Cary is another municipality within the Triangle area, about 10 miles west of Raleigh. One of the running highlights in Cary is Fred Bond Metro Park, a lovely lakeside park with 4.2 miles of trails, an amphitheater, athletic fields, and a rope course. The Bond Lake Trail is a 2-mile run around the perimeter of the lake, with certain sections elevated, making for great water views. Add to that with another couple of miles of trails, which are a mix of paved and gravel.
Alternative/Add-On Route: A Great Runs fan has submitted this 2-mile route which features the Bond Park Trail, Pine Grove Trail, and the northern section of the lake. Includes some stairs, one larger hill and one smaller hill. Mix of paved and gravel trails.
Cary is another municipality within the Triangle area, about 10 miles west of Raleigh. One of the running highlights in Cary is Fred Bond Metro Park, a lovely lakeside park with 4.2 miles of trails, an amphitheater, athletic fields, and a rope course. The Bond Lake Trail is a 2-mile run around the perimeter of the lake, with certain sections elevated, making for great water views. Add to that with another couple of miles of trails, which are a mix of paved and gravel.
Alternative/Add-On Route: A Great Runs fan has submitted this 2-mile route which features the Bond Park Trail, Pine Grove Trail, and the northern section of the lake. Includes some stairs, one larger hill and one smaller hill. Mix of paved and gravel trails.
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Essentials
4.2 miles of trails. Bond Lake Trail is 2 miles around the lake
Flat
Lake route: Park community center at north end of lake, or parking lot
Parking at park; Bus takes 15 min. from the downtown Cary train station
Design your own route in downtown Raleigh, incorporating the streets around the stately Capitol, some of the pleasant streets heading toward NC State, the Rocky Branch Trail, Pullen Park, and the NC State Campus itself.
Large park between Raleigh and Durham, with 20+ miles of trails. The 13 miles of 'bridle path' trails offer gentler, shaded running. Also some great trail running opportunities. Two separate entrances, leading to different trails.
Pleasant, paved 2-mile trail around Lake Shelley, located 7 miles north of downtown. Water views a good part of the way. For a longer run, there are additional trails at the north and south ends of the lake.
33-mile paved greenway located south from Falls Lake Dam to Clayton. Closest pass to central Raleigh is 9 miles east, at Anderson Point, which is about Mile 19 on the trail. Good to pick your spot. It's well signed. Gently rolling.
An art run! A 1 mile loop trail passes by several outdoor pieces and sculptures. Then, connect to the 4-5 miles other trails in the area. A good opportunity for something different.
Pleasant lake 5 miles west of Raleigh, with running trails around its perimeter. Paved 3.5 mile loop, or 5.4 mile loop incorporating 1.9 miles of unpaved trails to make a 'figure eight'. Good shade options.
The 160-Acre Apex Community Park is a pleasant spot for a 2-3 mile run in the Cary area, 20 minutes west of Raleigh. The highlight is the 2-mile paved trail around the lake, part along the water, and part in the woods.
There are 18 miles of paved, dedicated jogging trails in the center of Research Triangle Park, near The Frontier and RTP Headquarters. Many loop options available, and a good map. Fairly shaded.
One of the prettiest campuses in the USA and wonderful for running. Enjoy the Georgian-style east campus or the Gothic west campus. Run up to the Duke Chapel, do the 3.7 mile Al Buehler Trail loop trail, and don't miss Sarah Duke Gardens in spring!
A 5k Parkrun in Southern Boundaries Park, which is 4 miles south of Durham. The course is all off road. It's a mostly flat two loop lollipop course on the Third Fork Creek Trail.
One can stitch together a really nice run in Chapel Hill, incorporating the festive downtown, the pretty UNC Chapel Hill Campus, and the Battle Branch and Bolin Creek Trails, which together are 3 miles one-way.
22+ mile rails-to-trails path that starts in downtown Durham and heads south. The first 14 miles are paved. A fairly flat, easy to follow run. Good option in the Durham/Duke/Chatham area.
3 miles of lovely paved trails in this Wake Forest park. Meadows, stone walls, pecan groves, and restored farm buildings. A lovely mix of open and shaded, with excellent signage and interpretive information.
Two lovely parks in the Holly Springs area, linked by an off-road connector trail. A loop around Bass Lake is ~2 miles, and the paved trails around Womble Park are ~ 1 mile. Full route of both parks is ~5.5 miles.
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Essentials
4.2 miles of trails. Bond Lake Trail is 2 miles around the lake
Flat
Lake route: Park community center at north end of lake, or parking lot
Parking at park; Bus takes 15 min. from the downtown Cary train station
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Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!