Looking for some cycling inspiration? These serious bikers shared their favorite paths along the greenway, parks and roads in Raleigh and beyond
by Ayn-Monique Klahre with additional reporting by Kat Dale | photography by Jared Harber
Spring weather may have you breaking out the helmet — but with Raleigh’s generally mild winters and tolerable summers (the mornings, anyway), you can bike year-round. “You can do the same loop all year and see the changes in the greenery and wildlife,” says Jared Harber, executive director of biking advocacy nonprofit Oaks and Spokes. One of the easiest spots to do that is on the Capital Area Greenway, which debuted 50 years ago and now boasts more than 100 miles of trails. “Our greenway system is extremely well connected; it ribbons through the whole city and bumps up into a lot of neighborhoods, so it’s easily accessible for most folks,” Harber says.
Beyond being a mode of fitness or recreation, biking offers a chance to interact with your surroundings in a different way. “In a growing city like Raleigh, we can lose that Southern hospitality — but you connect with people when you ride a bike,” says Harber. “When I’m biking, I’ll run into a friend or work acquaintance and stop and chit-chat. You don’t do that when you’re driving.”
In honor of bike month, we connected with local biking aficionados to share some of their favorite routes.
Umstead State Park Trails, up to 18.5 miles
Paulina Simons, communications manager, Rescue Racing
“When it comes to cycling in Raleigh, Umstead State Park is my answer every single time. Tucked away from cars and busy streets, this gravel sanctuary laced with miles of trails and rolling hills is the perfect escape. Whether you’re looking to clear your head or push your limits, you can do it in Umstead — which is why you’ll find me out there most days of the week.”
The route: Park in one of the five lots around the park, or ride in via the Crabtree Creek Greenway or Cary’s Black Creek Greenway. Then choose your own adventure! A route connecting the most accessible parking lots can create an 18.5-mile loop.
The Greenway Circuit, 32 miles
Lauren Blanch, co-owner, The Bike Library
“My favorite place to ride in Raleigh is the greenway network. It connects so many parts of the city and makes it easy to put together a long, scenic ride without dealing with much car traffic. My go-to route is a loop around the city, about 30 miles. It’s got a great combination of paved, protected paths and beautiful scenery — you’re surrounded by trees and water most of the time — plus, there are enough hills to keep things interesting.”
The route: Start from The Bike Library Café (600 W. Cabarrus Street, Suite 113) or the Greenway Gear Collective Container (Lake Raleigh Dock, Centennial Campus) to get onto the Rocky Branch Trail. Ride east, then loop around the entire core of Raleigh via the Walnut Creek Greenway, Neuse River Trail, Crabtree Creek Greenway and House Creek Greenway.
NCMA to Crabtree Loop, 12 miles
Beverley Clark, co-founder and chair of Friends of the Raleigh Greenways
“One of my go-to loops is to head out from the NCMA on the Old Reedy Creek greenway, across the Crabtree Creek Greenway and back along the Reedy Creek Trail. Crabtree Creek is the newest greenway section and it takes you through mostly natural areas.”
The route: Park in the NCMA park’s lot, then head northwest along the Old Reedy Creek greenway, which enters Umstead Park at the junction of Trenton and Reedy Creek Roads. After the gate, make an immediate right onto Turkey Creek, which winds downhill to meet the Crabtree Creek Greenway extension. Ride east on this until it meets the House Creek greenway at Blue Ridge Road. (This junction is easy to miss; when you see the McDonalds, get on the sidewalk or road and ride southeast along Crabtree Valley Road until the intersection. House Creek greenway picks up on the southwest corner.) Follow House Creek to Reedy Creek Trail, cross over I-40 using the bridge, and you’ll be back on the art museum’s campus!
Williamson Preserve, up to 13.5 miles
Shaun King, executive director, the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists
“I love the off-road, natural surface trails in Williamson Preserve in eastern Wake County. It has a smart layout for trail design that coordinates traffic among hikers, runners and bikers to improve everyone’s ability to share the paths. The connected trail loops allow you to manage your time and effort by choosing how many loops to take on, and the navigation is made simple by the primarily north-south configuration.”
The route: Park at the North entrance at the Williamson Preserve Trailhead (4409 Old Country Mial Road), where you’ll find a well-managed and ADA-accessible porta potty on site. You can also get to the preserve via the Neuse River greenway. Then start on the trail, which offers various well-marked loops (including the Lily, Magnolia and Pine Warbler Loops) to achieve your preferred mileage. Note: The directionality of the trails switches depending on the day of the week. Bikers make all left turns on Sunday through Wednesday, and all right turns on Thursday through Saturday.
