Upon entering Boyce-Park you will see a playground and a soccer fields. You will see a concrete path that will take you in the woods. This take you into McAlpine. I would recommend going into the woods on your left. Stay staright the whole way you will be on a road in the woods. That road will end at the bottom of a big hill. Watch out for joggers and even people pushing baby carriages? I am still puzzled by that. The road ends and becomes garvel. You will end up getting out of the woods and in the park. You can make a left and go to the other end, about two miles down you can make a left and find restrooms and water at the main entrance off of Monroe rd. Or you can go straight and hit the woods to the other end of the park. You will have woods and a big hill to climb. On that end you can go behind and around the Lake.
McAlpine Park's defining feature is a huge greenway.
It runs the from the Idlewild neighborhood down past Sardis Road, and possibly as far southwest as Providence if you're willing ride the beaten but unmaintained trail following the titular creek. That's many miles of flat, easy trails, some of which are paved. There's some cool stuff to see along the way, lots of pedestrian bridges and roads to ride under. The paths are well-traveled but they're wide enough and the visibility is good enough (except for the inevitable blind corner here and there) that you can blow through at full speed without too much concern that you'll inadvertently torpedo someone. There's a loop around the lake that's intended for cross-country running, complete with a starting gate. It's an easy hard-packed gravel run, and is a nice book-end to a long ride up and down the main drag.
There is also a more proper trail running alongside the western segment of the paved greenway called the Cottonwood trail. It's a straight shot with a few good hills that might be charitably described as 'gnarly'. To find Cottonwood, hit the paved greenway between Monroe and Sardis, then take one of the northern footbridges into the woods. If you ride the whole way it'll run you through James Boyce park which is almost directly west of McAlpine Creek park, and then dump you back out onto the greenway. I don't think Cottonwood is a tough ride at all, but it is NOT greenway. This is an actual trail.
I like this park and I go there a lot, especially with friends who don't own mountain bikes. It's a great place to spend an afternoon.
| ThankFrom a few of the reviews it sounds like there is some singletrack around/parallel to the greenway itself. We have the same thing at the Silver Comet (Rail) Trail here in Atlanta (though we refer to the singletrack as the Silver Comet Side Trails).
| ThankI gave it a 2 for the sure fact its not a mountain bike trail its a green way. There are little side paths that act as mountain bike trails but there are 2 few and not good enough worth going for.
| ThankThis is essentially a greenway. It is not a mountain bike trail or single track. It has the feel of a rails to trails area. There is a fun descent from the Boyce park through the woods but it is short and everything else is completely flat and open gravel trail. Boring! It shouldn't be included as a Single Track listing
| ThankMy favorite trail in Charlotte you can do the park and the back trails which are hilly. Not to many folks know about the trails that lead into the woods. Also single-track that you have to look for they start in Boyce on both sides! Can get about 9-10 miles from one end to the next of the park. Good challenge and no traffic! 10-minutes from my work Great cardio!
* Review edited 12/19/2010
| ThankTrail is very easy on the main trails but if you ride near boyce road park there are hidden trails that have some fairly fun obsticles that include a teeter totter, and a nice ramp. Also there are parts that have a great roller coaster feel. For this part it is at intermediate level. A great place to try that not to many people have ever rode before so it is fairly nice for a change.
| ThankGreat multi-use trail in the 'burbs of Charlotte! We departed from James Boyce Park & shortly thereafter we connected w/ the McAlpine Creek Greenway & traveled roughly 2 miles before coming to McAlpine Park. The greenway's tread is primarily crushed gravel/stone with a smattering of asphalt here & there. The "trail" or should I say wide "multi-use path" makes for a relatively smooth ride. Be sure to ride the 5K cross country circuit after you've reached McAlpine Park as it is a delightfully wonderful circuit that meanders through the shade & has a nice little (brief) climb which after cresting drops down by a set of nice ponds. Both James Boyce Park & McAlpine Park appear to have nice amenities & the former has a couple of ballfields & a playground for the kiddies.
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