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Loop Trails (No Backtracking) in North Carolina
North Carolina has 153 trails with a loop route in this directory, across 76 cities and towns — Greensboro, Cary, Durham, Raleigh and 72 more. Start and finish at the same trailhead: a known distance, no backtracking and no car shuttle.
Every one in North Carolina
Use the filters to narrow these by surface, loop, distance, shade, lighting, restrooms, water and parking.
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.
Eno River State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,650 reviews
Vast acres of woodlands for hiking & camping, with canoeing & fishing areas on the Eno River.
Croatan National Forest
4.5 ★★★★★ 2,438 reviews
Coastal pine forest featuring saltwater estuaries & bogs, campsites, trails & hunting areas.
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.
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
George Poston Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,477 reviews
Dog-friendly park with sports fields, trails, a lake, picnicking, playgrounds & mountain biking.
Crowders Mountain State Park - Linwood Road Access
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,335 reviews
Well-maintained state park with challenging trails, plus mountain views.
Stallings Municipal Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,241 reviews
Park with a splash pad, 4 playgrounds, tennis and pickleball courts, picnic areas, and a walking loop.
Apex Community Park (Lake Trail Entrance)
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,196 reviews
Vast park with sports fields, play areas & a 50-acre lake for canoes, kayaks, sailboards & fishing.
Smith Creek Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,109 reviews
Lake boating & fishing draw visitors to this preserve with a walking path, playground & picnic area.
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.
Harrisburg Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 955 reviews
34.68-acre park with a picnic shelter, playground & paved trail, plus cornhole courts & ball fields.
Otter Falls Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 956 reviews
Pretty falls accessible via a trail-linked park, for dog walking and picnics.
Clayton Community Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 970 reviews
Popular gathering place with sport courts & fields, a pond, walking paths & a community center.
Forest Ridge Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 895 reviews
Park featuring a playground for kids as well as hiking and biking trails.
Aberdeen Lake Park/Parks & Recreation Department
4.5 ★★★★★ 929 reviews
Playground-fitted park, plus a lake with a fountain, boardwalk and a bridge crossing it.
Womble Park Athletic Fields
4.7 ★★★★★ 868 reviews
Park with baseball fields, tennis courts and soccer fields.
E.B. Jeffress Park-The Cascades Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 834 reviews
Scenic, easy to moderate park offering hiking routes along waterfalls.
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.
Bakers Mountain Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 789 reviews
Forested park offering 6 miles of hiking paths – easy to challenging.
Skinny Dip Falls Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 800 reviews
A gentle hike through a tranquil forest leads to this cascading waterfall & popular swimming hole.
Apex Nature Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 786 reviews
Recreational oasis offering nature trails, a dog park, disc golf, picnic spots & an amphitheater.
Boone's Cave Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 761 reviews
Secluded 100-acre park with hiking trails, river fishing & a monument & cave linked to Daniel Boone.
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 696 reviews
Family-friendly park for hiking, biking, running and dog-walking, with a playground.
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.
Belk-Tonawanda Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 691 reviews
Dog-friendly park featuring picnic tables, a play area and hiking trails, plus cookouts.
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.
Sherman Branch Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 602 reviews
Mountain bike park and nature preserve featuring winding trails for beginners and experts.
Cedar Falls Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 578 reviews
This quaint park includes lighted tennis courts & ball fields as well as a playground & picnic area.
Fleming Loop Recreational Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 571 reviews
Paved track winds around this large park featuring multiple ball fields and playgrounds.
J.W. (Mickey) McGee Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 553 reviews
14-acre park offering a picnic pavilion, kids' play equipment, restrooms & a paved 1/4-mi. path.
Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 525 reviews
Public park featuring a well-maintained, short walking trail through scenic pastures and forests.
Municipal Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 523 reviews
Bustling, community park offering athletic fields & courts, a fenced-in playground & picnic space.
Richmond Hill Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 520 reviews
Hiking trails and a wooded disc golf course offering valley views.
C G Hill Memorial Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 488 reviews
Paved walking trails at a large park with duck-filled ponds and a playground.
Evergreen Nature Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 444 reviews
Unspoilt 77-acre urban hardwood forest preserve with a stream & trails & haven for migratory birds.
Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 440 reviews
Wooded mountain park on 185 acres offering challenging trails & vistas.
Bellingham Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 440 reviews
Grassy park with a baseball/softball diamond, lighted tennis courts, picnic shelters & playground.
Hobby Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 439 reviews
Park offering a wooded mountain biking trail & an open area with strips for R/C aircraft.
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.
Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 388 reviews
Park, trail, and nature preserve boasting open spaces, paved paths and picnic tables.
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.
