Carolina Beach State Park, located 20 minutes south of Wilmington, is a great spot for a destination run. There are 9 miles of trails. with a mix of wooded and open terrain, with views to marshes, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Cape Fear River. This map has excellent information on the trails and distances. The longest single trail is the Sugarloaf Trail, which can be combined with some of the other trails for a longer run.
Carolina Beach. Google Street View
Just 1 mile east of the 7th Ave. entrance to the park, Carolina Beach is popular and offers several miles of terrific beach running. It’s not as wide as some other area beaches, but the sand is fairly firm near the water. A pedestrian path runs along Harper Ave., providing a good connection between Carolina Beach State Park and Carolina Beach.
Carolina Beach State Park, located 20 minutes south of Wilmington, is a great spot for a destination run. There are 9 miles of trails. with a mix of wooded and open terrain, with views to marshes, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Cape Fear River. This map has excellent information on the trails and distances. The longest single trail is the Sugarloaf Trail, which can be combined with some of the other trails for a longer run.
Carolina Beach. Google Street View
Just 1 mile east of the 7th Ave. entrance to the park, Carolina Beach is popular and offers several miles of terrific beach running. It’s not as wide as some other area beaches, but the sand is fairly firm near the water. A pedestrian path runs along Harper Ave., providing a good connection between Carolina Beach State Park and Carolina Beach.
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Essentials
9 miles of trails in the State Park, and miles of beach running on Carolina Beach
Access to park and parking areas is off 7th St./Harper Ave. or Bridge Barrier Rd.
A lovely run and a way to explore Wilmington is to enjoy a jaunt along the Riverwalk and then the residential side streets of the city's Historic District. The wood-planked Riverwalk is 2 miles, and the residential streets have lovely older homes and a nice canopy.
One of our favorite runs in Wilmington. The lake is located just south of the Historic District, and features a 4.5 mile combination of roads and paths around its circumference. The area is quite park-like, with a lovely canopy of pines and Spanish moss.
Attractive campus for running, with numerous pedestrian paths and the iconic Chancellor's Walk. Also, 2.5 miles of the Cross City Trail runs through campus. For a longer run, connect to Long Lead Park and enjoy the 1.5 mile perimeter path.
A decent run in the area between historic downtown and the UNC campus, highlighting a section of the Cross City Trail passing through Empie Park and a pleasant residential area off Park Ave.
A great beach for running, located just east of downtown Wilmington. The popular beach is ~4 miles long and and known for its surf. Quite wide, with firm, compact sand, though surf and tidally dependent.
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Essentials
9 miles of trails in the State Park, and miles of beach running on Carolina Beach
Access to park and parking areas is off 7th St./Harper Ave. or Bridge Barrier Rd.
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
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!