If this route was a musical variation of the Over the Water and Through the Woods route, you would still recognize the tune, but the harmony would be different enough to capture your interest. The middle part of the route, from Bond Park to Lake Crabtree is the common material while the outer sections represent… Continue reading Over the Water Take Two 35.8 miles
Author: Craig Brown
Pieces Parts 18.9 miles
Pieces of longer routes are cobbled together here with parts of others to outline an interesting loop turning at Umstead Park. There are lots of possible variants, such as taking Walnut Creek Greenway out to Lake Johnson, or entering Umstead and exploring the many trails for even more variety. This route follows side streets for… Continue reading Pieces Parts 18.9 miles
Melbourne Rd. bridge
Between Western Blvd. and the intersection at 40 there are three bridges that cross 440,. The new bridge at Melbourne Rd. seems the safest of the three with less traffic and relatively wide lanes. The bridge creates good link between the Athens High/Lake Johnson area (also fed by the Walnut Creek trail) and the area… Continue reading Melbourne Rd. bridge
Art Museum Park
For a cyclist, the Art Museum Park is best skirted on the perimeter. The park is a great destination, or a place to park for bike rides to Umstead Park and Cary, but its popularity makes for lots of pedestrians, dogs, and kids – and potential entanglements with cyclists. The Reedy Creek Greenway bridge is… Continue reading Art Museum Park
Trenton Rd. bridge
As an alternative to the gravel surfaces in Umstead Park, Trenton Rd., with its bridge over I 40, makes for a more direct connector between Raleigh and Cary. South of I 40, Trenton passes flocks of sheep as it crosses NC State farmland. Connections to Cary from Trenton Rd. via Arlington Rd., Electra Dr., and… Continue reading Trenton Rd. bridge
Hinshaw Greenway bridge
There aren’t many options to cross US 1/64 between Crossroads and the US 1/64 split. The Hinshaw Greenway links two Cary parks, Maria Dorrel Park and MacDonald Woods Park and crosses the highway using a bike/ped bridge. Bowstring Vines is the name of the public art installation at the ends and in the middle of… Continue reading Hinshaw Greenway bridge
Reedy Creek Trail and Rocky Branch Trail link.
Some maps show the Reedy Creek Trail intersecting with the Rocky Branch Trail at Hillsborough and Gorman. In fact, the Reedy Creek Trail ends at that busy intersection, and a sidewalk leads over a RR bridge on Gorman, and on to the Rocky Branch trailhead at the Sullivan/Ligon and Gorman intersection. This tiny hack bypasses… Continue reading Reedy Creek Trail and Rocky Branch Trail link.
Umstead Park
Umstead Park is a State Park, and an excellent link between the Raleigh and Cary greenway networks though it is not technically on either system. Save for the occasional jet overhead, the din of highways and commerce is absent, though quite nearby. Packed gravel roads and trails are shared by hikers, runners, bikers, and horseback… Continue reading Umstead Park
Old Reedy Creek Rd. bridge
Between Lake Crabtree and Umstead Park, the Old Reedy Creek Rd bridge over I-40 links the Cary greenway system with the trails in Umstead Park, which in turn link to the Raleigh Greenway system. Serving a handful of houses on the east side of 40, and hundreds of runners, walkers, and bikers, this quiet stretch… Continue reading Old Reedy Creek Rd. bridge
Trailwood bridge over 40
The Trailwood Dr. bridge is one of the quietest ways to cross the beltline south of town. It links the many apartment buildings south of the highway with Centennial and Main Campus of NC State University. Getting there from Dix Park is an easy ride out Main Campus Drive past the soccer fields and Lonnie… Continue reading Trailwood bridge over 40