Find the top rated trails in Union, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway has several neighborhood entrances in Gastonia. The 1.9-mile trail winds alongside Catawba Creek and Avon Creek with a few small bridges crossings along the way....
The Wadsworth Trail parallels Willis Road from Harmon Drive to Hawk Creek Drive, with a spur heading south along SR 42-4382/Caldwell Drive. The Willis Road portion is 1.85 miles (one way), while the...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
The Piedmont Medical Center Trail (formerly the Riverwalk Trail) stretches just over 2 miles through Rock Hill near the border between North and South Carolina. The route is part of the Carolina...
On the southern outskirts of Charlotte, a series of connected greeways along creeks form a horseshoe-shaped path of nearly 6 miles. The pathway is primarily paved with wooden boardwalks over creeks...
The Purple Martin Greenway provides a beautiful community amenity in Rutherfordton. The quaint western North Carolina town was established in 1787 and has many buildings on the National Register of...
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In the heart of busy Spartanburg, the Liberty Trail provides a beautiful oasis through a garden, along a tree-lined brook that cascades over a series of granite steps into a pool. Although only 0.5...
In northern South Carolina, only about 30 miles southwest of Charlotte, lies the quaint city of York. A paved bicycle trail runs through the heart of the community from its city park to its recreation...
The first phase of this rail trail opened in April 2017 and provides safe and convenient pedestrian access to Lyman’s commercial center. While it is new, it is already fairly well-used. The trail...
The Mary Black Rail Trail is just a short segment of what will eventually become the 12-mile Hub City Connector, which itself will be part of the larger Palmetto Trail, a proposed 425-mile trail...
The Forrest Hunt Greenway connects Forrest Hunt Elementary School with the Alexander Mills section of Forest City, North Carolina. For more information, contact: Town of Forest City, Recreation...
The nearly 20-mile Greenville Health System (GHS) Swamp Rabbit Trail links the cities of Travelers Rest and Greenville in upstate South Carolina via a former railroad corridor. The Greenville Health...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
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There's no better place to take in Greenwood's industrial and railroading past than along the aptly named Heritage Trail, which extends more than 2 miles from the town center south to outlying...
The trail extends from the dam at Duncan Park Lake and courses through the park to near Union Street by the baseball stadium. The path is a gradual hill (up or down, depending on your direction of...
This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
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This unique trail runs through the campus of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind and features interpretive signs in Braille that teach trail-goers about the types of trees along the route. The...
The Piedmont Medical Center Trail (formerly the Riverwalk Trail) stretches just over 2 miles through Rock Hill near the border between North and South Carolina. The route is part of the Carolina...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The pathway is paved from Gilkey to the US 74 bridge in Forest City; the remainder of the...
In the heart of busy Spartanburg, the Liberty Trail provides a beautiful oasis through a garden, along a tree-lined brook that cascades over a series of granite steps into a pool. Although only 0.5...
The Forrest Hunt Greenway connects Forrest Hunt Elementary School with the Alexander Mills section of Forest City, North Carolina. For more information, contact: Town of Forest City, Recreation...
This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
The first phase of this rail trail opened in April 2017 and provides safe and convenient pedestrian access to Lyman’s commercial center. While it is new, it is already fairly well-used. The trail...
There's no better place to take in Greenwood's industrial and railroading past than along the aptly named Heritage Trail, which extends more than 2 miles from the town center south to outlying...
The Twelve Mile Creek Trail, which runs through Walnut Creek Park and the Walnut Creek neighborhood in Lancaster, is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, a growing trail network of more than 200 miles...
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The Peak to Prosperity Passage segment of the Palmetto Trail offers an easy, flat route for most of its 10-mile journey. The views from the bridges are beautiful, plus there are ample opportunities...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
This unique trail runs through the campus of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind and features interpretive signs in Braille that teach trail-goers about the types of trees along the route. The...
