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Nature

Greenways and More

One for the Ages

Greenways and More   >

School of Rocks

Battle's Park

Botanical Garden

Local Parks

A Slice of Life

A Puppy Paradise

Johnson Mill Preserve

The Wrath of Winter


The Battle Creek Trail Starts on Campus

Over the past decade, a number of Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents have worked hard to promote the building of "Greenways" along area major streams and creeks in order to offer opportunities to get outdoors and away from busier parts of town. Many of the major connecting greenways are now open to the public, and range in accessibility from fully paved, handicap-accessible paths to a few unimproved dirt trails slated for future expansion. Whatever a taste in terrain, all of the greenways share the common characteristic of being routed through beautiful, quiet areas, often following the course of a creek. Some of the more heavily-traveled sections, like the Bolin Creek Trail have additional features, like the paintings of local leaves that have been added to various cement structures along the way. When completed, the greenways will provide an important alternative to automotive traffic for many residents who work in town and for students to travel to and from campus. One of the prettiest sections of greenway is the unimproved section of the Battle Creek trail which begins near the Forest Theater. This section of trail travels through a large tract of forest known as Battle Park, named for UNC President Kemp Plummer Battle. Battle was said to have loved to wander in these woods, seeking rejuvenation, as have many a generation of student after him. Bicycles are also welcome on all of the paved greenways, and on all of the unpaved greenways except following a heavy rain. Those who like to bicycle will also find Chapel Hill and Carrboro to be increasingly bike-friendly towns, with many miles of bike lanes along major roads. For more information on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Greenways, including printable maps of the major routes, visit http://www.ils.unc.edu/hiking/chindex.htm or http://www.chapelhillparks.org/.



The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill

All Text and Photos © 2004.