Four Mile, McMullen, and Lower McAlpine Creeks Greenways

Great place to run. My husband dog and I come here all the time. The people are friendly and the area is well maintained. It does get packed on the weekends or after work times but it’s not impossible to run. Also there is no lights during the night time if you dislike running in a dark area. Lastly, during hot weathers the trees cover the blazing sun so its a good option to avoid heat exhaustion :)

I love this area, and the greenways make it even better. I’ll approach this review in a postive/​negative breakdown.
The positives:
— The area is very well maintained.
— There is a lot of shade.
— Wildlife galore!
— There are a lot of parking and access points along the greenways.
— There are regularly spaced benches, trash cans, and doggie doo mit stations.
— We’ve only ever encountered responsible pet owners here. Never any aggressive dogs or mishandled dogs.
The negatives:
— A lot of the bikers here don’t follow simple rules or demonstrate common courtesy when sharing the path with adults, children, and pets who are walking. They’re supposed to announce their presence when passing, but only few do. Disaster waiting to happen.
— The greenways are great in the fall and cooler, dryer weather. However, much of the area is swampy, and it becomes a mosquito haven in the summer after a rain.

Love this place. Feels like you’re out in the mountains. You can see wildlife and there’s plenty of shade. Only real thing you have to watch out for is rude bikers and runners that believe they own the trail. Otherwise it’s a great place to walk, run, bike, scooter. Oh and weekends the running groups take all the parking if you don’t get there super early! However, you can hit up Starbucks, Great Harvest, Run For Your Life and Trader Joe’s when you’re done! Several access points and I believe round trip you can get in up to near 12 miles. Someone tell me if it’s longer?

Wonderful well maintained greenway perfect for all activities. Well shaded and great to get a good long run in. Gets crowded but the trails are very wide.

I suppose you really have to love the woods to enjoy this green way /​trails, I personally didn’t like getting stung by a bee and the horrible smells along the way from the trash cans or maybe it was a dead animal? Either way I won’t be returning it looked like an endless paved road through someone’s back yard.

Good family friendly place to run or walk. Felt safe even by myself. Watch out for bikes!

I hate anything that involves moving my muscles or «burning calories». But my mom forcing me to join her walk at this place was the best thing to happen all summer long.
The walking area is gorgeous. There is so much greenery that provides shade from the scorching sun and awesome wooden paths for people to walk through. It’s also a plus that everything is well kept and trimmed, so those pesky little branches won’t catch your clothes and rip them mid-​run. There are little benches to sit throughout the greenway, and little baggies/​trash areas in case your pup has a little accident. So perfect!
Everytime I go, there are a good amount of people on the trail. They’re all more athletic than I am, but that’s okay because nobody seems to judge me. I’ve seen every age group you could possibly think of on this trail, from babies who can’t walk to their great great great great grandmothers. Definitely a family friendly area.
My only tip would be to go in the morning, since there are the least amount of bugs during that time. If you go in the evening (around 5 or 6pm), there are clouds of little tiny white bugs here and there, and they stick to your sweat and follow you around… gross!

I love this greenway and try to get in a 6 – 12 mile run or walk on it 5 – 6 days a week. Moving to Charlotte from S. California I was stunned and dismayed at the low the walk score of the city. I don’t always like walking in or around my neighborhood because sidewalks just end, sometimes there aren’t any sidewalks at all and drivers don’t seem to acknowledge or respect the right of way pedestrians have (I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been in a crosswalk and have been nearly hit by a driver). This greenway provides a safe place to walk or run and I don’t have to worry about it ending abruptly and forcing me to turn around and find another route. The greenway is well maintained and beautiful. There are a lot of people that use the greenway but I rarely ever find that it hinders my workout in any way. For the most part, the other pedestrians and cyclists are respectful of each other; but there are definitely some cyclists and rollerbladers that are going way too fast but it’s never anything that will stop me from going. I’ve only run/​walked the entire distance from Rea to 51 a few times. I don’t know how often I’ll be doing that. I always have my son in the stroller and the last .75 mi that lead to the trailhead at 51 is all unpaved gravel, so it’s a bit rough on the stroller, even when I bring the jogger. After it rains, most of the trail gets really muddy, slick and certain parts get flooded. Mud is probably the biggest issue I have, as it can be really slick and the shaded areas stay muddy for several days after a rain. There aren’t any sandbags either, so the mud tends to slide into the trail after a rain, but the city is really great about maintenance and will usually have most of the mud pushed to the side after a while. This is a great trail. I always see wildlife — deer, snakes, beavers, great blue heron, ducks, turtles, frogs, etc. This is definitely a gem in the crown of the Queen City