Falls Lake Out-and-Back, 23 miles
Yevette Yarborough-Trotman, Black Girls Do Bike Raleigh – Durham
“For me, what makes a ride truly special is the destination, whether it’s discovering artwork or catching a sunrise or sunset over the water. Beautiful scenery makes me feel free, present and connected to my surroundings. This summer, we’re hosting the national meetup for Black Girls Do Bike right here in Raleigh, so I’ve developed a route out to Falls Lake to share one of my favorite views with our guests!”
The route: Park at O2 Fitness in Brier Creek (7801 Alexander Prom Place). Head north on Brier Creek Parkway, then veer right to continue on Andrews Chapel Road. Cross Leesville Road to connect to Carpenter Pond Road. Head west when you hit Kemp Road, then north again at Southview Road until it dead-ends into Baptist Road; turn right. Follow that north, through the rolling view campground, until you hit the Rolling View Lookout over Falls Lake. To mix it up on the return trip, turn south off Kemp onto Coley Road, then turn off Carpenter Pond to continue south on Shady Grove Road, which will turn into Mt. Herman Road. Take a right to head west onto ACC Boulevard, which will bring you back to O2. Note: This is a road route, so use front/rear lights, wear bright colors and communicate with drivers through clear hand signals and eye contact.
American Tobacco Trail, up to 44 miles
Simone Kellum Hamlett, Black Girls Do Bike Raleigh – Durham
“My favorite cycling route is the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) from downtown Durham to the New Hope Church Road trail head. This stretch offers a beautiful tree canopy, peaceful wooded areas and a gradual transition away from the city. The out-and-back ride is low-stress and welcoming for different skill levels, plus it can be adjusted depending on your time or training goals. We often return to the Durham Farmers Market to enjoy fresh food, coffee and locally grown produce after the ride.”
The route: Start in Durham at the farmers market parking lot (501 Foster Street, Durham). This requires a brief road ride to get onto the ATT at the corner of Morehead and Blackwell Streets (just south of the Durham Bulls stadium). Once you’re on the trail, bike south until you’re ready to turn around, as far as the southern terminus at New Hill Olive Chapel Road. Note: There are restrooms available at several points along the way.
Lake Raleigh and Lake Johnson, 18 miles
Amber Echevarria, organizer, Raleigh Critical Mass
“I really love riding on the greenway all the way from downtown Raleigh to Lake Johnson, because it’s so peaceful and the tree coverage makes it much cooler in the humid summer months! I usually get on the Little Rock Greenway near Transfer Co. Food Hall and Chavis Park, riding south until I reach the Wetlands Center. I’m a casual biker, and you can usually find me out on a single speed or fixie bike because I like to keep it simple!”
“I really love riding on the greenway all the way from downtown Raleigh to Lake Johnson, because it’s so peaceful and the tree coverage makes it much cooler in the humid summer months! I usually get on the Little Rock Greenway near Transfer Co. Food Hall and Chavis Park, riding south until I reach the Wetlands Center. I’m a casual biker, and you can usually find me out on a single speed or fixie bike because I like to keep it simple!”
The route: Start in downtown Raleigh at the Little Rock trailhead, at the intersection of E. Lenoir Street and Chavis Way. Head south on the trail until you reach the Walnut Creek Wetland Center. From there, head east on the Walnut Creek greenway, past Lake Raleigh, until you reach Lake Johnson. Loop around the lake, then get back on Walnut Creek trail to head back the way you came.
Raleigh to Durham, 51 miles
Ken Metzger, owner, Oak City Cycling
“I love biking the greenway route from downtown Raleigh to downtown Durham, then returning on the train. You ride along many different greenways, plus a gravel section of Umstead State Park, then you can get a bite and a beverage before grabbing the Amtrak back. Train tickets cost about $10 and they’ll load your bike for free.”
The route: Start on the Rocky Branch greenway near the intersection of Dorothea Drive and W. Cabarrus Street in Boylan Heights. Head northwest to pass through North Carolina State University, then continue on Reedy Creek Trail to pass by Meredith College and wind through the North Carolina Museum of Art’s campus. Continue onto Reedy Creek Road/Trail to Umstead State Park and the wide, gravel Old Reedy Creek Trail. Ride through the Town of Cary using a combination of Crabtree Creek Greenway, Black Creek Greenway, and neighborhood streets, then continue onto the White Oak Greenway to its junction with the American Tobacco Trail, which is a mix of smooth, crushed limestone and paved path. Head north until you arrive right in downtown Durham.
Find maps of these routes on waltermagazine.com
This article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.
