This hike (Download as PDF) beautifully showcases the Raleigh Greenway system. Start from your home in downtown or adjacent neighborhoods, and head down Boylan Avenue. You’ll re-emerge after a 6-mile ride or walk on three different greenways on the other side of downtown, coming in on Lenoir St. or Cabarrus St.

Bring water and snacks, as you will not come across any gas stations or convenience stores for a long section. Bring a flashlight for the famous-infamous “Hammond St. tunnel”, a long culvert that can be filled with sand or mud after rainfall.

There are several parks along the way, as well as the Walnut Creek Wetland Center. And while this is all “inside the beltline”, it feels pretty remote in some places; you can expect to spot some “urban wildlife” (deer, beaver, raccoon, foxes, bunnies).