High Point Greenway

• Date we visited: January 12, 2020
• Posted length:  4.45 miles
• Tracked 8.13 miles (Cheryl) 9.74 (James) (out and back ride)
• Type of Trail: Paved greenway
• Conveniences: In theory, bathroom and water at Piedmont Environmental Center. Parking lot was too full to park there the day we visited.
• Best Features: Great elevated boardwalk above wetlands
• Worst Features: The middle three miles are poorly maintained, lots of litter, a few busy road crossings with no crossing lights, not always well marked at turns. Also, Cheryl was attacked by a dog. This may not technically be a trail feature, but it's worth mentioning.
• Official Website: https://www.highpointnc.gov/1832/Trails-Greenways
• Primary author: Cheryl

On a warm Sunday afternoon in January, we decided to return to the High Point Greenway for a short bike ride.  We were meeting a friend for dinner in Greensboro, so it was the perfect opportunity to complete the greenway that we had ridden back on Thanksgiving day and couldn’t finish due to time constraints.   

We weren’t the only ones trying to take advantage of a 70 degree afternoon.  We first tried to park at the Piedmont Environmental Center, but that lot was packed.  We then drove over to the parking lot at University Park on Deep River Road.  Wanting to make sure we were able to bike the section we had to skip the last time out, we headed away from the Environmental Center towards High Point University.  The best way to describe this greenway is that it has two fabulous ends that bookend a mediocre middle, and we rode the middle first.

Once it leaves Deep River Road, the trail follows a creek and a sewer line.  There are a couple of tunnels that run under busy roads.

The trail then turns behind a couple of schools. This section of the greenway is the oldest, and in the most need of some love and attention. It was in this section where things went haywire. Remember the mention of a dog attack? Three young women were walking two dogs in harnesses, but they were not able to control them. One of the dogs lurched at James, then at me, making contact. The impact knocked me off balance. I skidded across the asphalt, skinning up my leg. Because I was focused on my bloody knee and shin, it wasn’t until later that we realized that the dog had bitten me just below my hip. My clothes weren’t torn, but a bite mark became quite apparent as the bruising darkened. Since we hadn’t thought to request their shot information at the scene, I ended up having to go to the Emergency Department to get the rabies vaccine the next day.

Back to the ride! After my fall, we washed off my leg and kept on riding the trail.  Before long we were passing through High Point University and the trail becomes lovely and well maintained.

Armstrong Park at trail's end has lots of features, including bathrooms and picnic shelters, but we didn't spend time exploring it. Thinking we needed to get to some bandaids, we headed back toward the car to complete the section between University Park and the Piedmont Environmental Center.  

Boardwalks Galore!  This newer section is only 1.2 miles long, but a big chunk of that is a curvy elevated boardwalk through the trees that's spectacular.  

We probably wouldn't make a special trip just to ride this greenway again, but if life calls us back into the neighborhood, we'd certainly give it another shot. Just past the Piedmont Environmental Center, the High Point Greenway connects with the Bicentennial Greenway that takes you into Greensboro. It's not as bike friendly, though biking is allowed. We'll report on it one day as a walking trail.   Oh! And remember the long boardwalk through the trees? Here's a video of it, at double speed.

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