On the southern outskirts of Charlotte, a series of connected greeways along creeks form a horseshoe-shaped path of nearly 6 miles. The pathway is primarily paved with wooden boardwalks over creeks...
The Baxter Village Trail is nestled in a neighborhood of Fort Mill, which lies on the northern border of South Carolina (Charlotte, North Carolina, is just over the state line). The trail has a...
Shelby's rail-trail winds through the western edge of the city between West Grover Street and Dixon Boulevard. Following the former right-of-way of Norfolk Southern Railroad, the unpaved pathway...
In northern South Carolina, only about 30 miles southwest of Charlotte, lies the quaint city of York. A paved bicycle trail runs through the heart of the community from its city park to its recreation...
Beginning less than half a mile from downtown, the Bessemer City Park Trail offers a quiet natural retreat. The 1.3-mile route begins at the basketball court in Bessemer City Park and quickly dives...
The Wadsworth Trail parallels Willis Road from Harmon Drive to Hawk Creek Drive, with a spur heading south along SR 42-4382/Caldwell Drive. The Willis Road portion is 1.85 miles (one way), while the...
The Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway has several neighborhood entrances in Gastonia. The 1.9-mile trail winds alongside Catawba Creek and Avon Creek with a few small bridges crossings along the way....
The Mary Black Rail Trail is just a short segment of what will eventually become the 12-mile Hub City Connector, which itself will be part of the larger Palmetto Trail, a proposed 425-mile trail...
The Twelve Mile Creek Trail, which runs through Walnut Creek Park and the Walnut Creek neighborhood in Lancaster, is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, a growing trail network of more than 200 miles...
The Peak to Prosperity Passage segment of the Palmetto Trail offers an easy, flat route for most of its 10-mile journey. The views from the bridges are beautiful, plus there are ample opportunities...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
In northern South Carolina, only about 30 miles southwest of Charlotte, lies the quaint city of York. A paved bicycle trail runs through the heart of the community from its city park to its recreation...
The nearly 20-mile Greenville Health System (GHS) Swamp Rabbit Trail links the cities of Travelers Rest and Greenville in upstate South Carolina via a former railroad corridor. The Greenville Health...
There's no better place to take in Greenwood's industrial and railroading past than along the aptly named Heritage Trail, which extends more than 2 miles from the town center south to outlying...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The pathway is paved from Gilkey to the US 74 bridge in Forest City; the remainder of the...
The trail extends from the dam at Duncan Park Lake and courses through the park to near Union Street by the baseball stadium. The path is a gradual hill (up or down, depending on your direction of...
Shelby's rail-trail winds through the western edge of the city between West Grover Street and Dixon Boulevard. Following the former right-of-way of Norfolk Southern Railroad, the unpaved pathway...
On the southern outskirts of Charlotte, a series of connected greeways along creeks form a horseshoe-shaped path of nearly 6 miles. The pathway is primarily paved with wooden boardwalks over creeks...
The Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway has several neighborhood entrances in Gastonia. The 1.9-mile trail winds alongside Catawba Creek and Avon Creek with a few small bridges crossings along the way....
The Baxter Village Trail is nestled in a neighborhood of Fort Mill, which lies on the northern border of South Carolina (Charlotte, North Carolina, is just over the state line). The trail has a...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
In the heart of busy Spartanburg, the Liberty Trail provides a beautiful oasis through a garden, along a tree-lined brook that cascades over a series of granite steps into a pool. Although only 0.5...
This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
Beginning less than half a mile from downtown, the Bessemer City Park Trail offers a quiet natural retreat. The 1.3-mile route begins at the basketball court in Bessemer City Park and quickly dives...
The Forrest Hunt Greenway connects Forrest Hunt Elementary School with the Alexander Mills section of Forest City, North Carolina. For more information, contact: Town of Forest City, Recreation...
