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Flat & Fast Running Trails in North Carolina
North Carolina has 80 trails with flat, fast terrain in this directory, across 49 cities and towns — Charlotte, Cary, Asheville, Boone and 45 more. Gentle grades for tempo efforts, goal-pace long runs and steady miles.
Every one in North Carolina
Use the filters to narrow these by surface, loop, distance, shade, lighting, restrooms, water and parking.
Eno River State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,650 reviews
Vast acres of woodlands for hiking & camping, with canoeing & fishing areas on the Eno River.
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.
Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,444 reviews
140-acre preserve with a 3-mi. trail system & scenic overlooks, plus a visitor center & programs.
T.H. Broyhill Walking Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,086 reviews
Peaceful destination featuring a botanical garden, a wildlife sanctuary & tranquil, lakefront paths.
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,014 reviews
This park has over 190 acres of land, mountain hiking trails & the highest land point in the county.
Lake Wilson
4.7 ★★★★★ 832 reviews
Scenic outdoor area with playgrounds and a disc golf course, plus several miles of trails and a wooden bridge.
Reedy Creek Nature Center
4.7 ★★★★★ 821 reviews
Nature center with animals & a gift shop in a 927-acre preserve with fishing, hiking & more.
Salem Lake Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 684 reviews
Popular, kid-friendly park alongside Salem Lake, offering picnic tables and a playground.
Carvers Creek State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 676 reviews
Massive, 4,000-acre park with open fields, hiking trails through pine forests & ranger-led programs.
Historic Yates Mill County Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 654 reviews
Wildlife refuge & agricultural-history site centered around an 18th-century water-powered gristmill.
Bass Lake Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 608 reviews
Flat, tree-topped walking trail circling a small lake, with connections to other paths.
Liberty Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 630 reviews
Charming park featuring verdant, ambling trails, a creek & a range of recreational amenities.
Sherman Branch Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 602 reviews
Mountain bike park and nature preserve featuring winding trails for beginners and experts.
Hooker Falls Access Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 575 reviews
Scenic hiking trails leading to waterfalls, plus a popular swimming hole.
Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 440 reviews
Wooded mountain park on 185 acres offering challenging trails & vistas.
Fisher Farm
4.8 ★★★★★ 392 reviews
Undeveloped 200-acre wooded park featuring extensive trails for hiking & mountain biking.
Hard Times Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 391 reviews
Kid-friendly hiking area with many trails for mountain biking and walking, plus an arboretum and a lake.
Battle Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 386 reviews
Low-key park offering wooded walking trails, covered picnic shelters & a boat landing.
Bearwallow Mountain Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 361 reviews
Easy to moderate hike to the top of a mountain covered in wildflowers and meadows, with cows grazing at the summit for some.
Brumley Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 330 reviews
Ecological park featuring hiking and mountain biking trails, plus ponds and ruins.
Cedar Fork District Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 342 reviews
This 37-acre park features 8 fields used for soccer, football & lacrosse, plus a picnic shelter.
South Fork Rail Trail Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 329 reviews
Wooded area featuring well-maintained hiking trails with views of a river, waterfalls, and wildlife.
Seven Oaks Preserve Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 310 reviews
Botanical garden with trails running through woods and along lakes.
Johnston Mill Nature Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 307 reviews
This tranquil, 296-acre nature preserve features wooded hiking trails & streams.
Saxapahaw Island Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 287 reviews
Family-friendly, shaded, woodsy park with a playground and riverside trails.
Buffalo Creek Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 300 reviews
Popular hiking area with a suspension bridge, oak savanna, and trails that are kid- and dog-friendly.
Pinnacle Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 241 reviews
Challenging, rocky trails leading to a pinnacle and scenic views, plus campfires, waterfalls and an easy stream.
Brookshire Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 245 reviews
Grass-covered space, punctuated by trees, with a paved path for bikes and soccer fields.
American Tobacco Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 207 reviews
Long, scenic, 20-mile-plus trail open to hikers, bikers and runners, with shade and rest stops.
Hilltop Needmore Town Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 207 reviews
Family-friendly park offering hilly paths for strolling and biking, as well as scenic views.
New Hope Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 214 reviews
Hiking and walking area featuring lake views and wooded trails (red and blue) that are marked well.
Blue Clay Bike Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 194 reviews
Mountain-biking terrain with varying skill levels plus beginner and intermediate courses.
Bent Creek trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 174 reviews
Many of the trails in this area are for both hikers and bikers.
Brunswick Nature Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 163 reviews
Picturesque park featuring dirt trails for hiking, biking, kayaking and horseback riding.
