Charlotte Greenways and Trails

[KJHburg]

2 hours ago, JeanClt said:

!!!!!!!!!! It’s all about providing alternatives.

exactly even the most ardent LYNX riders will drive every once and while or bike .   In a city that needs more parks greenways are a great thing for recreation and getting people outside and for bike riders. 

[Desert Power]

18 hours ago, KJHburg said:

that is true sometimes they flood but most of them have a bypass to avoid going under a street.  It is option I don't ever think people would use greenways every day to commute but nice days nice temperatures sure.   Just like now some ride their bikes to work on nice days and other days they find alternative ways. 

I'd say sometimes undersells it. This particular stretch is often flooded for several days to a week after a rain event.  Sure, you can spend a couple of minutes getting around itusing the narrow bridge and crossing the Parkwood/Davidson intersection.  If we want folks to use it consistently, the city needs to do the little things to make it more predictable.

Maybe I'm an outlier, but these are the type of things I will be considering if I ever have to commute Uptown again.

[KJHburg]

Hector Henry Greenway in Concord near Concord Mills and the speedway.  I was contemplating a purchase at a nearby dealership and took a walk. 

https://www.carolinathreadtrailmap.org/trails/trail/hector-h-henry-greenway-weddington-road-segment

Between the Rocky River and a large quarry which could make a a great park when it closes in the future.  

Concord's largest dog park is next door and the largest concentration of hotels in the county.  Park of the Carolina Thread Trail network.   Lots of boardwalk in this river bottom area. 

 

[KJHburg]

and yes I did finished up the McMullen Lower McAlpine Creek greenway today from Toringdon off Johnston Rd under I-485 twice back over to Pineville Matthews Rd along McMullen Creek.  Saw deer, a bunch of vultures resting in the trees right near I-485, a blue heron in a wetland.  I am 100% done on this greenway now.  I would highly recommend if you like wetlands lots of boardwalks.  And very popular to boot.   3 mile walk on this southern loop.   Total length is about 5 miles or so.   I-485 is being widened in this section as you know with the tolled express lanes. 

Saw more wildlife on this stretch than any other in Meck county. 

[KJHburg]

went out to the Buffalo Creek Preserve out in Mt. Pleasant in rural Cabarrus County.  The trail vibe: approx. 2 miles one way through a rare Piedmont savanna, past a working farm down a gravel farm road then a trail into the woods with a high suspension bridge over Dutch Buffalo Creek.  open spaces, wooded walks, rare savanna, then the swinging bridge! 

https://catawbalands.org/signature/buffalo-creek-preserve/   saved from being a subdivision this 398 acre tract.

https://www.carolinathreadtrailmap.org/trails/trail/buffalo-creek-preserve-trail

Highly recommend this for some of you city slickers who look to see blue skies, wooded walks, open farmland.  right outside the town of Mt Pleasant which has one of the best farm to table restaurants in the region 73 and Main and I think the best restaurant in Cabarrus County! 

My photos show the variety of this landscape all done in about 1 hr and 15 minutes. 

 

[KJHburg]

^^^ in the Catawba Lands preserve I walked the other day will be home to a rare sunflower one of the rarest in the USA. 

https://catawbalands.org/grasslands-project-helps-imperiled-plants-and-wildlife-thrive/

I will go back this summer and see and keep you updated. 

[videtur quam contuor]

Schweinitz also grows in Mecklenburg and affected the widening of Providence road years ago. Also an endangered plant that was considered in the building of 485.

[KJHburg]

Never walked on this stretch of the West Branch of the Rocky River Greenway outside of Davidson.  ( I did a smaller section closer to River Run)

The trail vibe:  SERENITY NOW.  No houses or commercial buildings were visible, No highway noise.  Only noise was from the birds, the babbling water and I did hear some humming under the high tension lines of Duke Power.   Saw 5 humans and 3 dogs.  The trail connects 2 parks Fisher Farm and Abersham Park which together are over 600 acres.

When people say Charlotte does not have many parks (which may be true inside the city limits) there are huge parks outside the city and still in Meck county like these two and the wildlife refuges I highlighted last week. 

