NORTH CAROLINA - The Richland Creek Trail is part of Raleigh, NC's Capital Area Greenway System and runs through Schenck Forest in Raleigh. This scenic pathway makes a beautiful place for hikes and exploration, especially during warmer months when its trails are paved and wide enough for bicycles or wheelchairs to travel smoothly along.
Hiking the Zombie Tunnels Trail!
The Richland Creek Trail is part of Raleigh, NC's Capital Area Greenway System and runs through Schenck Forest in Raleigh. This scenic pathway makes a beautiful place for hikes and exploration, especially during warmer months when its trails are paved and wide enough for bicycles or wheelchairs to travel smoothly along.
It's an attractive combination of paved greenway and open wooded trail running along Richland Creek, visible as it flows from Reedy Creek road. There are a few stairs leading down into the woods as you journey along this trail which lies near Richland Lake on one side and open space on the other.
Take this path either as an out-and-back or combine it with the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park for a longer hike - totaling approximately 12 miles when taking all routes between RBC road and Loblolly trailhead, back again.
The Tunnels
The tunnels were initially opened around 1860 and became problematic for the railroad as soon as flooding, ceiling collapses, and limited space became an issue for trains to pass through. The track was eventually taken out of one tunnel while little used. The other remained as an abandoned remnant from its past; today it remains flooded and an enjoyable place to explore with plenty of old railway signs hidden around its corners - make for a unique experience!
