Today, we unveil a new feature: Live Where You Play.

Periodically, I get emails from out-of-staters moving to the region who are looking for a good place to live. And by “good place,” they mean a place close to where they can play. A place with a long greenway, or good hiking trails, a nearby mountain bike network or maybe some nice Class II and III whitewater running through the backyard. Well, maybe not right through the backyard, but close. I do a little research and shoot back an email listing options. And every time I do, I think, there have to be more people out there who would love to live closer to where they play.

A little over a month ago I got a query from Henderson Properties in Charlotte about a potential sponsorship arrangement. We kicked around some ideas, then hit on the notion of a “Live Where You Play” feature. Henderson Properties would provide descriptions of their seven neighborhoods in the Charlotte area, I would add nearby places to play. My focus would be on the true gems, the places where you could see yourself spending a lot of quality active time. For the most part, places you could reach within five minutes and if it takes longer, the place needs to be extra special. We provide a quick description and a link where you could find details. The resulting list would live on the left side of our home page, under “Where to Play in North Carolina.”

To be sure, this is not a comprehensive resource, at least not yet. The communities listed are only those managed by Henderson Properties, which is sponsoring the feature. But it does represent a cross-section of Charlotte, and if other real estate companies in Charlotte and throughout the state like the feature, then it could grow into a comprehensive resource. (How’s that for subtle marketing, real estate companies? Real estate companies, by the way, are welcome to email us at joe@getgoingnc.com for details on how they, too, can become part of our “Live Where You Play” universe.)

So here we are with our first foray into real estate matched with real good places to play. To recap: the words about the communities themselves are Henderson Properties, Inc., the words about nearby places to play are ours. Let us know what you think.

Ballantyne: Suburban Luxury
Ballantyne is a south suburb of Charlotte. The newer 2,000-acre community sits off of Interstate 485 on what was once the Morrison Hunting Reserve. Ballantyne has everything a homeowner needs, including shopping, dining, entertainment and even a large corporate park and golf course.

Currently, Ballantyne is experiencing growth, with home prices up over the same time last year. Home values are high, as this is an area many people wish to live. Excellent schools, numerous business and employment opportunities and the building of new developments within its borders mean it is an attractive area, both for buyers and sellers. More info here.

Where to play: Just over the state line in Fort Mill, S.C., about five miles away, is the Anne Springs Close Greenway, a 2,300-acre preserve with more than 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trail. A 4.1-mile stretch of the McAlpine Creek/Campbell Creek Greenway runs through the north end of the Ballantyne area. The greenway runs through McAlpine Park, home to one of the region’s top 5K natural surface race courses. The greenway is part of Charlotte’s planned 150-mile greenway network. Davie Park includes a dog park. The Ballantyne area has five community parks.

Gastonia: Value Near the City
Gastonia gives Charlotte homebuyers the chance to shop in an award-winning community. It has been given both the All-American City Award and the City Livability Award, and it continues to be popular among buyers who want to live near Charlotte but outside the city limits. The commute to downtown is only about 20 minutes, but Gastonia has its own share of dining, shopping and entertainment options. It also has excellent schools and is home to the Carolina Speedway.

Gastonia has a lower average listing price than other similar Charlotte neighborhoods because of the number of condos in this community. Even with the lower prices, these homes are seeing an increase in value, with properties worth more this year than they were last year, and numbers continuing to increase. A steady stream of interested buyers means properties move quickly in Gastonia. More info here.

Where to play: Crowders Mountain State Park just west of town has more than 18 miles of hiking trail (including the Ridgeline Trail that connects with Kings Mountain State Park in South Carolina), rock climbing and a bouldering area. George Poston Park, including a dog park, 7 miles of hiking trails and 6 miles of mountain bike trail (with more to open pending completion of a park construction project). National Whitewater Center, less than 20 minutes east on I-85, is the Disney of outdoor adventure, with whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, a 45-foot climbing wall, hiking and running trails, flatwater paddling and more. Gastonia has 13 community parks.

