Where to go on two wheels?
Let’s Go Park-ing!
Mecklenburg County’s Best Places to Ride are Right Here!
Yes, your bike can take you to many practical places like work, school, the store, or the gym. But sometimes, you just want to ride for the fun of it! If your regular routes just feel too routine, check out this list of great Mecklenburg County Park and Recreationlocations you can roll into – and all around – on two wheels!
Connecting parks, neighborhoods, schools, health care, shopping, and dining, it’s easy to see why Little Sugar Creek Greenway is as popular as it is. Part of the Carolina Thread Trail and the Trail of History, Little Sugar Creek Greenway will eventually cover 19 miles connecting Toby Creek Greenway on North Tryon to the South Carolina state line! Already it provides easy access to Park Road Shopping Center, Freedom Park, the Metropolitan, CPCC, and more!
Charlotte’s original Greenway Park, McAlpine Creek Greenway, built in 1978, was the first public greenway trail ever acquired and built in the western piedmont of North Carolina. Smooth, wide paths make this one easy to love! McAlpine Creek Greenway connects to Campbell Creek Greenway at Margaret Wallace Road. Newly paved up to Sardis Road, McAlpine Creek Greenway is accessible from Sardis Road, Boyce Road Park, and off of Monroe Road.
The Four Mile Creek Greenway connects downtown Matthews with Squirrel Lake Park and connects neighborhoods from E. John Street to S. Trade Street. Its mix of asphalt trail and boardwalk connectors make it an incredibly popular spot for bikes, runners, and walkers – especially on the weekends! Four Mile Creek Greenway also holds the distinction of being the first greenway in the Town of Matthews!
With ballfields, fishing, kayaking, and picnic space, this park has something for nearly every interest! But we’re talking bikes here, and Colonel Francis Beatty Park has some wonderful, rolling trails that are easy to access and fun to ride. You don’t need to be a “pro” to tackle these trails, and we believe they’re a great place to introduce yourself, friends, or family to riding off-road!
The ballfields are closed, but the trails are open here at Renaissance Park! Home to the long-standing Winter Short Track Mountain Bike Series, Renaissance Park has more than six miles of trails open all year long. This is tight singletrack, folks, so you’ll want to have at least some trail-riding experience, or be prepared to take it slow and enjoy the ride! There are bridges to cross, a few small streams, logs, rocks, and other goodies to keep it interesting.
Did you know? Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation has more than 200 parks, 21,000+ acres, and miles and miles of trails and Greenways to explore and connect us with nature and each other. Check them out at parkandrec.com.
Ready to connect your bike to uptown Charlotte and historic South End for an afternoon of good people and good times on two wheels? Then we’ll see you at Sustain Charlotte’s Biketoberfest on October 15th! Get your tickets online right here, right now!
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