You who like to bike should love this park with  the greenway and even the roadway is a quiet loop through the park half blocked off for bikers.    This is truly out to nature experience with old farm fields and forests.  This is the MOST quiet place I have been in Mecklenburg County outside.  

https://www.mecknc.gov/ParkandRec/CapitalProjects/Documents/MCPR-SPRRGreenway-Winter2020.pdf

Only structure I saw from the greenway was a picnic shelter at the parking lot and the greenway runs on the edge of the park.  Serenity now for the county of 1 Million plus people!   Notice the strange sign I came upon crazy Davidsonians! 

https://www.mecknc.gov/ParkandRec/CapitalProjects/Documents/MCPR-SPRRGreenway-Winter2020.pdf

https://www.ci.davidson.nc.us/1074/AbershamAllison-Park

 

[InSouthPark]

Man the progress on the greenway at Brandywine bridge (the connection from Tyvola to Park Road shopping center) is just crawling. This section has been under construction for 2 years now and doesn’t look like it’s anywhere close to opening this year. 

[KJHburg]

sunny day greenway day.  Walked mainly on the Rail Trail but did walk a little bit on the Mallard Creek Greenway by Centene today.  They are building a new connector looks like a boardwalk to connect around the huge fenced in Centene campus.  This connector will allow better connection to the front of the Centene campus to the greenway. 

 

[KJHburg]

Went out to the Riverbend Farm trail which is on an actual working farm in Midland in southern Cabarrus County.  This is part of the Carolina Thread trail.  The almost mile one way trail hugs the Rocky River and is through forest and open farmland.

https://www.carolinathreadtrailmap.org/trails/trail/riverbend-farm-trail

The Vibe:  rural working farm.  I was greeted by cows in a pasture watching me as I parked.  Then down by the river then through the open fields growing hay. Very peaceful and rural.  Saw 2 other cars there but they must have been canoeing this morning because only living thing I saw were the cows and heard a rooster in the distance.  The town built the trail and canoe launch and got an easement on this working farm.  Coming out of the gravel lot down a gravel 1 car wide path of course I meet another vehicle.  Had to do a Dale Sr. and pass in the grass. 

Want country close to the city?  take a walk on the rural side just 20 minutes from I-485. 

Oh yeah in October they have a huge pumpkin patch here and lots of activities for kids including a huge slide made out of a silo. Large plastic cow on property as well. 

https://riverbendfarm.net/

Bring your hiking shoes or canoe out to southern Cabarrus.    Lots of places to explore close to the QC.  Can't wait to hit a couple Carolina Thread sites in Lincoln County in the next month. 

Some of the rural landscapes should be painted into masterpieces especially that large tree in the middle of the hay field. 

 

[RANYC]

7 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Went out to the Riverbend Farm trail which is on an actual working farm in Midland in southern Cabarrus County.  This is part of the Carolina Thread trail.  The almost mile one way trail hugs the Rocky River and is through forest and open farmland.

https://www.carolinathreadtrailmap.org/trails/trail/riverbend-farm-trail

The Vibe:  rural working farm.  I was greeted by cows in a pasture watching me as I parked.  Then down by the river then through the open fields growing hay. Very peaceful and rural.  Saw 2 other cars there but they must have been canoeing this morning because only living thing I saw were the cows and heard a rooster in the distance.  The town built the trail and canoe launch and got an easement on this working farm.  Coming out of the gravel lot down a gravel 1 car wide path of course I meet another vehicle.  Had to do a Dale Sr. and pass in the grass. 

Want country close to the city?  take a walk on the rural side just 20 minutes from I-485. 

Oh yeah in October they have a huge pumpkin patch here and lots of activities for kids including a huge slide made out of a silo. Large plastic cow on property as well. 

https://riverbendfarm.net/

Bring your hiking shoes or canoe out to southern Cabarrus.    Lots of places to explore close to the QC.  Can't wait to hit a couple Carolina Thread sites in Lincoln County in the next month. 

Some of the rural landscapes should be painted into masterpieces especially that large tree in the middle of the hay field. 

 

Really lovely.  Thanks for sharing!

[Windsurfer]

Cabarrus County --- open space is gorgeous!   This is why I cringe every time I hear about another mega industrial site planned out there.  The reservoir on 73 was gorgeous too until Cabarrus  County bent the rules on watersheds and allowed the Amazon warehouse.  I've been protesting a planned 600 unit development near Davidson (Cabarrus Count) for ever.   Enjoy this now.

[KJHburg]

Found this great riverfront greenway from the Carolina Thread webpage.  This is Tuckaseegee Park in Mt Holly along the Catawba River.  Sadly there is not many walkways along the river either side but here is a one (and another stretch closer to Mt Island Lake Dam)   I think this is one of the nicest walks in the area even with the Mt Holly wastewater treatment plant nearby (only smelled bad for a brief moment) (actually Charlotte has several greenways that go by wastewater treatment plants Little Sugar Creek and McAlpine Creek connector.   This greenway is roughly across the Catawba from Whitewater Center and goes further north 

https://www.carolinathreadtrailmap.org/trails/trail/catawba-river-greenway

to find your next greenway walk in the region

https://www.carolinathreadtrail.org/

[Bikeguy]

We have a sign !!!!

