The Best Trail Running Trails in North Carolina (United States)

9 mile DuPont Lakes run

Trail Running

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Lydia@MotionMap

Distance

8.89mi

Elevation +

1184f

TrailRank

34

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Directions to Guion Farm parking area from downtown Brevard: From Broad and Main Streets, head down Broad street and pass by Brevard College on your right. As you pass by Ingles and K-Mart also on your right stay right a...

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DuPont State Recreational Forest 50K (15.24 mile loop)

Trail Running

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Lydia@MotionMap

Distance

15.35mi

Elevation +

1463f

TrailRank

27

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Directions to Guion Farm parking area from downtown Brevard: From Broad and Main Streets, head down Broad street and pass by Brevard College on your right. As you pass by Ingles and K-Mart also on your right stay right a...

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Umstead State Park - Crazy Eight

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

12.00mi

Elevation +

2861f

TrailRank

25

Ready for a challenge? This 12 mile trail run combines 5 of the park's trails into one grueling trek that will almost certainly push you to your limit. Start out in the Reedy Creek parking lot and run the Loblolly Tra...

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9.5 mile Dupont State Recreational Forest loop

Trail Running

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Lydia@MotionMap

Distance

9.56mi

Elevation +

1280f

TrailRank

25

Directions to Guion Farm parking area from downtown Brevard: From Broad and Main Streets, head down Broad street and pass by Brevard College on your right. As you pass by Ingles and K-Mart also on your right stay right a...

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Umstead State Park - Sycamore Loop Trail

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

7.47mi

Elevation +

1864f

TrailRank

23

One of the park's most scenic and underused trails. Turn left past Reedy Creek Lake and take the second right onto Graylyn. Graylyn cuts right through the center of the Sycamore loop. You can often run the entire loop an...

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Umstead State Park - Company Mill Trail

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

5.32mi

Elevation +

1296f

TrailRank

23

The signature trail loop in Umstead State Park and probably the most popular trail run in the Raleigh-area. This is a great run-bridges, rapids, challenging climbs, peaceful forests. Come on out and run the Company Mill!

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Umstead State Park - Cedar Ridge Trail

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

7.42mi

Elevation +

2352f

TrailRank

22

We started out on the Loblolly Trail, and then jumped onto Reedy Creek and then followed South Turkey Creek until the Cedar Ridge trailhead. Cedar Ridge t-intersects with Reedy Creek, which you can follow back to the lak...

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Company Mill - Sycamore Loop

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

8.26mi

Elevation +

1995f

TrailRank

22

This is a great 8 mile trail run that combines the park's signature trail (Company Mill) with its most beautiful and underused trail (Sycamore). Though I've run both of these trails individually many times, the combin...

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Umstead State Park - Loblolly Trail

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

5.89mi

Elevation +

1952f

TrailRank

22

An out and back going just outside the park boundary. The Loblolly trail used to be a straight shot and wasn't too difficult. In the past couple of years, part of the trail has been changed and some switchbacks added,...

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Umstead State Park - Turkey Creek Loop

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

10.76mi

Elevation +

892f

TrailRank

19

This is a pretty fun loop that begins in the Reedy Creek lot. Take Reedy Creek Lake Road and turn left onto Reedy Creek Trail. Take the second right onto Graylyn, and then turn right onto North Turkey Creek. Continue ...

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Umstead State Park - Cedar Ridge to Loblolly

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

7.38mi

Elevation +

1329f

TrailRank

19

Another nice run in Umstead State Park. This one is interesting because 2/3 of it is on the bridle trails and the final 1/3 is on the Loblolly singletrack trail, which can make for a challenging finish. Begin in the R...

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Cedarock Park - Mud Run

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

3.76mi

Elevation +

833f

TrailRank

19

Pretty challenging trail run. Much of the route is on a horse trail with many stream crossings. Be prepared for hilly terrain and lots of mud (knee-deep at times).

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Morgan Creek Trail to Merritt Pasture

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

2.64mi

Elevation +

935f

TrailRank

16

This run is an out and back that combines greenway (1.6 miles) and pasture. I did two laps around Merritt's on this run. It is, approximately, .5 miles around the perimeter of the pasture. Except for a moderate climb up ...

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Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

2.48mi

Elevation +

443f

TrailRank

16

Short loop in Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. Pretty nice park once you get out of earshot of the interstate. The section along the Eno River is particularly cool. I intended to run to the summit, but the sig...

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Umstead State Park - Airport Overlook Run

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

7.37mi

Elevation +

1486f

TrailRank

16

This is an out and back on the Umstead State Park multi-purpose trails from the Reedy Creek parking lot to the airport overlook. If you hang out at the overlook for awhile, you will see an occasional helicopter or small ...

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Cedarock Park Bike Trail Run

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

2.93mi

Elevation +

807f

TrailRank

15

This is a run on the Cedarock Park Mountain Bike Trail. The loop is around a mile, so you will want to do multiple laps. If you cut through the center of the loop, you will find an old set of pull-up bars-I like to st...

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Shallow Ford Loop

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

2.92mi

Elevation +

476f

TrailRank

9

This is a great trail run that combines all of the trails in the park into one loop (Basin Creek, Hidden Hill, Shallow Ford Loop, and Homestead).

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Saxapahaw Running Loop

Trail Running

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cdrm25

Distance

1.80mi

Elevation +

249f

TrailRank

9

This run is part trail, part farm, and part road. You will see the Haw River and Saxapahaw Lake. A quick, fun loop for after work or on the weekend.

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