27 October . 2025
Wilmington, NC: A Cyclist's Dream!
For cyclists, Wilmington’s weather and coastal plain topography are pretty much a perfect combo.
Though Riverlights resident cycling enthusiast Richard Knight might take issue with that. “If you are going up a hill, you can at least look forward to going down. And, sure, it’s flat here, but it can also be windy. I might choose a hill over wind any day.”
Good point, Richard! So, it’s a good thing Wilmington has such a great variety of trails and routes to get you offshore, offroad, into parks and out to beautiful and diverse destinations.
Richard is a resident of Riverlights’ River Row. Twice weekly, he embarks on a 40-mile round trip that rolls along a dedicated bike lane the entire distance. He leaves his home and rides to and across the Snows Cut Bridge (where drivers are courteous of cyclists who take-the-right-lane -- the only 4 minutes that cars are an issue), to Carolina Beach State Park and on to Kure Beach and Fort Fisher. There he pauses, looks across the mouth of the Cape Fear River where it empties into the Atlantic, and turns around to come back home.
“It’s outstanding! I’ve never lived anywhere else that offers such a distance and destination on a continuous bike path,” he says.
An active member and former president of Cape Fear Cyclists, Wilmington’s social riding club, Richard is well acquainted with a great variety of good, long and destination-focused cycling routes, that take in beautiful countryside, particularly if one first drives just a few miles out of town:
- Heading out on Hwy 421, cyclists can pass the Amazon warehouse and the Johnson Corner Grill, going a good 50 miles while encountering little to no traffic.
- Starting in Pender Park in Burgaw, you can pedal for a good 40 to 50 miles.
- On Topsail Island, you can cross the Surf City bridge on the way in and the North Topsail Bridge on the way out, adding an another 50 miles to your bike’s odometer.
For Richard and other Wilmington cycling enthusiasts, Cape Fear Cyclists (CFC) has been the entry point. Established for those who are training, exploring, commuting, or just getting started, CFC organizes group rides, advocates for safer cycling and prepares a weekly ride calendar and publishes routes to keep it all interesting and social.
The social part is not an afterthought for Richard. “Cycling can be a great way to form lifelong friendships. There are a lot of shared memories that are inspired by cycling together,” he says.
Municipal trails add to the cycling menu of options
The City of Wilmington has a number of paved multi-use trails that invite cyclists of all skill levels.
The 15-mile primarily off-road Gary Shell Cross-City Trail is a multi-use path that connects UNCW, Wade Park, Halyburton Park, Cameron Art Museum and Empie Park to the Heide-Trask Drawbridge at the Intracoastal Waterway near Wrightsville Beach. There, a new underpass eases street crossing. You can also enjoy a stop at Flying Machine Brewery along the trail.
Wilmington’s River to Sea Bikeway is an 11-mile on- and off-road bicycle route that begins (or ends, depending) downtown at Wilmington’s Riverwalk, continues through mid-town following the historic “Lumina Trolley” route, and continues to Wrightsville Beach’s Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier.
And the 4-mile trail that meanders around Greenfield Lake is a family-friendly route that connects Greenfield Park’s playgrounds, skate park and boat rentals, with century-old cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, adding natural drama to the route.
But for Richard Knight, he almost needn’t venture anywhere outside the Riverlights community to get a good ride. “I can also stay right here, inside Riverlights, and get a good 25 to 30-mile ride in about two hours, waving to neighbors, spying shorebirds and checking out the new construction,” he says. Plus, with a trail bike, one can get off the road entirely and enjoy the 8 miles of nature paths throughout Riverlights, including the 3-mile path that surrounds the community lake.
Riverlights’ also has its own bike shop, Shore Break Bikes, located in Marina Village, offering sales of traditional and e-bikes, as well as service and repairs.
For Richard, Riverlights offers a perfect biking community. Especially with neither hills nor relentless wind. It really is a cyclist’s paradise.
But, he cautions, “Safety is critical. Mind the rules of road, be mindful of other drivers, know the choke points in city traffic, and always always always wear your helmet!”