Concord: Historic Properties
Concord is a bit farther from downtown Charlotte, but still within a 30-minute drive of the city. Concord’s historic downtown attracts buyers who appreciate the character of older homes, and the city has two National Register Historic Districts. Boutique shops and unique dining options are also abundant, and it is home to the Concord Mills outlet mall.

Concord is experiencing mixed growth. Median sales prices are higher this year over last, but the average list price is dropping. Only a small number of the properties on the market in Concord are foreclosures. More info here.

Where to Play: Morrow Mountain State Park isn’t right in your backyard, but at less than 50 minutes away its 15 miles of hiking trails, lake and river paddling and 1930s swimming pool make the drive worthwhile. Uwharrie National Forest, Morrow Mountain’s neighbor, offers more than 30 miles of hiking and mountain biking on the Keyauwee and Supertree loop trails. Lake Norman State Park, National Whitewater Center, less than 40 minutes west on I-85, is the Disney of outdoor adventure, with whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, a 45-foot climbing wall, hiking and running trails, flatwater paddling and more. Concord has two greenways, the Harold McEachern Greenway linking Les Myers Park and Mickey McGee Park, and the Village Greenway running from Spring Street to Kerr Street. There are seven community parks in the Concord area.

Matthews: Family Appeal
The 13-square mile town of Matthews is popular with people looking for a place to raise a family. It sits between Charlotte and Monroe, providing easy access to the amenities of the city, while also containing plenty of amenities of its own. The Matthews Commercial District is a historic place within Matthews that features homes from the 1800s and early 1900s. Matthews is seeing steady growth in average sale prices, in spite of a higher than average number of foreclosures in the area. More info here.

Where to Play: Colonel Francis Beatty Community Park includes 11 miles of singletrack mountain bike trail and a lake for canoeing and kayaking. Sherman Branch Park has 11.6 miles of singletrack often cited as some of the best in Charlotte. Four Mile Creek Greenway, which is actually two miles, links downtown Matthews with Squirrel Lake Park, a great family trip. McAlpine Creek Park has a 2-mile bike trail, a 1.5-mile hiking trail, a championship 5K cross-country course and a dog park. Freedom Park has hiking trails, a 7-acre lake and connects with the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. James Boyce Park connects via greenway with McAlpine Creek Park and has multi-purpose trails Inner Peaks Climbing Center, indoor climbing gym with 13,000 square feet of terrain and 25-foot walls. There are three community parks in the Matthews area.

View Henderson Properties Neighborhoods in a larger map
Uptown: Convenience and Variety
Uptown sits in the heart of Charlotte, which is ideal for those who want to be close to their place of work. It has an interesting mix of properties divided into four wards. Here you can find everything from luxury penthouses to single family homes and more urban rental units. The historic Fourth Ward in Uptown contains the only remaining examples of Queen Anne architecture in the region, and the historic properties here are very well maintained. Uptown is one of the city’s fastest growing business districts, and the residential side of things is starting to catch up with the growth of business. Lofts, condos and apartments are some of the most common types of properties here. More info here.

Where to Play: Renaissance Park has 8 miles of intermediate and advanced mountain bike trail Southwest District Park offers 3 miles of singletrack mountain bike trail near the airport. National Whitewater Center, about 20 minutes from downtown, is the Disney of outdoor adventure, with whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, a 45-foot climbing wall, hiking and running trails, flatwater paddling and more. Greenways in the Uptown area include Irwin Creek & Stewart Creek greenways, Little Sugar Creek Greenway, currently in four short sections but eventually to run 19 miles and the Briar Creek Greenway, 1.5 miles in two sections. Latta Plantation, covering 6,500 acres northwest of Uptown, has more than 30 miles of hiking trail and camping. There are 10 neighborhood parks in Uptown, including Frazier Park and its dog park. Grayson SkatePark  is a 13,000-square-foot facility with “A multi-bowl ranging from 5½ to 10½ feet deep caters.” Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center has a 50-meter competition pool and 25-yard therapeutic pool. Ray’s Splash Planet is an indoor waterpark run by the county. The Hornets Nest Park BMX Bike Track, is a 1,150-foot track that’s the site of Saturday bike races. There are 10 community parks in the Uptown area.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte area
The area surrounding the University of North Carolina at Charlotte features one of the state’s largest industrial parks. It also is home to the Northlake Mall, which has over 120 retailers. This currently is one of Charlotte’s fastest growing areas, and condos and homes here move quickly. In spite of the growth in interest, the median sales price has dropped over the last year. Interest is growing, but prices are not. More info here.