I’m so happy I moved right next to the greenway! It’s a perfect way to start, or finish your day! It’s so relaxing and just gorgeous. The wildlife is exact what we need in charlotte! It’s a great way to clear your head, walk with friends, go for a run or just hang out with puppy! Love it here!

Not too packed for a weekday evening. It had flooded 2 days before, so I had to slow my runs down often to not slip. Very pleasant atmosphere with trees overhanging making it slightly cooler.
Stopped my run to check out Bambi and his mom too!
Good stretch of paved concrete and wooden planked paths. Over 3 miles one way.

Too many soccer moms with strollers and the people on bikes act like they are biking for money. I literally almost got ran over. Let’s keep in check that it is a boardwalk for the most part… small and narrow… best for walking. If the bikers are that serious they need to take that junk to the White Water Center where it is actually a challenging course. not a straightaway.

So happy I found this trail … there is beautiful scenery throughout which is nice and keeps my walks/​runs interesting. I have gone both in the morning and afternoons and have been pleasantly surprised by how many people use the trail — since I tend to run alone it’s nice to know that there are people around.
There is a lot of shade throughout which is nice to keep cool on hot days. There are a lot of dogs on the trail and cyclists as well. I think this is a great spot!

This has been my highlight in Charlotte. I love seeing all the wildlife.

Great! What can I say, love, love, love this greenway. So fortunate that it is on my side of town. Although I have entered this greenway many times from the Bevington side at Piper Glen, it was only a few weeks ago I discovered the Ballantyne entry next to Pike’s Nursery in Toringdon. Now I have more motivation to make regular visits because this entrance in so close to my house and offers PLENTY of free and easy parking.
I did a 4 mile round trip between Toringdon and Piper Glen. A nice mix of asphalt and boardwalk along wetlands and the flood plain. Beware, when it rains parts of this greenway are flooded and there are plenty of signs reminding users of that fact. One part of the greenway was closed because of heavy rain the previous night. Great wildlife and nature watching along this greenway and plenty of foot and bike traffic too which makes me feel secure if I do decide to walk alone.
It’s a real bonus that this particular greenway is connected close to so many neighborhoods and shopping areas. I stopped in Trader Joe’s before heading back to my car, and I noticed plenty of walkers with Starbucks cups in hand walking back from Piper Glen. I even took a few dollars with me, just in case. There are rest areas, doggy cleanup supplies, and plenty of benches located as you walk. Great amenities for everyone! South Charlotte lucked out with this gem!

I’ve lived in a lot of cities and was thrilled when I moved here and realized they were building this greenway system across the street from where I live. I haven’t found a greenway system like this in any other city. This particular part of the greenway is great. It starts out by Trador Joes, on my side and goes all the way to 51 (about 6 miles). What I love most about it is that it’s shaded, which is nice on a hot day. I also enjoy the swamp like feel and the amount of birds/​animals/​snakes, etc that are available to view and enjoy while you stroll/​walk/​run or ride on the trail. Great place to be active in Charlotte!

