Getting to Cary from southwest Raleigh can be problematic. This loop crosses US 1 with the Hinshaw Creek Greenway bridge, and the vehicular bridge at Athens Dr. Both the out and back legs of this trip follow roads that can be glutted with traffic at times. Better greenway connectivity to Cary would be a boon to riders in both municipalities.
From the Lake Johnson basin, this route follows a hilly stretch to cross the busiest intersection on the route – Dillard and Walnut. After passing through the Prestwick neighborhood off Piney Plains Rd., the route reaches the Hinshaw Greenway at Maria Dorrel Park.
McDonald Woods Park is on the west side of the highway. The Pirate’s Cove Greenway and neighborhood streets are used to get to the old Cary Village Mall area. The headwaters of the Walnut Creek are in this vicinity, and proposed greenway trail may someday link the Ivy Meadows neighborhood with the WakeMed Soccer Park to the north of Cary Town Blvd.
A renegade section of Western Blvd leads to neighborhood streets that cross Buck Jones Rd., Jones Franklin Rd., and US 1 to return to the Athens Dr. High School area. Options abound here, but for loop’s sake this route comes back through the NC State campus on the Rocky Branch trail.