Gary Shell Cross-City Trail — paved Empie return
North Carolina · Greenway
From Empie Park take the mapped separated multi-use path north into Anne McCrary Park for up to one mile and retrace. Turn before the on-street bicycle-lane portion near North Kerr Avenue. The City map distinguishes solid-green multi-use paths from dotted bike lanes; no traffic-lane segment is offered.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Wilmington · North Carolina
- Ride length
- Up to 2 miles return
- Ride format
- Out and back
- Surface
- Paved separated main multi-use path
- Road crossings
- Yield to walkers and slow at junctions. Stop and look at every street crossing; do not use traffic lanes to bypass a closure.
- Elevation
- Creek/urban terrain with local climbs, descents and bridge ramps; no surveyed maximum grade. Walk difficult or crowded approaches.
- Starting location
- Cross-City Trail public Empie Park access, 3405 Park Avenue, Wilmington, NC
Selected outward cap and the same return; turn earlier at the actual route end or a barrier. Parking walks are extra.
Manager-named public facility, address or path crossing reference. It is not a surveyed parking stall, curb entrance or navigable route line; follow the written public approach and current signs.
Gary Shell Cross-City Trail — paved Empie return — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-23. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
A selected outing on a documented improved bicycle route. Follow the stated public start and course.
Start and parking
Start: Cross-City Trail public Empie Park access, 3405 Park Avenue, Wilmington, NC.
Use only signed public visitor/trailhead spaces under current hours, fees and event controls. Private, business, school, campus and reserved spaces are not assumed available.
Ride and distance
Selected ride: Up to 2 miles return. Format: Out and back.
Ride: From Empie Park take the mapped separated multi-use path north into Anne McCrary Park for up to one mile and retrace. Turn before the on-street bicycle-lane portion near North Kerr Avenue. The City map distinguishes solid-green multi-use paths from dotted bike lanes; no traffic-lane segment is offered.
Selected outward cap and the same return; turn earlier at the actual route end or a barrier. Parking walks are extra.
Surface and effort
Paved separated main multi-use path. Creek/urban terrain with local climbs, descents and bridge ramps; no surveyed maximum grade. Walk difficult or crowded approaches.
Crossings and shared use
Yield to walkers and slow at junctions. Stop and look at every street crossing; do not use traffic lanes to bypass a closure. Yield to pedestrians, keep right, and slow at blind corners. Stop at barriers; never use a traffic-road detour to bypass a trail closure.
Hours, costs and access
Use daylight and obey posted trail, park and parking hours. Follow current public visitor-parking terms; reserved activities and events have separate conditions.
Reviewed 2026-10-23. Documented selected improved bicycle course. Urban sidepath/park corridor with street and driveway crossings. Fifteen-mile route length is not this shorter outing, nor a continuous no-crossings claim. This is a dated source review, not a field inspection or same-day all-clear. This is a source review, not a same-day inspection. Recheck the linked manager before travel.
Map and Directions
Use the named public start and its posted parking signs. The map reference identifies the facility or selected trail area; it is not a surveyed parking stall or navigable route line. Bicycle and e-bike rules can differ; only ordinary bicycle use is established unless noted.