My daughter’s become obsessed, infatuated, really, with this Greenway. Her grandpa (my dad) gave her a bike for her birthday recently, so all she wants to do is take her bike to the Greenway. And she wants her dad to run alongside with her. So this past Saturday, in spite of the looming thunderstorm that threatened to ruin our day, me and my wife and our daughter went for a stroll/​bike ride.
I promised my wife I wouldn’t go for a run while we were there. I love running, but, lately, this seriously bad case of plantar faciitis has cruelly cramped my running style. I can’t run long distances without feeling as if some vile scoundrel is taking a ballpeen hammer to my heels. Ye-​ouch! Also, my wife doesn’t like to run, because of her knees, and the last thing she wants is to see her husband run off and get his 4.5 miles while having to mind a willful and unruly 5-​year-​old while trying to get her own workout in. So, bad feet and all, I cede to her wishes and opt to power walk along side her, while our daughter pedals ahead of us. I don’t care for power walking. Me, I want something with a bit more impact. But, promises are promises.
That promise lasted ¼ of a mile. My daughter decides, no, INSISTS, that I run along side her. She’s peddling fast, so she wants someone to be next to her so she doesn’t get herself too far ahead, and have to turn her little head around and see where Mommy and Daddy are. I turn to my wife, and she gives me this, «Oh, FINE, GO ON, ABANDON ME!» look, and off I run.
Much to my delight, my feet are holding up well, thanks to a brand-​new pair of New Balance 730 running shoes that are just the right fit for me. So much so that I’ve bought 2 pairs of these, one in a blue and yellow combination, the other in a red and grey combo. Put these shoes side by side, and I made this observation: one pair of shoes is Ohio State, the other Michigan. And I couldn’t care any less about that blood rivalry, but the color schemes made me think of that. Why? Well, it’s kind of obvious, no?
ANYWAY…so my feet are holding up well, and my daughter and I make the run/​bike ride from the McMullen Creek entrance, off Johnston Road, to the edge of the Piper Glen shops off Rea Road, and back. All together, a good 4 mile trek. And Mom kept up with us quite nicely, so let’s give her a hearty round of applause! Along the way, I pointed to a couple of turtles lounging on the path, much to my daughter’s surprise.
That same night, though… ugh, the proverbial water-​boarding of my feet was taking place. I could barely walk. No joke. Utter agony. Of course, my wife shakes her head and tells me, quite perturbed, that someday I’ll listen to her and give up running. Will I? Sure. When my feet are chopped off.
I can’t wait for this coming Tuesday, when I go see my primary care physician for my annual physical, and convince him to give me a Cortisone shot. Yeah, I know, Cortisone… once you start, you can’t stop. It’s like crack. Yeah, well, my feet need some fixin’.
Actually, this wasn’t a review. It’s a greenway, folks. Lush and green and well-​kept, perfect for runners and bicyclists and pedestrians. I love this place, and so will you, even if you just want to go for a leisurely stroll, or if you want to walk your dog.
Thank you, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Because the future belongs to greenways.

If you live in South Charlotte, this is a regular spot to catch a quick walk, run or bike ride on any given day. If you don’t live in South Charlotte, this is a PERFECT regular spot to catch a quick walk, run or bike ride on any given day. Picking up what I’m putting down?
This Greenway is one of the most utilitarian means of exercise and outdoor exploration in Charlotte. Tons of access points that range from Johnston Rd, Rea Rd at Piper Glen Shops, Bevington Pl, Hwy 51 and tons of others. The intricacies of this Greenway are plentiful and there are plenty of entrances/​exits within neighborhoods of Piper Glen, Touchstone and other neighboring areas. Pick your poison!
The paved walkways and wooded/​bridge areas are all peaceful and full of nature. Wild blackberries grow in the summertime, families of ducks everywhere, frogs, fish, squirrels and the occasional deer are seen amongst the paths. Great for families with little ones. Lots to see, explore and experience.
I love riding my bike on this trail. Riding from end to end is just over 8 miles and is a great workout. It can get a little congested in the evenings and weekends so riding slow and calling out passes for walkers/​runners is the usual. Be prepared for a somewhat leisurely ride if you’re wanting a hardcore workout. Just an FYI.
I love this Greenway. Always beautiful and never unkempt. The bathrooms/​parking lot/​water fountains that split the McMullen and Lower McAlpine Greenways is perfect for a rest stop. Great for refills on water if you need. Love living so close to this wonderful community asset!