Carolina North Forest
4.8 ★★★★★ 355 reviews
UNC north campus woodland covering 750 acres & offering a complex network of hiking trails.
Haw River State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 354 reviews
This 1,425-acre park has camping, hiking & picnic options, plus an environmental education center.
Brumley Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 330 reviews
Ecological park featuring hiking and mountain biking trails, plus ponds and ruins.
Rose Walk
4.9 ★★★★★ 323 reviews
Peaceful lake with a 2.3-mile walking trail around it, plus picnic benches and tennis courts.
Fonta Flora County Park and Connector Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 320 reviews
Trails lead to views of Lake James and the mountains.
Seven Oaks Preserve Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 310 reviews
Botanical garden with trails running through woods and along lakes.
Wade Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 323 reviews
Public park with trails & a boardwalk through wetland areas, plus a playground & picnic tables.
Saxapahaw Island Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 287 reviews
Family-friendly, shaded, woodsy park with a playground and riverside trails.
Hickory City Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 284 reviews
Park featuring tennis courts, picnic tables, trails, and a pump track, plus a public restroom.
Jacob Fork Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 291 reviews
Park offering hiking, mountain biking and disc golf.
Summerfield Community Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 261 reviews
Quiet neighborhood park featuring sports fields, a pond and wooded trails, plus playgrounds.
White Pines Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 250 reviews
Riverside nature preserve with several trails for hiking and canoeing.
Roosevelt Wilson Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 265 reviews
Waterfront park featuring a playground, paved walking trails, picnic space & a memorial tree garden.
Pinnacle Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 241 reviews
Challenging, rocky trails leading to a pinnacle and scenic views, plus campfires, waterfalls and an easy stream.
Hollow Rock Nature Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 245 reviews
Forested park with easy walking paths, plus a waterfall and a creek.
Cascades Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 248 reviews
Hiking trail with cascades, waterfalls and bridges, plus a few picnic tables to stop and rest.
Wake Forest Reservoir Soft Trails
4.6 ★★★★★ 233 reviews
Relaxed area featuring hiking and biking trails as well as a reservoir and lake.
Rock Ridge Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 221 reviews
Kid-friendly park featuring a zip line and a playground along with tree-lined disc golf fairways and trails.
Purser-Hulsey Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 218 reviews
Hiking and biking trails featuring an enchanted forest area, plus a dog run.
Williamson Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 216 reviews
Tranquil wilderness area featuring trails for hiking and mountain biking (and horseback riding).
Company Mill Trailhead
4.9 ★★★★★ 205 reviews
Scenery-rich park popular for hiking trails, featuring rolling hills, creeks and a river.
New Hope Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 214 reviews
Hiking and walking area featuring lake views and wooded trails (red and blue) that are marked well.
Piedmont Environmental Center
4.6 ★★★★★ 193 reviews
Environmental center offering 11 mi. of nature trails, plus educational activities & classes.
Bent Creek trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 174 reviews
Many of the trails in this area are for both hikers and bikers.
Hickory Greenway Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 171 reviews
Hiking, biking, and walking trails around a lake with picnic tables and a pump track.
Blackwood Farm Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 169 reviews
Open-space hiking destination featuring rolling fields and meadows, plus picnic areas.
Wood Run Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 171 reviews
Hiking and mountain biking destination offering 13 miles of trails in the Uwharrie National Forest.
Iswa Nature Preserve
4.3 ★★★★☆ 183 reviews
Unpaved nature preserve featuring a looped trail along the Catawba River with benches.
Bethabara Park Trail Access
4.5 ★★★★★ 161 reviews
Looping trail system in the woods with workout stations and picnic tables.
Island Creek Walk - Croatan National Forest Hiking Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 162 reviews
Hiking area featuring trails with views of a creek through a shady forest setting.
Golfview Greenway Walking Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 139 reviews
Unassuming park with a gravel and asphalt route for walking, running, and dog-walking around ponds.
Tot Hill Farm Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 138 reviews
National forest offering hiking trails of varying difficulty levels, as well as a golf course.
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.
Rich Fork Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 127 reviews
Hiking, biking and nature trails, plus a creek at this wooded area.
Stevens Nature Center
4.8 ★★★★★ 122 reviews
Visitor center at Hemlock Bluffs Preserve with hands-on exhibits & environmental education programs.
Big Branch Bike Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 119 reviews
Popular park featuring easy, intermediate and advanced mountain-bike trails and wooden features.
Pump Station Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 121 reviews
Park, hiking area, and trail offering ruins of a pump station and hiking trails.
Abbey Nature Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 129 reviews
Local park offering shaded, well-marked walking trails through natural surroundings.