[KJHburg]

Here is the Mountain Island Lake Park and access on the Mt Holly side of the Catawba River and right at the Mt Island Lake dam.  I have not seen this dam before and I was born here.  Natural surface one way trail about 1.6 miles long along the river with a few views of the Meck side which has homes along it that sometime flood when Lake Norman releases water causing Mt Island Lake to rise and they release water and so it goes.  This one day will connect with the park I went to down in the heart of Mt Holly with trails along the river.   Dam was built in 1923 and is one of the 3 lake dams in the Charlotte region. 

[KJHburg]

Trails and greenways while not parks are recreation venues.  They provide safe places for walkers, joggers, bikers and protect floodplains from development.   So yes they are linear parks and we need more of them.  We need more regular parks as well especially in fast changing areas like Southend where they were no parks  or few due to not many residents there in the past.   That is why greenways are great it gives residents a place to explore nature and walk, jog or bike in protected places.  Yes a few greenways could be for commuting and mobility but that is not the point.  I have noted in the past which ones like Little Sugar Creek Greenway from Villa Heights to uptown  is and can be a commuter path dittos for Mallard Creek Greenway from University City area through the Univ. Research Park and UNCC.   But the primary purpose of these greenways is recreation.  

[carolinaboy]

On 4/30/2022 at 6:12 PM, KJHburg said:

Went out to the Riverbend Farm trail which is on an actual working farm in Midland in southern Cabarrus County.  This is part of the Carolina Thread trail.  The almost mile one way trail hugs the Rocky River and is through forest and open farmland.

https://www.carolinathreadtrailmap.org/trails/trail/riverbend-farm-trail

The Vibe:  rural working farm.  I was greeted by cows in a pasture watching me as I parked.  Then down by the river then through the open fields growing hay. Very peaceful and rural.  Saw 2 other cars there but they must have been canoeing this morning because only living thing I saw were the cows and heard a rooster in the distance.  The town built the trail and canoe launch and got an easement on this working farm.  Coming out of the gravel lot down a gravel 1 car wide path of course I meet another vehicle.  Had to do a Dale Sr. and pass in the grass. 

Want country close to the city?  take a walk on the rural side just 20 minutes from I-485. 

Oh yeah in October they have a huge pumpkin patch here and lots of activities for kids including a huge slide made out of a silo. Large plastic cow on property as well. 

https://riverbendfarm.net/

Bring your hiking shoes or canoe out to southern Cabarrus.    Lots of places to explore close to the QC.  Can't wait to hit a couple Carolina Thread sites in Lincoln County in the next month. 

Some of the rural landscapes should be painted into masterpieces especially that large tree in the middle of the hay field. 

 

Stunning! I'd love to go there next time I'm in the area.

[KJHburg]

3 minutes ago, carolinaboy said:

Stunning! I'd love to go there next time I'm in the area.

Just be prepared to be stared down by some cows....

[KJHburg]

This is just silly.  Resident in Park Crossing neighborhood is suing the HOA over access it allowed to the  Little Sugar Creek Greenway as told by the Ledger this morning.  I have walked by this neighborhood and lots of people use this stretch.  The problem when the neighborhood was built there was no greenway or maybe not concrete plans to do one there so they use easements. 

I have heard both sides of this argument about greenway access close to a home but overwhelming people feel positive about it.  Still on my miles and miles of greenway walks in Charlotte and Meck county have NOT  seen someone stealing a TV or carrying a computer or valuables out of house on foot and/or bike.  That argument is just silly.  

https://charlotteledger.substack.com/p/greenway-battle-in-park-crossing

Oh and I have entered the neighborhood "unencumbered" many times LOL by the public streets! 

Edited May 4, 2022 by KJHburg

[kermit]

^ The problem with the "Charlotte parks are fine, as long as you count HOA facilities" is that this becomes yet another barrier to the creation of affordable housing. If you care about providing public amenities to all households suddenly adding affordable housing in the burbs becomes very expensive once you tabulate the cost of the park space that needs to be provided. 

[RANYC]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

This is just silly.  Resident in Park Crossing neighborhood is suing the HOA over access it allowed to the  Little Sugar Creek Greenway as told by the Ledger this morning.  I have walked by this neighborhood and lots of people use this stretch.  The problem when the neighborhood was built there was no greenway or maybe not concrete plans to do one there so they use easements. 