I love riding my bike on these greenways. A paved path is so nice to ride your bike on. (Well, paved most of the way.) And 12 miles of uninterrupted path (6 each way) is a great workout. The scenery is beautiful and the atmosphere is so peaceful. I usually don’t hear any sounds of traffic except when passing by (or under) highways/​roads.
The downside is that it’s often too popular. I certainly don’t mind sharing the greenway with other folks, but I wish they felt the same. There are a lot of rude people out there who feel it’s their right and privilege to walk spreadout across the path, creating a wall and barrier, not letting joggers and bikers pass easily. Seriously, move the eff over. Do you drive down the middle of the road, too? I didn’t see your name on the greenway sign, so I’m guessing you don’t own the path.

Great greenway system. I think this is one of the greenways I use to get my long runs in (I don’t really like running alongside the roadway or stopping at traffic signals).
Everyone that uses the greenway are very friendly — I try to wave to everyone. The greenway is pet friendly too and people do a good job of cleaning up after their pets.
The only bad thing is how far away from my house these greenways are. I can’t wait and see how the greenways expand in the coming years — Parks & Recs has a great plan in making Charlotte a more beautiful and active city.

Shaped somewhat like the coastal lines of India (imagine a squiggly V if you’re not geographically inclined), this series of greenways has a lot to offer. It is the combination of the Lower McAlpine Creek, McMullen Creek, and Four Mile Creek Greenways, each with a little something different to offer than the other.
Starting at the Four Mile Creek Greenway (begins right at the intersection of Bevington Pl and Rea Rd, but a more convenient entrance can be at the corner of Elm Ln and Rea, beside the Trader Joes), there is a short bit of pavement before you enter onto the «boardwalk.» The boardwalk is a very well maintained crossing through the floodplains in the area. Though wooden it is easy to traverse on any type of bike, though obviously you won’t get up to very high speeds.
Trees overhang most of the greenway and are a welcome home to many types of wildlife including many types of birds such as ducks, heron, warblers, and woodpeckers. Every so often there is a place where you can pull aside from the main path over these floodplains, allowing you to relax, fix your stupid bike computer, or read the wildlife preservation signs that have been posted by the parks department. Eventually you’ll hit pavement and really be able to move if you’re on wheels.
Leaving the Four Mile Creek Greenway you enter onto the Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway which is nothing overly significant, just more of the same, but still nice. In this portion of the connected greenways you will pass under 485, hit the bottom of the «V» to turn around, and once again pass under 485, leading you to McMullen Creek Greenway.
Once again, nothing overly exciting about McMullen Creek Greenway, but not to take away from it, it just doesn’t feel any different than the previous two, except for the last ¾ mile portion which is packed dirt/​light gravel much like the McAlpine Creek Greenway (not to be confused with Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway which is being covered in this review) north of here. The «gravel» is very easy to travel on and will bring you to the end of the greenways right at Pineville-​Matthews Rd between Blue Heron Dr (to the west) and Johnston Rd (to the east, obviously).
This greenway, due to its length (5.8 miles of greenway, 1.0mi of combined neighborhood entrances), shade, beauty, and perhaps location is one of the busier greenways that I’ve been on in the area, probably the busiest. I can’t subtract any points from that because it’s just a testament to its awesomenessosity (yeah, it’s like that). So if you’re on wheels, keep your throat ready for the constant «on your left!» that you’ll be shouting to alert walkers (many with dogs) as you whiz by. If you’re a walker, there really aren’t many cyclists on the greenway, and what there are, are mostly cruiser types, so no need to worry about Fido and Schwinn becoming all too familiar with each other.
This also seems to be the greenway I most often see families and groups on, so it’s very friendly for a cheap to free excursion on a nice day. If you need to stop there are benches throughout the course and the course itself is typically plenty wide.
There is ample parking at each end of the course as well as at the Johnston Rd entrance where the Four Mile Creek and Lower McAlpine Creek Greenways connect. There are water fountains at these locations as well. I’ve added pics to the review. Overall the greenway system is beautiful and a great escape from the city/​suburban sprawl, you’d hardly know that it ran past so many roads.
Now that you’ve done that 6 miles, turn around, pick up the speed, and do it in reverse!