Where to Play: mountain bike, Sherman Branch Park has 11.6 miles of singletrack often cited as some of the best in Charlotte. Greenways include Mallard Creek, Clark’s Creek,  and Toby Creek, which combine for more than 9 miles of paved greenway. Reedy Creek Park offers a dog park. Reedy Creek Nature Preserve, is a 737-acre refuge with more than 10 miles of hiking trail, National Whitewater Center, about 30 minutes west, is the Disney of outdoor adventure, with whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, a 45-foot climbing wall, hiking and running trails, flatwater paddling and more. There are four community parks in the area.

Pineville: Small Town Feel
Pineville offers the chance to live near the city while benefiting from the small town charm of the country. The small community has many amenities of its own, including a community park, recreational facilities and shopping venues, including Carolina Place Mall. The number of homes for sale in Pineville is small, and prices have dropped over last year, likely due to a high percent of foreclosures among the available properties. This provides an excellent opportunity for buyers who are looking for the ambiance of a small, close-knit community for their next home purchase. More info here.

Where to play: McDowell Park, 1,107-acre nature preserve with 7 miles of hiking trail, fishing and boat access to Lake Wylie.  Lake Wylie offers miles of flatwater paddling National Whitewater Center, about 20 minutes away, is the Disney of outdoor adventure, with whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, a 45-foot climbing wall, hiking and running trails, flatwater paddling and more. Just over the state line in Fort Mill, S.C., is the Anne Springs Close Greenway, a 2,300-acre preserve with more than 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trail. There are three community parks in Pineville.

The post Live Where You Play appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

One of the best workouts going is a day at the beach: Chasing kids into the water, getting chased out of the water by a rogue (waist-high) wave, building sand castle fortresses (upper body workout). Something about the beach just says “Move!”

Now, when the water temperature drops to an attention-getting 67 degrees, we tend to forget about an active day at the beach. This weekend, though, there’s an alluring ocean substitute: the 24th Annual Carolina Kite Fest at Atlantic Beach. Check out the awe-inspiring collection of massive and festive kites from around the globe, bring your own and fly it tree branch- and powerline-free. It runs both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Plus, there’s a 6 p.m. “Night fly” on Saturday. Plus: “Special guests to be announced.” More info here.

If you’re in Wilmington Saturday and are in more of a spectating mood, check out the Beach2Battleship Triathlon. Deemed by Triathlete Magazine as one of the top five iron distance triathlons in the world (there’s also a 1/2FE distance), the event should provide some good day-long spectating — and give you a sense of whether you might be ironperson material. More info here.

Piedmont

With fall color cascading into the Piedmont, we’d be remiss not to suggest you check it out. You could visit your local State Park for an eyeful or you could tag along on Saturday morning’s Fall Foliage Walk at North Cabarrus Park in Concord. Explore the park with a ranger who can explain the color you’re seeing (which trees are responsible for which colors) and why you’re seeing it (why there’s color in the first place). Starts at 10 a.m. and there’s a $2 fee.

To register, go here, for more information on the park (including directions) go here.

Mountains

In the category of things we don’t understand but are weirdly attracted to: unicylcing. Especially unicycling on a mountain bike trail. Which is what they’ll be celebrating this weekend at the 5th Annual Asheville Mountain Unicycle Festival, which starts Friday and runs through Sunday. Various rides are scheduled — at Sycamore Cove, the North Slope Loop and DuPont State Forest — and there’s a dinner and awards ceremony Saturday evening. And if you aren’t accomplished as a mountain unicyclist, the Web site advises, “Please don’t be intimidated, especially if you are new to the sport.” Then again, “Please know your limits as a rider.”

Still scratching your head? Perhaps these videos will explain (or they may raise more questions). More info about the festival here.

