come out here alone again. I'd definitely bring someone else along with me and run on the trail, but it was a little too remote for my liking.