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NCNorth Carolina rankings

Towns with the most trails in North Carolina

Ranked by miles of mapped hiking and walking trails per square mile of town. 27 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Durham
North Carolina · Most trails

Where Durham lands: #11 of 27

0.7 mi / sq mi · Visit Durham →

Nags Head 1 Nags Head 3.9 mi / sq mi Trail miles 25.9 mi Map of Whispering Pines 2 Whispering Pines 3.6 mi / sq mi Trail miles 16.0 mi 3 Briar Chapel 2.7 mi / sq mi Trail miles 5.7 mi
#TownTrail miles per sq miTrail milesParks & preserves
1 Nags Head Nags Head3,160 people 3.9 mi / sq mi 25.9 mi 10
2 Map of Whispering Pines Whispering Pines5,211 people 3.6 mi / sq mi 16.0 mi 7
3 Briar Chapel6,049 people 2.7 mi / sq mi 5.7 mi 4
4 Spring Lake Spring Lake11,573 people 1.9 mi / sq mi 46.0 mi 5
5 Southern Pines Southern Pines16,420 people 1.7 mi / sq mi 30.7 mi 9
6 Sunset Beach Sunset Beach4,351 people 1.5 mi / sq mi 11.0 mi 2
7 Swepsonville Swepsonville2,517 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 1.4 mi 0
8 Map of Jacksonville Jacksonville71,279 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 51.6 mi 25
9 Boiling Spring Lakes Boiling Spring Lakes6,347 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 21.1 mi 6
10 Black Mountain Black Mountain8,513 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 5.2 mi 5
11 Durham Durham291,467 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 82.3 mi 85
12 Map of Woodfin Woodfin8,048 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 4.9 mi 2
13 Elizabeth City Elizabeth City18,871 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 5.3 mi 12
14 Morehead City Morehead City9,806 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 4.2 mi 11
15 Sanford Sanford31,478 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 9.0 mi 7
16 Huntersville Huntersville63,969 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 10.0 mi 18
17 Map of High Point High Point116,245 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 13.4 mi 28
18 Map of Kings Mountain Kings Mountain12,039 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 3.3 mi 4
19 Wesley Chapel Wesley Chapel9,090 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 2.1 mi 1
20 Map of Thomasville Thomasville27,321 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 3.3 mi 12
21 Waynesville Waynesville10,502 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 1.7 mi 3
22 Barbecue5,910 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 1.1 mi 0
23 Map of Shelby Shelby22,100 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 3.8 mi 10
24 Hendersonville Hendersonville15,408 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 1.3 mi 6
25 Albemarle Albemarle16,762 people 0.1 mi / sq mi 2.3 mi 7
26 Lake Norman of Catawba9,906 people 0.1 mi / sq mi 2.9 mi 2
27 Map of Summerfield Summerfield11,116 people 0.1 mi / sq mi 1.6 mi 1

How this ranking works

We rank every town by miles of mapped hiking and walking trails per square mile of town. Paths, bridleways, woods roads and footways in parks count; sidewalks don't. Towns need at least a mile of trail to be ranked. Trails come from OpenStreetMap, so a well-mapped town can edge out an equally trail-rich one that's mapped less thoroughly. The town with the highest figure ranks #1.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Trails, streets and parks: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Conserved land: USGS PAD-US. Measured within each town's Census boundary. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

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