Clayton River Walk on the Neuse Greenway — Attraction in Clayton

The walk itself is asphalt and so accessible for a wheelchair or for someone who uses a cane or a walker. Handicapped parking is on asphalt too. However, the other spaces are on gravel.

I saw butterflies, bike riders, other walkers and a huge raptor. What you see very much depends on the time of day and season of the year.

Folks who live nearby tell me that there there is abundant wildlife there: deer, beavers, fox, bobcats, coyotes, bears, domestic and wild dogs, snakes: water moccasins and copperheads and insects: ticks, yellow jackets, hornets, bees, wasps and mosquitoes. There are also arachnids: black widow and brown recluse.

I kept to the center of the asphalt trail and avoided the brush, the woods and the water. I had no issues.

I suggest using the restroom at home or elsewhere before walking or hiking on the trail and not putting hands or arms into any hole in which you don't already know what's in there.

The Neuse river is muddy but moving.

The trail has benches maybe every quarter mile.

The trail has unattractive raised sewer covered openings. The Neuse River has had its share of challenges including pollution, fertilizer runoff, industrial agriculture waste, massive algae blooms and fish kills according to PBS in 2022. While it has improved due to the Clean Water Act, it isn't where it should be.

Please, fight to protect our nation's water!

My next walk here may be prettier when the leaves...

This is a really nice trail. I wish the parking lot was a little larger. There is overflow parking in the field, but you must drive through the handicap access spaces to enter it. It can be tricky. When you get to the bottom of the hill from the parking lot, you can go to the left and go over a very nice bridge view of the river. If you go to the right, you go behind a local neighborhood and there are more people that you will encounter. Overall, a lovely place to run and ride. You will often encounter water snakes, or black snakes there, please be respectful as that is their home. I promise if you leave them alone, they will go on their merry way and not bother you. Decays Brown snakes often look like copperheads, but are definitely not. They are a harmless snake and are often seen near...

This parking area is still fairly new and where it is not completely paved over yet but it is more updated than what is shown on the satellite view of the map. It's a nice spot to visit with just a short walk to the Greenway Trail where you'll find yourself along the banks of the peacefully flowing Neuse River. This is one of the better areas of the Neuse for...