Collier Cove Nature Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 128 reviews
Steep, forested hillsides featuring loop trails with scenic vistas and benches.
Penny's Bend
4.5 ★★★★★ 125 reviews
Nature preserve with trails for hiking, plus fishing, and observation of native plants.
Rocky Branch Park - Belmont, NC
4.6 ★★★★★ 116 reviews
Popular park with hiking paths, wooden bridges, a pump track and jump lines.
Lake Lynn Loop
4.8 ★★★★★ 110 reviews
Wooded park with a paved path circling the lake, plus a playground.
Confluence Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 111 reviews
Easy hiking trails along the two forks of the Eno River are found in this wilderness park.
Fleming Loop Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 109 reviews
Local park with a walking track, picnic shelter, and playground, plus a number of soccer fields.
Bearwallow Mountain
4.9 ★★★★★ 103 reviews
Gravel-road loop with an unpaved trail at the summit, plus views and cows roaming.
Lake Davidson Nature Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 104 reviews
Small natural space offering views and watersports activities on Lake Davidson, plus lakeside trails.
Buckeye Cove Nature Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 106 reviews
Kid-friendly preserve featuring marked hiking trails, a river view and a lake, plus a fairy garden.
Umstead Sycamore Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 97 reviews
Park featuring winding, tree-filled trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Turnipseed Nature Preserve - Hunt Valley Trail Entrance
4.6 ★★★★★ 102 reviews
Woodland nature preserve with walking trails, an observation deck, picnic tables, and a pond.
Wild Turkey Mountain Bike Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 97 reviews
Well-kept trail featuring hiking, mountain biking and kayaking activities.
Guilford Mackintosh Trailhead and Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 93 reviews
Local park offering walking paths (including a few loops), a lake, and playgrounds.
Nat Greene Trail, Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway
4.7 ★★★★★ 91 reviews
Popular paved trail offering lake views and a bridge decorated with love locks.
Eagle Point Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Easy walking trails and a boat dock on the lake at this wooded nature reserve.
Bigleaf Slopes Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Public park offering 4.5 miles of shared-use hiking and biking trails through wooded and open space.
Richland Balsam Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 81 reviews
Short trail popular for hiking and overlooking the surrounding mountains.
Buckquarter Creek Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 80 reviews
Shallow river known for its rapids and waterfalls, plus easy to moderate trails for hiking and swimming.
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.
Cates Farm Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 71 reviews
Park featuring a playground and well-maintained trails that traverse open fields and woods.
Duke Forest - Shepherd Nature Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 66 reviews
Short, self-guided hiking trail looping through Duke Forest with informational signs on trees.
Piedmont Trail at Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway
4.8 ★★★★★ 63 reviews
Popular locale known for its scenic trails for hiking and walking.
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.
Tryon Road Greenway
4.9 ★★★★★ 50 reviews
Greenway featuring a paved path for walking and biking, as well as a lake.
Duke Forest Gate 26
4.7 ★★★★★ 47 reviews
Natural paths for hiking, plus creeks and a dog-friendly atmosphere.
Oakhurst Nature Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 49 reviews
Country park featuring kid-friendly hikes and trails for walking, running, and dogs.
No trails match those filters.
By city
Every running trail in the town, not just the ones with a loop route.
- Greensboro
- Cary
- Durham
- Raleigh
- Asheville
- Chapel Hill
- Winston-Salem
- Charlotte
- Hickory
- Huntersville
- Clayton
- Davidson
- High Point
- Wake Forest
- Wendell
- Wilmington
- Belmont
- Blowing Rock
- Boone
- Cornelius
- Fuquay-Varina
- Gastonia
- Hendersonville
- Hillsborough
- Holly Springs
- Jacksonville
- Kernersville
- Lake Junaluska
- Lexington
- Matthews
- Monroe
- Morganton
- Statesville
- Summerfield
- Waynesville
- Aberdeen
- Albemarle
- Apex
- Arden
- Asheboro
- Browns Summit
- Burlington
- Canton
- Collettsville
- Concord
- Elm City
- Fayetteville
- Graham
- Greenville
- Harrisburg
- Havelock
- Henderson
- Hope Mills
- Kings Mountain
- Mebane
- Midway Park
- Moncure
- Mooresville
- Morrisville
- Mt Gilead
- New Hill
- Newton
- Pfafftown
- Pollocksville
- Purlear
- Reidsville
- Salisbury
- Sanford
- Seven Devils
- Seven Springs
- Southern Pines
- Spring Lake
- Stallings
- Sylva
- Whitsett
- Wrightsville Beach
See loop trails (no backtracking) across the whole country, or every running trail in North Carolina. You can also browse the other features or start from surface.