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Best running trails in North Carolina
Ranked by the runners who actually run there — Google rating weighted by review volume, across 278,670 reviews of North Carolina trails. A trail needs at least 25 reviews to qualify (337 in North Carolina do) and each name appears once. Nobody pays for a place. Updated 2026.
The 20 below run across 16 cities, 9 of them paved, 7 loops, 6 shaded, and 8 with a stated distance. This is a popularity ranking, not a difficulty score — for what a trail is actually like underfoot, open its page for surface, loop distance, shade, lighting, restrooms and parking.
The North Carolina Arboretum
4.8 ★★★★★ 8,179 reviews
Arboretum in a forest with mountain views, gardens & a bonsai exhibit, plus hiking & biking paths.
Lake Johnson Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 5,021 reviews
Recreation area with 5.4 miles of trails around a lake, plus boat rentals, picnic areas & fishing.
City of Greensboro - Country Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,225 reviews
An ample, wooded park with playgrounds, nature trails, fishing lakes, a dog area & picnic shelters.
Fred G. Bond Metro Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 3,504 reviews
Sprawling lakeside park with an amphitheater, trails, athletic fields, a rope course & playground.
Long Leaf Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,499 reviews
Wooded park with lighted baseball fields & tennis courts, ample picnic shelters & a 1.5 mile trail.
Union Point Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,088 reviews
Popular park along the Neuse & Trent Rivers featuring play equipment, a large gazebo & a boardwalk.
Knightdale Station Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,790 reviews
Community park with a rail-themed playground, sports fields, picnic shelter & 2 miles of trails.
Rankin Lake Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,425 reviews
Park featuring a reservoir, picnic shelters, horseshoes, paved trails, fishing, boating & more.
Croatan National Forest
4.5 ★★★★★ 2,438 reviews
Coastal pine forest featuring saltwater estuaries & bogs, campsites, trails & hunting areas.
McAlpine Creek Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,270 reviews
114-acre county park with a lake & fishing pier, soccer fields, hiking & bike trails, & a dog park.
Jetton Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,169 reviews
Tree-covered 104-acre park on Lake Norman with a small beach, tennis courts, a trail & picnic area.
Julian Price Memorial Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,094 reviews
Massive mountainside park features lake activities, trails, numerous picnic sites & an amphitheater.
E. Carroll Joyner Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,977 reviews
A 117-acre expanse featuring paved trails, an amphitheater, a pecan grove & some old farm buildings.
Town Common
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,965 reviews
City park with a modern playground, riverfront esplanade, open-air amphitheater & boat ramp.
Carrier Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,858 reviews
Sports facilities from roller hockey to lawn bowling, plus trails, picnic space & river views.
Shelley Lake Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,775 reviews
2 miles of wooded trails with work-out stations along a scenic lake, plus open fields & a playground
Martha Rivers Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,711 reviews
48-acre park with a youth sports complex & castle-themed playground, plus trails & picnic shelters.
Catawba Meadows Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,651 reviews
Large park with ball fields, a disc golf course & riverside greenway, plus a living history center.
Cedarock Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,503 reviews
Disc golf, nature trails & a restored 19th-century farmstead with animals, plus private tours.
Reedy Creek Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,471 reviews
Creekside walks & fishing spots in woodland with picnic shelters & ruins of pioneer-era cabins.
Where these trails are
The cities in this ranking, if you'd rather start from where you live.
- Running trails in Asheville, NC
- Running trails in Raleigh, NC
- Running trails in Greensboro, NC
- Running trails in Cary, NC
- Running trails in Wilmington, NC
- Running trails in New Bern, NC
- Running trails in Knightdale, NC
- Running trails in Gastonia, NC
- Running trails in Havelock, NC
- Running trails in Charlotte, NC
- Running trails in Cornelius, NC
- Running trails in Blowing Rock, NC
- Running trails in Wake Forest, NC
- Running trails in Greenville, NC
- Running trails in Morganton, NC
- Running trails in Burlington, NC
All 844 trails in North Carolina → Best trails in other states →