Does North Carolina Have America's Best Bike Trail? | Neuse River Greenway Trail

North Carolina's representative in 50 Bike Trails in 50 States is the Neuse River Greenway Trail, a 27.5-mile paved greenway following the Neuse River through the Raleigh area. Unlike many of the rail-trails featured in this series, the Neuse River Greenway wasn't built along an old railroad corridor. Instead, it follows the natural contours of the river through forests, wetlands and open countryside, with sweeping curves, small hills, boardwalks and dozens of bridges along the way. And despite being part of a major metropolitan area, for much of this ride Raleigh feels a world away. For this adventure, I ride south to north, starting just outside Clayton on the connecting Clayton Riverwalk before joining the Neuse River Greenway and continuing towards Falls Lake. Along the way, I discover why this trail is so much fun to ride — and why its bridges quickly become one of the defining features of the experience. Among them are two spectacular suspension bridges, providing some of the most memorable moments of the ride. But North Carolina isn't perfect. Amenities are surprisingly limited for a trail of this length, particularly when it comes to convenient places to refill water. And with the temperature climbing on a hot summer day, that becomes increasingly important. The question is whether the scenery, excellent ride quality, variety and memorable bridges are enough to overcome those weaknesses — and challenge the trails at the top of the Bike Across America national leaderboard. In This Episode: • Full Neuse River Greenway Trail review • Clayton Riverwalk connection • The spectacular Skycrest suspension bridge • Neuse River scenery, wetlands and countryside • Bridges, boardwalks and wildlife • Current trail closures and how they affected my ride • Honest trail scoring and national leaderboard ranking • Does North Carolina Have America's Best Bike Trail? Looking for the best bike trail in North Carolina? The Neuse River Greenway combines excellent paved riding with river scenery, forests, wetlands, bridges and miles of surprisingly peaceful countryside — all within the Raleigh area. Trail Information Featured Trail: Neuse River Greenway Trail State: North Carolina Distance: 27.5 Miles Additional Trail: Clayton Riverwalk Trail Type: Paved Greenway Route: Clayton area → Falls Lake Signature Features: Suspension Bridges, Boardwalks & Neuse River Ride Season: Spring to Fall Series: 50 Bike Trails in 50 States #NeuseRiverGreenway #NorthCarolinaBikeTrails #BikeAcrossAmerica #BikeTrails #NorthCarolina #Cycling #Greenway #RaleighNC