August 1, 2022
Ready to hit the trails? Whether you like maneuvering switchbacks and careening down hills or prefer a low-key ride down a greenway with the kids, Cabarrus County has plenty of options to keep you smiling. Here, we break down some of the best rides for three styles of biking — mountain, natural trail and paved path.
Mountain Biking
Brown Mill Mountain Bike Trail
Location: Concord
Distance: 4.25 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Ride breakdown: Be prepared for big rocks, dips, switchbacks and a gravity cavity on this trail. And, of course, be prepared for big fun as well. You won’t believe this trail is just minutes from downtown Concord.
Rocky River Mountain Bike Trail
Location: Harrisburg
Distance: 11 miles
Difficulty: Beginner to difficult
Ride breakdown: This trail doesn’t make it easy on you — not that you’d want it to. Tough climbs, fast descents and jumps await. Not ready for all that just yet? Bypasses create a 5-mile loop suitable for beginners. Note: This is a private trail, so you’ll need to sign a waiver and pay a $3 donation before you begin.
Harrisburg Half Mountain Bike Trail
Location: Harrisburg
Distance: 2 miles (one half-mile loop, one 1.5-mile extension)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Ride breakdown: The original half-mile loop of this trail gives you switchbacks and short climbs. If you’re ready for more, keep riding to the extension for more technical sections and creek crossings.
Ready to turn your ride into a multi-day adventure? This itinerary provides information on additional mountain biking trails in Cabarrus County and beyond.
Natural Surface Rides
Frank Liske Park
Location: Concord
Distance: 2.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Ride breakdown: Frank Liske Park is huge. It offers 238 acres of space, full of fun for everyone — fishing, paddle boating, tennis, disc golf and miniature golf. There’s also a trail that winds around the lake for walkers and bikers, offering pretty views with your cardio.
Pharr Family Preserve Trail
Location: Midland
Distance: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Ride breakdown: Explore this wildlife habitat from your bike on its natural-surface trail, which is part of the Carolina Thread Trail. After your ride, take your adventure to the water — you can launch a canoe or kayak from here.
Rob Wallace Park
Location: Midland
Distance: 6 miles of trails in total (with 3.5 miles of single-track trails designated for mountain biking)
Difficulty: Easy to difficult
Ride breakdown: Rob Wallace Park offers bikers a variety of trails including the scenic 0.7-mile Quarry Loop and the 1-mile single-track Powder House Trail. The park also features skills areas designated for both beginner and advanced bikers that include berms, dropoffs, balance beams and more.
Boardwalk & Paved Paths
Bakers Creek Greenway and 8th Street Greenway
Location: Kannapolis
Distance: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Ride breakdown: This trail is also part of the Carolina Thread Trail. With a combination of boardwalk and pavement trails, it’s an easy ride through Bakers Creek Park. If you’re riding on a hot day, you’ll pass the splash pad at Village Park that might prove irresistible!
Hector H. Henry Greenway – Moss Creek
Location: Concord
Distance: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Ride breakdown: A paved asphalt and boardwalk surface makes this trail an easy outing for biking, as well as walking and running, and an observation deck at the pond provides a peaceful rest stop. The Moss Creek Phase is one of three active segments of the developing Hector H. Henry Greenway.
Irish Buffalo Creek Greenway
Location: Kannapolis
Distance: 3.1 miles (0.4 mile is natural surface, the rest is paved greenway)
Difficulty: Easy
Ride breakdown: This relaxing trail is mostly on the 10-foot-wide paved path, but nearly a half-mile of it is a natural-surface trail that curves through the woods of Vietnam Veterans Park. While you’re here, enjoy the rest of what this 90-acre park has to offer, like bocce courts, horseshoe pits, a volleyball court and picnic sites.
Get Active in Cabarrus County
Biking is just one of many ways to have fun in Cabarrus County. Explore these Sports, Recreation & Fun listings, which offer ideas throughout the county for people who love to walk, jog, fly, skate and more.