The Purple Martin Greenway provides a beautiful community amenity in Rutherfordton. The quaint western North Carolina town was established in 1787 and has many buildings on the National Register of...
This unique trail runs through the campus of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind and features interpretive signs in Braille that teach trail-goers about the types of trees along the route. The...
The Mary Black Rail Trail is just a short segment of what will eventually become the 12-mile Hub City Connector, which itself will be part of the larger Palmetto Trail, a proposed 425-mile trail...
Rode the Thermal Belt Trail in December 2018. This is a great trail, newly-paved for 13+ miles. We have hybrids but you could ride road bikes with no problem. We parked at Bechtler Mint Site and rode to the bridge at Hwy. 74. Perfect surface. Crossed a few roads but they are not big or busy. In that space we traveled through a number of small towns: Ruth, Rutherfordton, Forest City, and Florence. The only drawback is that I prefer countryside scenery. But the trail itself is awesome, with additional improvements to come!
Rode the Thermal Belt Trail in December 2018. This is a great trail, newly-paved for 13+ miles. We have hybrids but you could ride road bikes with no problem. We parked at Bechtler Mint Site and rode to the bridge at Hwy. 74. Perfect surface. Crossed a few roads but they are not big or busy. In that space we traveled through a number of small towns: Ruth, Rutherfordton, Forest City, and Florence. The only drawback is that I prefer countryside scenery. But the trail itself is awesome, with additional improvements to come!
While not overly difficult and relatively short, Swamp Rabbit is one of my favorites for several reasons: • Places to stop and eat in GVille and Trav Rest • Condition of trail is never an issue since main path is paved entire way • Scenery is both rural and urban, with a ride by/thru Furman University campus a nice bonus • Slope of trail provides some gains and drops in elevation - nothing brutal but I am not a fan of “flat” for long stretches • An Urban experience with plenty of places to shop and eat in downtown Greenville • ONLY DRAWBACK is 3-4 very busy crossings with heavy traffic
Honestly I only ran One half of this trail. It was mostly along the road but it wasn’t busy and I enjoyed the views. I ran into the other neighborhoods and got a good 5 miles in. The paved roads were smooth and I felt safe. Next time I will Park at Grace Church and run that side into the wooded area.
Nice walk, friendly people, limited parking but spots were open Only went 3 miles
the last 4.8 miles are being prepared for paving! Active construction was seen and good progress being made. When it is complete, it will be over 12 miles of smooth, new pavement.
We rode the trail from Taft Road south to The end next to the bowling alley on Cleveland. Very nice trail. Lots of great little shops and cafes in Travelers Rest. Hard to get the wife away from the stores and shops. I would rate it five stars except for lots of "root humps" between Travelers Rest and Greenville. They would be rough for road bikes. Also, needs more signage as you come into Greenville. The trail can be confusing unless you look at Google Maps.
In an attempt to depart from electronics, with much protest, I rented bikes for myself and 9 year old grandson. It was a new adventure to us both. We began our journey downtown and made it to the Swamp Rabbit Cafe to stop for a rest and enjoyed popsicles sold there. We then headed towards Traveler’s Rest. It was perfect weather that morning for a ride and I suggest doing that as opposed to an afternoon ride during summer months. The child who was “forced” to do this, ended our trip with his approval who exclaimed it was the “Best Day Ever”.
Lots of hills , nice paved path part is only about 1.5 miles. The long trail toward I 85 very hilly and big rock gravel .
I wish there were more access points to this trail. There is one at the end of Bond Avenue in Mathews Mill Village and one behind Greenwood OB/GYN near West Alexander Avenue. If anyone knows of other places to access the trail, besides the beginning at the train museum and the end at Florida Avenue, I would like to know of them.
Mostly flat by the catawba river best joy ride in Charlotte Metro area. After your ride enjoy a adult beverage at the Pump House , Brass Tap or Grapevine at the end. If you go all the way to river park it's about 4 miles not 2.5.
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