By Michael Laches
Great Trails State Day is October 18, 2025, and what better day to officially open Apex’s two new greenways — Beaver Creek and Middle Creek! Town of Apex officials, Angela Reincke, Parks Planning Project Manager and Tyler Gumpright, Parks and Greenways Planning Technician, filled us in on the latest regarding these greenway extensions. New sections of these greenway corridors will add over 1.5 miles to each greenway trail and include a substantial amount of boardwalk. The Beaver Creek Greenway includes the town’s first pre-fabricated metal pedestrian bridge while Middle Creek includes the town’s first official trail head at Sunset Lake Road, which includes a “fix-it” station for bike repairs and maintenance, a decorative plaza with benches, and a kiosk providing maps and information.
An invitation-only ribbon cutting will be held on Great Trails State Day with local, county, and state elected officials; town leadership and advisory board members; as well as other important partners in the projects. After the ribbon cutting, an announcement will be made via the town’s social media regarding a special event along the two trails to encourage residents to explore.
“Greenways are the number one requested recreation amenity in both of our last two Master Plans — [10-year plan for Parks, Recreation, Cultural Resources, Greenways and Open Space],” Gumpright shared. Beaver Creek is the highest priority east to west (i.e., downtown Apex to the ATT) and Middle Creek is the highest priority north to south (i.e., downtown to Sunset Lake Road).
Middle Creek is a part of the Great Trail State Plan which will ultimately provide connectivity from beyond Holly Springs through Apex to the town of Cary. Beaver Creek Greenway will provide connectivity from downtown Apex through three parks to the ATT, which then carries through to Chatham County, the town of Cary, Durham County, downtown Durham, and the East Coast Greenway and White Oak Creek Greenway among other smaller corridors. Making these regional connections expands bicycle and pedestrian facilities far beyond Apex’s boundaries. To be successful in such an enormous undertaking requires collaboration both deep and wide.
“Apex has been supported through numerous staff at the following agencies, along with Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space grants; Wake County Greenway Bonds; Town of Cary and Town of Holly Springs staff coordination and project connection support: The Great Trails State Coalition; The Triangle Trails Initiative; Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization; NCDOT: Integrated Mobility Division; NC Turnpike Authority; Apex Town Council; Apex Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; Citizens for Apex Parks; and numerous HOAs along these corridors that helped define, guide and support the efforts to build these greenways,” Gumpright detailed.
These trails are ADA accessible and feature standard amenities at various points including trash and recycling receptacles, dog waste disposal stations, restrooms, and benches.
The Great Trails State Plan
As previously mentioned, the Middle Creek Greenway is part of the Great Trails State Plan. The Great Trails State Plan is a comprehensive initiative by the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division, in coordination with the NCDOT Transportation Planning Division and North Carolina State Parks. This plan will create a network of shared-use paths and trails that connect every county in North Carolina, with a focus on connections between population centers and state parks. The plan includes a statewide trail map, an action-oriented network plan, and a five-year implementation strategy. It draws upon existing plans and new recommendations to identify the county-by-county network.
Both Beaver Creek and Middle Creek are part of the Wake County Greenways System Plan as priority projects for being a part of an important regional connection. Wake County provided supplemental funding for the design of these projects.
“Both projects were aimed at providing important recreational infrastructure that is being developed in cooperation and coordination with state, county, and local partners. These connections are a vital part of investing in infrastructure that provides active transportation alternatives to car travel, in addition to providing public health and economic benefits associated with greenways,” Gumpright noted.
Future Plans
The future expansion of the Beaver Creek trail will see greenway development to complete the trail through the entirety of Apex Nature Park (east to west) and provide access to our future Environmental Education Center which is currently under design.
In addition, there are plans at the east end of Beaver Creek, within Jaycee Park, to provide an opportunity for a grade-separated crossing under Highway 55 during the planned NCDOT widening project which will ensure a safer connection to downtown Apex.
Once those designs are finalized, staff will continue to develop plans for this trail westward to Richardson Road and to the American Tobacco Trail. The timing of this is undetermined and will require easement acquisition. Connection to the American Tobacco Trail is frequently requested by residents and trail users — as it is a heavily used and popular amenity for bikers, joggers, walkers, and equestrians.
The goal for Middle Creek is to extend the current corridor north. A recent NCDOT-funded feasibility study was issued for the northern portion of this stretch from Jessie Drive to Ten Ten Road. As part of this year’s Capital Improvement Plan, the Town expects to hire a consultant to provide construction-ready designs for the northern portion of this corridor, which will have a different character from the section that is being opened.
The southern portion is off-street and will provide a beautiful nature-based greenway trail experience. The northern portion will traverse an area of town that is characterized by industrial uses. However, the connectivity that this route provides will be essential in giving residents and trail users options for commuting to work and nearby schools (Lufkin Road Middle School and Felton Grove High School) and recreating safely in an area that is otherwise not currently bike/ pedestrian friendly.
Beaver Creek Greenway Map
Yellow highlights indicate new section. Red dots mark start and end points of new segment.