I have heard both sides of this argument about greenway access close to a home but overwhelming people feel positive about it.  Still on my miles and miles of greenway walks in Charlotte and Meck county have NOT  seen someone stealing a TV or carrying a computer or valuables out of house on foot and/or bike.  That argument is just silly.  

https://charlotteledger.substack.com/p/greenway-battle-in-park-crossing

Oh and I have entered the neighborhood "unencumbered" many times LOL by the public streets! 

Wish I were wrong, but I sense the real (and perhaps unspoken) issue is a public amenity that gives a "diversity" of people proximal access to their largely homogeneous community, by right. 

[elrodvt]

10 hours ago, KJHburg said:

This is just silly.  Resident in Park Crossing neighborhood is suing the HOA over access it allowed to the  Little Sugar Creek Greenway as told by the Ledger this morning.  I have walked by this neighborhood and lots of people use this stretch.  The problem when the neighborhood was built there was no greenway or maybe not concrete plans to do one there so they use easements. 

I have heard both sides of this argument about greenway access close to a home but overwhelming people feel positive about it.  Still on my miles and miles of greenway walks in Charlotte and Meck county have NOT  seen someone stealing a TV or carrying a computer or valuables out of house on foot and/or bike.  That argument is just silly.  

https://charlotteledger.substack.com/p/greenway-battle-in-park-crossing

Oh and I have entered the neighborhood "unencumbered" many times LOL by the public streets! 

Live there and it was build in mid 80's according to my survey. As I understand it (haven't followed closely and it's confusing), they're suing to stop people using the already constructed access and preventing the one other planned access which uses an easement that's on the side of their yard. After they lost at hearing or appeal 1000 (not really but it's been far too many) I heard they actually built stuff in the easement. Pretty " in your face" kinda stuff. I've little doubt they'll lose but it's amazing to me how much money it'll cost to defeat them and how long it'll take.

I drove a D9 once when I was a kid and would sure like to try driving one again! :-)

I've seen these arguments play out over and over again in every place I've lived. Even in liberal VT people were in an uproar about the rapists (eg people with brown skin) using the path for their evil deeds. Then in 10 years their house is for sale with the title of the listing being something like "incredible opportunity to live right on fantastic bike path".

LOL.

Edited May 5, 2022 by elrodvt

[KJHburg]

Finished the Toby Creek Greenway and it extends further than this map shows.

https://www.mecknc.gov/ParkandRec/CapitalProjects/Documents/MCPR-TobyCrkGwy-Winter2020.pdf

It goes into the Autumnwood subdivision and this is part of the XCLT trail.  I measured a 78 foot change in elevation heading up to where it currently ends in Autumnwood.  Started out at the parking lot on University City Blvd. went under Harris Blvd, under Chancellor Park Dr then into more wooded low area.  Lots of elevated boardwalk and the last section up in Autumnwood it is almost like a tree canopy walk as the path is well over a ravine where the creek flows.  This is right at the edge of the ridge line that separates the 2 watersheds one to the Catawba on the other side and this side in the Yadkin Pee Dee river basin  where this Toby Creek water eventually flows into. This also explains the 78 feet increase in elevation at the end of the greenway.

Very nice walk and was very surprised to see it went beyond what was on the map.  Part of the greenway after the canopy elevated boardwalk in the Autumnwood neighborhood becomes an extra wide sidewalk in a neighborhood with none.  (and I saw people using it) 

All these neighborhoods were connected to the greenway and wanted to be integrated into the greenway system unlike a few in south Charlotte. 

So you can start off near Autumnwood off Rocky River Rd West and go downhill to UNCC Campus. 

 

[KJHburg]

Have now walked on every greenway in Mecklenburg County not every mile but every different greenway with my short walk and it is a short greenway the Taggart Creek Greenway off West Blvd. today.    This short trail is in the rebuilt Boulevard Homes community now called Renaissance.  This is where 2 police officers were tragically shot dead about 10 or 15 years ago before this was rebuilt.  No signage but next to Renaissance STEAM academy.  It is a mix of apartments, townhomes.    I noticed this greenway is off the map with major greenways maybe because it is in need of some repairs.  

This will be extended in the future and you can see a much longer section funded in this map  

https://www.mecknc.gov/ParkandRec/Parks/SiteAssets/Pages/default/Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Greenways Map Aug. 2021.pdf

now what?  I will back fill until I walk every mile of every greenway in Meck County and have completed several already including all open sections of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway from Cordelia Park to James K Polk birthplace in Pineville.