Smith Creek Greenway
Location
This trail extends from Burlington Mills Road south to the Neuse River Greenway, west of Caddell Woods and Moss Creek subdivisions. Greenway users have the opportunity to experience views of aquatic and wetland life along Smith Creek. This partially shaded trail offers a cool escape from the summer heat. From atop the 558-ft bridge, watch for boaters enjoying the Neuse River.
Trail Type
10-feet wide paved asphalt trail
Length
1.15 miles with a 33 mile connection to the Neuse River Greenway Trail (one way)
Parking
The Smith Creek Greenway is part of the 33 mile Neuse River Greenway Trail.
A trail access point is located between 2945 and 2949 Creek Moss Avenue. Several other trail access points are located outside of Wake Forest at 6100 Thornton Road, Raleigh; 5956 Myakka Court, Raleigh; and 2928 Horseshoe Farm Road, Raleigh.
History
The Smith Creek Greenway offers approximately 1.15 miles of paved trails with connections to Creek Moss Avenue and The City of Raleigh's Neuse River Greenway. The trail extends from Burlington Mills Road, south along Smith Creek, crossing the Neuse River, to the Neuse River Greenway. The Neuse River Greenway is part of an extensive 28-mile greenway system that links Wake Forest, Knightdale, Raleigh, and Clayton.
The first segment, only 0.75 miles long, was constructed in 2003 from Burlington Mills Road to the southern edge of Moss Creek subdivision. As part of the Neuse River Greenway project in 2011-2012, the Town of Wake Forest funded a $1.4M pedestrian bridge over the Neuse River and constructed a segment of trail to connect with the existing section of Smith Creek Greenway. At 558 feet, this bridge is the largest pedestrian bridge in North Carolina! While this project added only one-third mile of 10-foot wide, paved greenway to the town, it gives trail users access to Raleigh's Neuse River Greenway Trail.
The "Function at the Junction" celebrated the grand opening of the latest greenway segment on November 14, 2012.
The trail was repaved in it's entirety after the Smith Creek Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Upgrade, which was completed by the City of Raleigh in 2016.
Phase II Construction
The Town of Wake Forest is in the process of design for a greenway connection northward approximately 2.8 miles from its current terminus at Burlington Mills Road to connect with another section of the Smith Creek Greenway. This would complete the missing link from the existing Burlington Mills Road section of Smith Creek Greenway to the new Smith-Sanford Creek Greenways at Heritage High School. A trailhead with parking on One World Way is also planned as well as several neighborhood connections.