Black Creek Greenway Is Open End to End. The Construction Moved Past Its Ends.

The new pedestrian bridge over Cary Parkway is 285 feet long. It stands about 50 feet above Black Creek and weighs more than 400,000 pounds. It has its own lighting and art panels with a leaf pattern. The bridge opened earlier this year. Until October 30, though, you couldn't walk from one end of Black Creek Greenway to the other to reach it. That was the day the Town of Cary announced the greenway "has fully reopened following the completion of approximately 2.5 miles of renovations."

The full trail now runs 7.1 miles without a break. It starts at the Old Reedy Creek Trailhead by Lake Crabtree and ends at the greenway hub at Fred G. Bond Metro Park. At the north end, Lake Crabtree County Park is heading into a renovation that runs through 2027. Past Bond Park to the south, the White Oak Creek Greenway is still closed where it would connect to the American Tobacco Trail. This winter, Black Creek itself is finished, and the trails beyond each end are where the work is.

How the Closures Moved North for Two Years

Work started in early June 2024. The Town expected the project to take three years. Crowder Construction Company did the work in three sections, closing each one in turn and moving north.

The Town says the project finished seven months ahead of schedule. It credits phasing worked out with the contractor that skipped the slower winter construction season. Final construction costs are estimated at about $17.3 million, a little under the original bid of nearly $17.5 million. The project page lists about $12 million in federal grants in the earlier budget.

The last section to close was the northern stretch between Weston Parkway and Lake Crabtree. That's why the north end of the trail is the part that has been closed most recently, and it's also where the next round of work begins.

What the Rebuilt Middle Looks Like

On a familiar route, the first change you'll notice is the width. The greenway is now 12 feet wide, and the Town has straightened curves that used to come up quickly on bikes and strollers. Some changes are harder to see. Crews moved stretches of the trail sideways and raised or lowered others to cut down on flooding. They also replaced five pedestrian bridges and added culverts, retaining walls and storm drainage along the way.

Two spots on the route are new:

• Near Dynasty Drive, a new greenway connection replaces the steep sidewalk link between trail sections. Older trail descriptions still tell you to follow the sidewalk for 0.3 miles from West Dynasty Drive. The new connection was built to replace that stretch.
• At Cary Parkway, the bridge fills what used to be a 650-foot sidewalk gap. Its art comes from artist Vicki Scuri and draws on the natural surroundings, according to the Town of Cary.

Everything you already use on this trail is still there. The Cary Dog Park and Cary Action Sports sit right where the trail runs through Robert V. Godbold Park. You still cross NW Maynard Road at the flashing-light crosswalk from the Black Creek Trailhead lot. Restrooms are at North Cary Park, Godbold Park, Bond Park and the Old Reedy Creek Road Trailhead. The trail is open dawn to dusk.

The North End Becomes Wake County's Project

The Reedy Creek Trailhead at the north end has 82 parking spaces, a restroom, water and a bike repair station. Half a mile in, there's a shelter that looks out over Lake Crabtree. That lake is the next construction site on this trail system.

On November 2, three days after Black Creek reopened, the Wake County Board of Commissioners approved a $6.6 million construction contract for Lake Crabtree County Park. The money comes from the 2018 voter-approved parks bond. The county's plan includes:

• A 4,805-square-foot education building near the waterfront, with classroom space for up to 86 people and a covered deck over the water
• A stormwater wetland next to the building, plus public art
• Accessible walkways linking the park's main features
• More parking at the boat ramp area
• A new 724-square-foot restroom building
• New roofs on the park administration and maintenance buildings

The county's project page puts the start in December 2026, with work continuing through 2027. The Wake County announcement targets completion in December 2027 and warns that "parts of the park will be inaccessible during the project." The park has had more than 250,000 visitors in 2026. In the same release, park manager Susan Jones said the updates "will greatly improve accessibility, help us provide programming year-round and create new ways for people to enjoy a park they already love."

So the lake view at the north end of a freshly finished trail will look out on an active construction site for most of 2027. Wake County posts updates at wake.gov/parks/lakecrabtree and on the park's Facebook page.

Past Bond Park, the Route South Is Still Closed

At the southern end, Black Creek meets the White Oak Creek Greenway at Bond Park. From there, White Oak is supposed to continue toward the American Tobacco Trail. This fall, that connection doesn't work for anyone trying to ride or walk the whole way.

In a September 2 release, the Town of Cary said the White Oak Creek Greenway section between Green Level Church Road and I-540 would stay closed "until further notice" while staff inspect its boardwalks. The Town said "there is no practical detour" and that the closure blocks through travel toward the ATT. Cary is inspecting nearby White Oak boardwalks too. That section is still marked closed on the Town's White Oak page. For ATT access, the Town points people to two trailheads north of White Oak:

1. White Oak Church Road Trailhead, 1305 White Oak Church Road
2. New Hope Church Road Trailhead Park, 2575 New Hope Church Road

There's a second closure on the ATT itself. On September 2, Wake County closed the trail from the Wimberly Road parking area to the White Oak Creek Greenway entrance to repair landslide damage from Hurricane Helene. The repairs involve swapping out unsuitable soil, stabilizing the bank with native plants and improving drainage. The county planned for that closure to last through the end of October. In November, Cary's greenway alerts page was still listing it. Before any long ride south of Bond Park, check the current alerts at carync.gov/greenways. The Wimberly Road lot is closed during the repair, and parking on the road's shoulder isn't allowed.

Black Creek's 7.1 miles are fully open. South toward the ATT, the routes past its end are closed now. North at Lake Crabtree, the county's construction is scheduled to start in December.

The Celebration Starts at North Cary Park on January 1

Cary passed 100 miles of greenways in 2026. Instead of holding a separate ribbon-cutting for Black Creek, the Town is celebrating the reopening at the Teen Council's annual First Walk. It's set for January 1, 2027, at 10 a.m. at North Cary Park. North Cary Park sits close to the middle of the renovated stretch. A 0.4-mile path through the park connects to the greenway.

First Walk has moved around over the years. The 2026 walk was a 1.5-mile loop for all ages on Panther Creek Greenway. The 2023 walk started at the Bond Park boathouse and followed Black Creek, and leashed dogs were welcome. In 2027, the walk returns to Black Creek, this time on the wider trail.

Do you want to live closer to a particular stretch of Cary's greenways, or are you weighing how trail access shapes what your current home is worth? Capital to the Coast can walk you through the parts of town near the greenways and how Black Creek and its neighbors compare. You can also start with your instant home valuation.