Smith Creek Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 168 reviews
Popular park featuring multiple soccer fields as well as a playground and picnic benches.
McAlpine Creek Greenway Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 154 reviews
Popular paved greenway with a pond, picnic area, restrooms, and dog park, plus wildlife sightings.
Carvers Creek State Park, Sandhills Access
4.6 ★★★★★ 134 reviews
Clean state park set along a stretch of flat land, with trails for biking, hiking, running and horseback riding in the woods.
Mineral Springs Greenway (Trails)
4.4 ★★★★☆ 134 reviews
Hiking area with family-friendly trails and picnic tables.
Collier Cove Nature Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 128 reviews
Steep, forested hillsides featuring loop trails with scenic vistas and benches.
Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 117 reviews
Opened in 2011, this nature park features a boardwalk, a shelter, hiking, kayaking, fishing & more.
Confluence Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 111 reviews
Easy hiking trails along the two forks of the Eno River are found in this wilderness park.
Torrence Creek Greenway
4.6 ★★★★★ 101 reviews
Shaded greenway with paved pathways, frequented by walkers and cyclists.
Waynesville Greenway Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 107 reviews
Kid-friendly park featuring a lake for kayaking, as well as benches by the river.
Nat Greene Trail, Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway
4.7 ★★★★★ 91 reviews
Popular paved trail offering lake views and a bridge decorated with love locks.
Greenway Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Bikeable, family-friendly greenway for running, walking or rollerblading.
Eagle Point Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Easy walking trails and a boat dock on the lake at this wooded nature reserve.
Brunswick Nature Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 88 reviews
Hiking, biking and kayaking, plus canoeing are popular activities at this park.
Haw River Sp Iron Ore
4.6 ★★★★★ 82 reviews
State park offering a wetlands hiking trail, picnic areas, and restrooms.
Reedy Fork Trail Head at Lake Brandt
4.7 ★★★★★ 74 reviews
Kid-friendly nature area with rolling hills and a serene lake, plus trails for walks, biking and hiking.
Statesville Greenway - Gregory Creek Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 77 reviews
Hiking area with a peaceful trail, picnic tables, log cabins, and a water pump, plus a nearby art museum.
Falls Lake Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 72 reviews
Popular lakeside destination for walking and hiking, plus boating and kayaking.
Dunn Erwin Rail Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 68 reviews
Flat trail used by bikers, walkers and joggers plus a dog park.
Six Mile Creek Greenway
4.3 ★★★★☆ 71 reviews
Recreation spot providing a paved trail with opportunities for bird watching, hiking, and wildlife sightings.
Abersham Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 66 reviews
Tranquil, paved path and greenway where people can walk and bike.
Matrimony Creek Greenway
4.6 ★★★★★ 61 reviews
Flat, 1-mile trail featuring a waterfall.
Muddy Creek Greenway
4.7 ★★★★★ 54 reviews
Pet-friendly outdoor space featuring paved trails for biking, hiking and skating.
Stevens Creek Nature Preserve - Hooks Road Trail Access
4.9 ★★★★★ 51 reviews
Forest park featuring walking trails for families, dogs and birds, plus a nature center.
Slocum Creek Recreation Area
4.2 ★★★★☆ 55 reviews
Public area along a creek offering kayaking and a boat ramp, plus fishing.
Zack's Fork Mountain Bike Trail Lenoir
4.8 ★★★★★ 46 reviews
Park offering mountain biking trails for all levels, including a gravity park.
Nick's Creek Greenway
4.7 ★★★★★ 42 reviews
Trail for hiking, biking, family outings and more.
No trails match those filters.
By city
Every running trail in the town, not just the ones with flat, fast terrain.
- Charlotte
- Cary
- Asheville
- Boone
- Chapel Hill
- Davidson
- Greensboro
- Lenoir
- Raleigh
- Winston-Salem
- Durham
- Hendersonville
- Hillsborough
- Winnabow
- Apex
- Arden
- Belmont
- Blowing Rock
- Carthage
- Castle Hayne
- Cornelius
- Dunn
- Eden
- Elm City
- Fayetteville
- Fuquay-Varina
- Graham
- Havelock
- Henderson
- Huntersville
- Kernersville
- Lincolnton
- Matthews
- Mooresville
- Morrisville
- Mt Pleasant
- New Bern
- New Hill
- Pineville
- Rocky Mount
- Salisbury
- Spring Lake
- Statesville
- Sylva
- Wake Forest
- Waxhaw
- Waynesville
- Wendell
- Wilmington
See flat & fast running trails across the whole country, or every running trail in North Carolina. You can also browse the other features or start from surface.