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Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

The post What, no plans for the weekend? You do now appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Then the Triangle Greenways Council came up with the Circle the Triangle Trail concept.  Circle the Triangle basically called for linking these disparate stretches of trail to create a trail network linking the Triangle’s various communities. Roughly 15 years later, the Triangle has more than 180 miles of greenway comprising a system — a true system — where it will soon be possible to, for instance, ride a bike from Clayton in Johnston County to Raleigh, to Umstead State Park, to Cary, to Chatham County and on to downtown Durham. Amazing what a little focus can accomplish.

In 2005, the Charlotte area found itself where the Triangle was 15 years earlier, with a mile or so of greenway here and there. Wouldn’t it be great, 40 or so regional leaders brought together by the Foundation For The Carolinas thought, if we could have an extensive network of trails — paved, natural surface, wet — linking communities in 15 counties representing 2.3 million people? A “green interstate system,” as it were? Two years later, in 2007, the Charlotte area’s version of Circle the Triangle was launched.

The Carolina Thread Trail, “rooted in a region with a rich heritage of weaving fabric,” is the region’s carrot for developing a secondary, non-motorized transportation network. It’s an aggressive effort that has since raised $16.8 million in cash donations, $3.77 million in land donations and $17.8 million in committed public funds. It’s goal: blaze at least 1,200 miles of trail to link its communities. (“At least” 1,200 miles, says Amanda Anderson, CTC’s grants and volunteer coordinator, because that’s how many miles are covered in the trail master plans approved by 12 of the 15 Thread counties. The total will grow when the remaining three counties adopt their master plans.)

Most of those 1,200-plus miles of trail will be built by local municipalities, counties, parks & recs — the various public agencies that typically do such things. The Carolina Thread Trail brings two crucial elements to the table.  One, that most crucial of elements, money to build the trails. To complete the Thread Trail will require an estimated $150 million. By serving as coordinator/cheerleader, the CTT has been able to attract significant financial support: chipping in $1 million or more are The Bank of America Foundation, C. D. Spangler Foundation  Duke Energy The Duke Energy Foundation, Foundation For The Carolinas, John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, Turner Family Foundation, The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund.

Significantly, too, the Carolina Thread Trail brings a sense of unified vision to trail efforts in the 15 member counties. In the Triangle in the mid-1990s, Circle The Triangle prompted local greenway and trail planners to take note of what their neighbors were doing. That  focused efforts that helped one municipality’s 5-mile trail become part of a much larger network. In Raleigh, for example, where it is now possible to hop on a greenway in the southeast part of town, ride up through the N.C. State and Meredith College campuses, continue on to Umstead State Park, ride through the park to Cary’s Black Creek Greenway, which hooks up with the town’s White Oak Creek Greenway, which — with a brief road connection — links to the American Tobacco Trail into Chatham County and Durham — a roughly 50-mile ride through six jurisdictions.

“We have two community coordinators who work with the counties to keep track of what’s going on,” says Anderson of the CTT’s effort to make similar connections. “They know each county and what’s expected to come on line in the near future.”

Anderson says the Carolina Thread Trail plans to launch construction of 2 miles of trail at Long Creek in October, and that the entire network should grow by 10 to 12 miles by February, putting it near the 90-mile mark.

A backhanded positive of this growth: No printed trail map exists for the Carolina Thread Trail.

“By the time we’d put one out,” says Anderson, “it would be out-of-date.”

For now, you can find a quick rundown — including name, location, length and suitable recreational activities — of the 26 trails in the Carolina Thread Trail network below. You can find additional details on each property at the Carolina Thread Trail site.

