The greenway is not an area where you'd forget that your surroundings are urban, but there are minimal road crossings for the slightly over 2 miles that it runs, and the environs are pleasant. It is generally wide enough to accommodate the runners and occasional bikers that share the space. I prefer the NC state forest for a wilder experience or the botanical garden for a more manicured setting, but the greenway is an asset to its immediate surroundings. read more

Bolin Creek Greenway - Parks Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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This is such a beautiful greenway! You can enter from the start of the Tanyard Branch Trail, Umstead Park, or a variety of other entrances the further you get into the trail. North Carolina does it right with beautiful greenways that are clearly marked, well paved, and lush with nature. Bolin Creek is no different - I loved the multiple access points to the water, to playgrounds, to different shopping plazas. This trail is safe for children and folks with different accessibility needs too. read more

Bolin Creek Greenway - Parks Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The trail now goes from Community Park to Umstead Park (2.2 mi), and .4 mi beyond that in a second segment. It's a great place for hikers, runners, and doggie walkers. My greyhound Chloe has a "fan club" on the trail who love seeing her. You can start at Community Park, on Bollinwood Drive or at Umstea Park. You will see lots of "regulars" there. read more

Lovely flat terrain. Great parking available. Frequent deer sightings. Its mostly paved so you can rollerblade here as well. read more

Bolin Creek Greenway - Parks Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Fun! Such a great little paved trail for the whole family. It's about 3 miles round trip from the community center out and back. My kids love riding along the creek, exploring nature, seeing different animals, and getting fresh air. read more

Bolin Creek Greenway - Parks Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Great trail with a scenic path. I like to park at Cafe Driade and walk towards the rose garden at the community center. read more

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This is the most beautiful trail I've run on by far in the area. My only complaint is that it's only 1.5 Mi., but it looks like they might be expanding past MLK Jr Blvd, or at least I hope they do. This paved trail starts right by the Rose Garden at the Chapel Hill Community Center Park across from University Mall and ends at MLK Blvd right by Lucha Tigre (one of my favorite restaurants). I was immediately enamored by the sloping shaded landscapes that surround the trail that winds along Bolin Creek. Even though Bolin is short it does hook into the Battle Branch Trail, either of which end up close to the UNC campus which always offer a nice runscape. When you come out of the Bolin Creek Trail on MLK Jr Blvd your about a mile uphill to Franklin St, so I say you go ahead and run up there and go down Franklin St. or Rosemary St. as much as you want; especially because the way back is a very nice gradual down hill run. I cannot stress how beautiful this trail is and your running near Chapel Hill landmarks. If you like green ways and wooded trails you will love it here, it's definitely a hidden gem of Chapel Hill and I look forward to running on it more often. read more

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A nice, paved trail for runners, walkers, and cyclists alike. I've used the path for all three activities and each time it's been a pleasant experience. On any given day, you'll spot plenty of birds, turtles, and frogs; I've also seen deer in the woods. It's a very dog- and family-friendly route, and because of this, the trail can get crowded at times. In the summer, many sections of the trail are not shaded and so it can get unbearably hot in the sun. Despite this, it's a very accessible green space in which to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise, especially while pushing a stroller. read more

Bolin Creek usually marks the turn-around point for me on one of my longer runs. It's a great trail, pretty, winding, and easy on the shins. It can be a problem for a runner, though, because of all the families. On some days this trail gets positively choked with strollers, dogs, and rowdy families of six, which kind of spoils the bucolic peace of the thing. On the other hand, that means that it's friendly to those groups, so families swing on through for a good time. read more

A nice, easy run at 1.5 miles. Or a pleasant stroll with the dog or the kids (it's paved, so you can do the stroller thing). Very well shaded and takes you over a few creeks, but most of the scenery is just so-so. A little into the walk, you'll see a trail that splits off up a hill. Go forth; be adventurous! The trail leads up to Cafe Driade -- so you can treat yourself to a coffee and sit on their huge, excellent patio if you need a break during your walk. If you access the trail at the Chapel Hill Community Center, before you get to the trail proper -- on the part that connects the park to the path -- there are sometimes neighborhood kids with a snack stand set up (lemonade, bottled water, and packs of chips and crackers). They love dogs, so you might get begged to pause for a pooch-petting session. read more

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For Chapel Hill, this is about as good as it gets. I feel bad for the people in Orange and Durham Counties. They really don't know what they are missing. The Wake County greenways are so much better. The Neuse River Trail is better than the Tobacco Trail or this one, even in the winter. It's long and changes course as it follows the river; constantly changing scenery. And the people on the Wake County trails are nicer. It's hard to get anyone to even look at you, let alone acknowledge you in Chapel Hill or on the Tobacco Trail. This trail is so short and not that nice, but again, probably the nicest in Chapel Hill. read more

