Tarheel Trailblazers Message Board - County's First Dirtway is Open along Walker Branch

07/04/25 at 1:19pm

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County's First Dirtway is Open along Walker Branch (Read 920 times)

Oskie In The Loop Offline Posts: 243 Joined: 07/25/06	County's First Dirtway is Open along Walker Branch 02/04/14 at 4:57pm	Print Post
	Not really a bike trail but still something that can be ridden. (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links)

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fattirz Little Ring In The Loop Offline I'm not fat... I'm BIG BONED!!! Posts: 666 Location: Charlotte, NC Joined: 05/01/07	Re: County's First Dirtway is Open along Walker Branch Reply #1 - 02/04/14 at 5:45pm	Print Post
	This concept was the brainchild of a few members of the Mecklenburg Greenway Advisory Council and a couple of Park and Rec commissioners and has been in the works for years. I live and work in Steele Creek and this is the most progress that has been made in a very long time. With only .4 miles of greenway in all of southwest Charlotte, I've been very vocal in making the point to Park and Rec that this area is extremely under served with regards to greenways. The only reason we have any greenway in Steele Creek is the result of rezoning for the Rivergate Shopping Center. While the new Dirtway program won't be a destination ride for mountain bikers, it will provide extra connectivity for neighborhoods on the fringe of developed greenways. Any extra greenway/dirtway mileage is a good thing, especially when the trails are closed due to rain and you want to get your ride on. I’m looking forward to even more Dirtways opening in the future, after all more bang for the taxpayers buck plus an increased visibility to the slow moving growth of our greenway master plan. Happy trails! Brian Malec GAC member (representing SW Charlotte)

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Buellernc Newbie Offline Work Ride Tarheel Trailblazers Posts: 48 Joined: 10/15/11	Re: County's First Dirtway is Open along Walker Branch Reply #2 - 02/10/14 at 1:37pm	Print Post
	I found this dirtway yesterday while running and for those of you who are interested here is what I found. It seems like a good idea but it probably wasn't very well implemented. There were no signs at all, the 49/S.Tryon end has no entrance. I had to hop over the metal guard rail to get onto it. The 160 end was not much better, it just ends next to a yard and dumps you onto 160 where there no sidewalk so that's a tad dangerous. The trail itself is just a bush-hogged path thru the brush. No signs, no parking, no dog waste stations, no trash cans. And there was a lot of trash on the trail. Hopefully that improves in the future. Given the area, the trash, and lack of lighting I suspect this will sketchy from a safety perspective, and will probably be used by the residents of the neighborhoods that back up to it to walk their dogs.

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fattirz Little Ring In The Loop Offline I'm not fat... I'm BIG BONED!!! Posts: 666 Location: Charlotte, NC Joined: 05/01/07	Re: County's First Dirtway is Open along Walker Branch Reply #3 - 02/18/14 at 4:17pm	Print Post
	Thanks for the update. A couple of things to add... This Walker Branch Dirtway is currently under construction and still has some work to be done before it's "officially" opened. Signs are a portion of what will be added. Also, the only section of Dirtway planned to be open in the near future is the phase from the creek crossing at the southern end of Walker Branch Greenway (near the Home Depot entrance) to Smith Road. None of the Walkers Branch Greenway/Dirtway is currently open between Hwy 49 (South Tryon) to Sledge Road. So basically the section you walked is the raw corridor cleared for utility lines, not the actual section that will officially opened in the near future. Again, Dirtways are rougher trail accesses, and won't have every amenity you might find on a developed greenway including parking, benches, dog waste stations and trash cans. Lights are not typically found on any of our county greenways either (with the exception of the urban sections of Little Sugar Creek Greenway around uptown and Toby Creek Greenway through UNCC). Sorry but I had to make some clarification. Happy Trails! Brian

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