* * *

Current members of the Carolina Thread Trail

Baxter Village Trail
Fort Mill, S.C.
2.25 miles
Natural surface
Mountain biking, running, walking

Bakers Creek Greenway
Kannapolis
2.0 miles
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface bicycling, rollerblading, skateboarding

Blue Star Trail
Fort Mill, S.C.
1.0 miles
Natural surface/gravel
Hiking, walking

Broad River Greenway
Shelby
3.0 miles (adjoining 17 additional miles)
Natural surface
Walking, running, biking, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing

Catawba Creek Greenway
Gastonia
1.8 miles
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface biking, skateboarding

Catawba River Greenway at Tuckaseege Park
Mt. Holly
1.0 mile
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface bicycling, rollerblading, skateboarding, fishing

Highland Rail Trail
Gastonia
1.5 miles
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface bicycling, rollerblading, skateboarding

Irwin Creek/Stewart Creek Greenway
Charlotte
2.1 miles
Paved/gravel mix
Walking, jogging, biking

Kings Mountain Gateway Trail
Kings Mountain
2.26 miles
Paved/gravel mix
Walking, running, biking, rollerblading, skateboarding

Landsford Canal
Chester, S.C.
0.75 miles
Crush-and-run gravel
Paddling, running, walking

Little Sugar Creek Greenway
Charlotte

— Cordelia Park to Alexander Street Park
0.7 miles
Asphalt/sidewalk
Walking, running, biking

— Freedom Park (Morehead Street to Brandywine/Westfield Road)
2.6 miles
Paved
Skateboarding, running

— Huntingtowne Park
0.8 miles
Paved
Skateboarding, running

— Morehead Street to Brandywine/Westfield Road
2.2 miles
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface bicycling, rollerblading, skateboarding

Lower McAlpine Creek/Campbell Creek
Charlotte
4.1 miles
Paved
Walking, running, biking
Detailed information also at GetGoingNC.com

Mallard Creek/Toby Creek Greenway
Charlotte
8.5 miles
Paved
Walking, running, paved bicycling, skateboarding
Detailed information also at GetGoingNC.com

Manchester Meadows Trail
Rock Hill, S.C.
1.1 mi.
Paved
Walking, running, biking

Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail
Lincolnton
1.1 mi.
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface biking

McDowell Creek Greenway
Huntersville
1.5 mi.
Paved
Walking, jogging, biking

McEachern Greenway
Concord
1.42 mi.
Paved
Walking, running, biking, dog walking
Rollerblading, skateboarding

Nation Ford Greenway /Springfield Section
Fort Mill/York, S.C.
2.1 mi.
Natural surface single track
Mountain biking, running, walking

Riverside Greenway
Cramerton
1.2 mi.
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface bicycling, paddling, fishing

Rocky Creek Trail
Great Falls, S.C.
2.4 mi.
Natural/gravel
Walking, running, biking, paddling

Southeast Greenway
Davidson
2.3 mi.
Paved
Walking, running, biking, skateboarding, rollerblading

Spencer Mountain/R.Y. McAden blueway
Spencer Mountain
5.5 mi.
River
Paddling

Torrence Creek Greenway
Huntersville
0.8 mi.
Paved
Walking, running, biking,

Wylie Walking and Biking Trail
Chester, S.C.
1.0 mi.
Paved
Walking, running, paved surface bicycling

The post Threading a 1,200-mile trail through Charlotte appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Since we published that list we’ve heard from an additional 14 municipalities with greenways, from Whiteville’s four greenways totaling a mile in length to Rocky Mount’s 7-mile system to Pinehurst’s 11-mile. Not only we’re we pleasantly surprised that so many municipalities in North Carolina have greenways, but that so many have plans to expand. And not just the Raleigh’s, the Cary’s and the Charlotte’s. Havelock, for instance, will soon add more than 4 miles to its 1-mile system, Albemarle is working on a 3-mile rails-to-trails greenway that will connect its Rock Creek Park and Montgomery Park to downtown, and Sanford, currently with 2 miles, intends to build a 20-mile greenway that will run out to and along the Deep River.

In North Carolina, greenways are alive and growing.

As I’ve mentioned, we’re revamping GetGoingNC.com to include the most comprehensive greenway coverage in the state. Expect some news on that front by the end of May. Until then, the following list should help you track down any greenway in North Carolina. Keep it in mind as you travel the state. Find yourself in Jacksonville on business and in need of a run? Check out the 5.5-mile Jacksonville-Camp LeJeune Rails-to-Trails greenway. On your annual summer vacation to the Outer Banks and looking for a break from the beach? Take a bike ride on Manteo’s 8.8-mile greenway. And if you’re traveling any distance with kids, knowing where there’s a nearby greenway where they can stretch their legs (and burn some energy) can be invaluable.