We usually start at Umstead Park, park there and bike to the community park and back. Sometimes we bike to Umstead Drive but Estes Drive is dangerous for bicycles. Bikes share the narrow road with traffic. Umstead Drive has a small sidewalk, but no bike path between Estes and Umstead Park. There are several playgrounds, coffee breaks, a bookstore, restaurants, on the way. Very easy to walk and bike, with children, too. Lot's of possibilities to throw stones in the water and get your feet wet. Beware poison oaks and mosquitoes. Small bridges, one with benches. Lots of shade, but not everywhere. Some nice greeting people on the way, but a lot of grumpy ones, too. Smile. Instead of so many traffic signs, some informational signs about the flora and fauna would be great. A lot of people wish that there would be safe bike paths (the most are not safe for children) connecting the whole Durham/Chapel Hill/Carrboro area one day. So that you can hop on your bike at home and lock it at your destination. Every day and not just on Sundays. They are fixing the crossing under Martin Luther King Jr. at the moment. Looks like it will be done during 2019. Than it will almost perfect. read more

Speaking about this from a runners perspective, Bolin Creek trail is about average. Good-Some side trails (short), nice greenery, not sketchy. It is convenient to going to other places (Driade, Harris Teeter, Foster's, Community Center Park, other trails near Community Center Park). Mile markers in increments of .2 Not as good-I've frequently seen copperheads (not all too uncommon in the area, but not my favorite thing to see on a trail). All paved, and there isn't always room to run along the side (there is for about half of the trail). Verdict-Its ok, not as nice as the WaDuke trail or the American Tobacco Trail or the greenway in Raleigh, but decent. read more

Bolin Creek Greenway is located in Chapel Hill, NC and is a 1.5 mile paved trail from Community Center Park on Estes Drive to MLK Jr Blvd and follows Bolin Creek. Open for use year round from dawn to dusk. If you bring your dog, have a leash. http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=828 read more

A smooth and easy run that runs from MLK to E Franklin. The path is perfect for a quick run and always has other runners! Cafe Driade cuts off in the middle of the trail where you will find a sign run into a secret trail to the cafe. If you keep running in that direction (away from MLK), there's a park at the end which is great for kids! There's also a center if you need to use he bathroom and get a quick drink! read more

This is a nice stretch of trail for running, walking, biking, etc. The trail is paved so you won't have to worry about jagged roots and misplaced rocks. There's a nice little rose garden at the start of the trail to get your spirits up. The trail follows Bolin Creek for most of the way so you won't feel too far away from nature. The trail has good tree cover so you get a little shade during the hot summers. Overall, nice trail. It's an easy run/walk but very pleasant. read more

I'm not much of a runner, but I do enjoy walking this trail with friends or a pet. The trail starts at the Community Center where there's a large playground, a rose garden, and some cool outdoor art. I think the playground aspect makes this trail especially great for families with young children. The main trail is paved and winds through 1.5 miles of woods, ending on Airport Rd. near the police station. There is a detour you can take that leads you to UNC's campus. There's a nice little creek that runs alongside the trail in certain parts and all diverging paths are well-marked. Shortly after the trail begins, it runs right through a small neighborhod cul-de-sac, which seems sort of strange to me. It's just common sense, but I have to recommend leaving before sunset - it's not easy to get lost, but it is fairly wooded in some areas. read more

I love Bolin Creek for a run-- although I haven't been lately. It's beautiful and full of trees so you're running in mostly shaded areas. Its a great starter trail for new runners-- then you can graduate to steep hills and such which are plentiful here in Chapel Hill. There is a little playground area to bring your kids swings and such as that, but leave one open for me; its so much fun to swing up as high as you can go and jump out. read more

I went running for the first time here yesterday and it was AWESOME. Flat enough that my slow ass could handle it and beautiful enough to recharge my road-running weary spirit. It was so peaceful, that it actually made my run enjoyable (imagine that!). And it was shady, so the heat wasn't too overbearing. Can't wait to go again... read more

It is a beautiful community resource accessible to everyone year rround. Carrboro is considering extending the trail all the way past Chapel Hill High School into Claremont and Winmore and then, in the future - up into Orange County. If you would like to see this happen, please sign a petition at http://gopetition.com/online/36919.html. Thanks read more