HomeNorth CarolinaGastonia › Poston Park River Trail

Poston Park River Trail

4.8 ★★★★★ 51 Google reviews · Running trail in Gastonia, North Carolina · Hours vary

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Mixed
Distance
Not reported
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Not reported
Access
Not reported

Confirmed from Poston Park River Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.

MixedScenicHillyTrailhead parkingQuiet

Peaceful hiking area with picnic tables and a lake for fishing.

What runners say about Poston Park River Trail

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (51 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

🏞️ beautiful scenery 9 mentions

“We made a stop for a little adventure beautiful PARK people were fishing skies were beautifully blue, and the trees were gorgeous.”

🌾 quiet & peaceful 5 mentions

“Really peaceful and relaxing place to decompress and unwind.”

There are several trails for cycling 🚴‍♀️ , but they are perfect for walking . Never seen a lot of people there. Really beautiful place. Free parking 🅿️, a lake for fishing 🎣. Some picnic areas. Works till darkness.

★★★★★ — Olik , Oct 2023

Absolutely love these trails! Lots of gorgeous scenery and hills to climb. There are also different options, depending on your preferred difficulty/scenery. There's also a pump track for cyclists!

★★★★★ — Kelsey , May 2022

Great park to walk around the pond, have a picnic or ride bikes. There is a pump track for bmx or skateboards that kids -and not longer kids- love to ride.

★★★★★ — Pablo , Sep 2020

Good walking trail for us who need to lose pounds..close to a complete mile .83.😊👍🏾

★★★★★ — Andrea , Apr 2022

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 51 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🏞️ Scenic views 9 mentions

“We made a stop for a little adventure beautiful PARK people were fishing skies were beautifully blue, and the trees were gorgeous.”

More trails like this →

🛣️ Paved surface 6 mentions

“Nice, paved trail that goes through nice woods.”

More trails like this →

🤫 Quiet / uncrowded 5 mentions

“Really peaceful and relaxing place to decompress and unwind.”

More trails like this →

⛰️ Hills / elevation 3 mentions

“River trail is steep getting up and down, and not paved, but absolutely beautiful.”

More trails like this →

🅿️ Trailhead parking

“Free parking 🅿️, a lake for fishing 🎣.”

More trails like this →

🌲 Natural surface / singletrack

More trails like this →

Plan your run at Poston Park River Trail

The practical stuff

  • AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
  • SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
  • DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
  • ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
  • At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
  • Websitegastongov.com
  • Phone+1 704-922-2160
  • Social Instagram · Facebook

Where to find Poston Park River Trail

1101 Lowell Spencer Mountain Rd, Gastonia, NC 28056

Get directions

Running trails near Gastonia

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Spencer Mountain Trail

5 ★★★★★ 3 reviews

Gastonia, NC

under a mile away

Lowell South Fork River Trail

5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews

Gastonia, NC

under a mile away

George Poston Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 1,477 reviews

Gastonia, NC

12 miLoopPavedShaded

Dog-friendly park with sports fields, trails, a lake, picnicking, playgrounds & mountain biking.

under a mile away

South Fork River Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 82 reviews

Gastonia, NC

MixedScenicDog-friendly

Riverside scenic park featuring trails, picnic tables and benches as well as hiking and fishing.

1.4 miles away

Carolina Thread Trail

4.6 ★★★★★ 14 reviews

Gastonia, NC

Scenic

2.3 miles away

South Fork Trail and Blueway Access

4.5 ★★★★★ 138 reviews

McAdenville, NC

2.4 miMixedScenicDog-friendly

Trail to stroll along the South Fork River past a disused cotton mill and for canoeing.

2.3 miles away

All running trails in Gastonia, NC →

Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.