Click on town names for details on their greenways.

* Indicates new listing from last week’s list.

Photo top: Raleigh’s Rocky Branch Greenway goes through the middle of the N.C. State campus. Here, it swings by the new softball field and State’s track.

Statewide

North Carolina Rail-Trails Includes a rundown of 28 rails-to-trails projects throughout the state as well as projects in development.

Coast

* Burgaw approximately 2.1 mile trail and greenway.

Greenville 3.3-mile greenway.

Jacksonville 5.5-mile Jacksonville-Camp LeJeune Rails-to-Trails greenway.

* Havelock 1.02-mile Greenway at the Recreation Complex off NC 101. Will be establishing a 4-plus mile Greenway on McCotter Canal soon.

Manteo 8.8-mile greenway.

* Whiteville Four greenways that connect and measure about 1 mile.

Piedmont

Triangle

Apex Three greenways, 6 miles.

Chapel Hill Six main greenways/trails.

Carrboro Includes 1-mile Libba Cotten rails-with-trails project.

Cary 47 miles of greenway.

Durham Eight greenways, including about half of the 22-mile American Tobacco Trail.

Morrisville One greenway.

Raleigh 68 miles of greenway with more under construction.

Smithfield 3-mile Buffalo Creek Greenway runs along the Neuse River.

Wake Forest About 8 miles of greenway in 9 sections.

Triad

Greensboro 32 miles of paved greenway.

Guilford County Overseeing the nearly complete 15-mile Bicentennial Greenway bridging High Point and Greensboro.

Winston-Salem 16 miles of greenway

High Point 9 miles of greenway

Wilkesboro 7.4-mile (and growing) Yadkin River Greenway.

Charlotte area

Mecklenburg County 35 miles of developed greenway

Carolina Thread Trail New effort to link greenways in 15 counties in the Charlotte area.

Gastonia One 2.7-mile greenway, one 1.7-mile rails-to-trails project

Kings Mountain 2.3-mile greenway

Concord 4-mile downtown loop.

Kannapolis 2-mile greenway.

Piedmont / elsewhere

* Albemarle Currently developing a 3-mile section of abandoned rail line into a greenway that will connect Rock Creek Park and Montgomery Park to downtown and to each other. About 1 mile is done, with grant funding being sought for development of the remainder.

* Archdale Approximately 3 miles of greenway trails in Archdale which begin in Creekside Park.

* Mount Airy 4.4 miles of greenway (2.2  miles on the Emily B. Taylor Greenway and 2.2 miles on the Ararat River Greenway). Ararat River Greenway also has water access. Three of four city Schools are connected to greenways.

* Pinehurst 6 miles of greenway, built since 2004.

* Rocky Mount About 7 miles of greenway. The longest: 3.1 miles of greenway trail along the Tar River.

* Sanford Two miles of greenway with the recent completion of a 1.4-mile section. Greenway eventually will reach to the Endor Iron Furnace on the Deep River. Long range plan: a 20-plus-mile loop from Sanford to and along the Deep River.

* Southern Pines Eleven miles with two more to be built.

* Statesville More than six miles of greenway with another 2.5 now being paved.

Mountains

Asheville 4.3-mile greenway with plans for 15-mile system with 12 interconnected corridors

Black Mountain More than a mile of greenway, with plans for three more greenways.

* Boiling Springs (Cleveland County) Fifteen to 20 miles of trail for equestrians, mountain bikers and hikers along with being the beginning of an awesome blue way. We are celebrating our 16th birthday this year.

Brevard 5-mile paved greenway links Brevard with Davidson River area.

* Fletcher 3.1 miles of greenway (mix of wood chip, pebble stone and concrete) in Fletcher Community Park running along Cane Creek and Hoopers Creek.

Franklin 4-mile, mostly paved, Little Tennessee River Greenway

* Lenoir Greenway runs 4.76 miles over approximately 25 acres

Morganton 3.8-mile Catawba River Greenway, with connecting .6-mile Freedom Trail.

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