The Capital Region Greenway weaves right through Raleigh, North Carolina, stretching out for more than 112 miles and covering 3,800 acres all over Wake County. It kicked off back in 1974, and now, the trails reach into neighboring counties and link up with other city trails—even some that never officially joined the main Greenway network. Some sections plug right into bigger trail systems like the East Coast Greenway and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, connecting Raleigh to a whole web of national and regional paths.

This all started in the early ’70s. People in Raleigh were watching the city grow fast, and a lot of them worried that the sprawl was chewing up the natural landscape. Back then, Raleigh was home to about 118,000 people. By 2015, that number had shot up to nearly half a million. City leaders listened. They came up with a master plan for a new Greenway system. The initial spark? The City Council and Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission asked for a study, which ended up with the hopeful title “Raleigh: A Park with a City.” The findings were clear: Raleigh’s natural features made it not just possible but smart to build a network of parks and green spaces. The city would keep its character and offer people plenty of ways to get outside. Don’t forget to check out this place in Raleigh too.

A year later, another report followed—this one called “The Capital’s Greenway.” It covered everything from water management (especially for Crabtree and Walnut creeks, which tended to flood), to wildlife protection, flood prevention, and new trails. The idea was simple: green spaces would give animals a place to live, protect wetlands, and act as buffers between new neighborhoods and those unpredictable streams. One of the first tracks even ran close to Crabtree Valley Mall, which, thanks to heavy rains, pretty much had a reputation for flooding.

By 1974, Raleigh started buying up land for the Greenway—the first city in the country to create a system like this on such a big scale. By the end of 1975, the city had pieced together several different trails. Over the next three decades, Raleigh and Wake County kept investing. Now, the Greenway includes 11 miles of trails weaving through more than 3,700 acres of preserved land. As the project grew, the focus shifted from building long, isolated trails to connecting the dots—tying together all those loose ends. “The focus today is to tie up those loose ends,” said Vic Lebsock, Raleigh’s Senior Greenway Planner since 2017.

Raleigh Parks and Recreation looks after more than 9,000 acres of parks linked by these trails. They keep everything running, offer programs and classes, and work on new projects that bring art and nature into public spaces. The Metropolitan Greenway System ties these parks together, making it easier for people to get around and enjoy the outdoors. The system started when locals grew worried about how quickly the city was changing. Now, there are 28 trails stretching over 100 miles, each with its own character.

To make things easier for visitors, the Parks and Recreation Department is building a website for every trail, complete with detailed maps and parking tips. New trails have opened as recently as 2012 and 2013, and more are on the way. Three new trails are already in the works, and a big extension is set to wrap up by early 2014.

The Parks Design Development Department and the Recreation Department handle the planning and growth of Raleigh’s parks and trails. They rely on the Parks and Recreation System Plan, a 16-month process that lays out how Raleigh’s parks, programs, and facilities will grow over the next 20 years.

If you want to explore the Greenway, there’s even a free app called RGreenway. It gives you interactive maps, trail distances, weather updates, and tracks your workouts. You can log in with FourSquare, and if you spot something that needs fixing on the trail, SeeClickFix lets you report it right from your phone.

The whole Greenway system strikes a balance—Raleigh keeps growing, but the city’s wild spaces stay connected. These green corridors run between parks and give people safe, pleasant paths for walking and biking. The original Greenway supporters worried about losing Raleigh’s natural beauty. Decades later, you can still see what they were fighting for. If you are in need of a roofing contractor, click here.