Walking Trails in Charlotte and Mecklenburg, North Carolina

Charlotte is not only the largest city in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, it’s also the largest in the state. Despite being a large urban metropolis, the city and its county have a variety of walking trails to explore. Whether you want to stay within an urban setting, or you desire to get outdoors and stretch your legs on a nature trail, there’s a walking path that fits the bill. In addition, you can go just outside the city limits to find other paths within Mecklenburg County.

Greenways

• The Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Department maintains 15 greenways throughout the county, which add up to more than 37 miles of developed trails. Several trails, including the 0.83-mile Irwin Creek Greenway in Clanton Park and the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, are within Charlotte city limits. Little Sugar Creek Greenway is divided up into four sections, ranging from 0.79 miles to 2.88 miles, but when the greenway is complete and connected, it will offer more than 19 miles of trail.

  Outside of the city limits, trails north of Charlotte in Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson will take you close to picturesque Lake Norman or Davidson College. While most of the greenway trails are paved, you will encounter some unpaved surfaces as well. The greenway trails are continuously being expanded, so check the department’s website for the most current map before heading out.

Hiking Trails

• Mecklenburg County maintains more than 50 miles of hiking trails in its nature preserves and parks. These trails, such as the 5 miles of trail in McAlpine Creek Community Park, allow walkers to explore local flora and wildlife. Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve’s 10 miles of dedicated trails take walkers along streams and through forests, as well as to the ruins of an 18th century rockhouse. The McDowell Nature Center and Preserve is the oldest preserve in the county, with 7 miles of trail, some of it situated along the banks of Lake Wylie and on Copperhead Island. The only Mecklenburg County park or preserve open to horseback riding, the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve in Huntersville, has 16 miles of trails, 3 miles of which are limited to hikers on the grounds of a 19th century Federal-style home and farm.

Other Trails

• Several of the more than 200 parks maintained by the Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Department have walking trails, including Camp Greene Community Park and Independence Park. A number of communities within Mecklenburg County also maintain trails separate from the ones maintained by the county’s parks department. North of Charlotte, Cornelius has more than 10 miles of paved and unpaved trails, including some portions that go through wooded areas. Fisher Farm Park in Davidson has 2.5 miles of walking trails. The Parham Gateway Park in Davidson has a nature trail with exercise stations.

Walking Tours

• The Charlotte Visitor Center has a downloadable map of more than 20 prominent or historic Uptown Charlotte spots to explore, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a literary-themed park, The Green and the fountain in The Plaza. Explore the public art on display with a 45-minute self-guided art tour of Uptown Charlotte. Download the podcast and map on the Arts and Science council website and head off to see various sculptures and abstract art pieces nestled among Charlotte’s skyscrapers. The brochure and map can also be picked up at the council’s office as well as several local visitor centers. The Levine Museum of the New South offers guided walking tours of uptown Charlotte and the Fourth Ward each May.