 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/.
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