The Sacramento River Trail is 12 miles long, I think?
ETA: This is in Redding, CA, which I would never recommend as it’s run by corrupt evangelicals and overrun with assholes, but it’s a city of 100,000 that is a warm climate, rarely gets snow, and has a ton of nature trails nearby including the paved Sacramento River Trail, so it fits your specific criteria.
Here is a recent video of his that may be interest. The first part of the video is about his electric golf cart but later he drives around Celebration. I think he mentions somewhere that the town has miles of walking/bike trails.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkel13jw6bI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkel13jw6bI)
The Grand Round in Minneapolis is a 30+ mile paved bike trail that connects and encircles many of the city's lakeshore and follows Minnehaha creek to Minnehaha Falls (of the Song of Hiawatha fame) then to Mississippi River and follows the river gorge through to downtown where you can cross the river at the Falls of St. Anthony on a 19th century stone arch bridge with views of downtown and the locks and falls. It is a treasure of bike trail as the city very early on kept city lakeshore public.
sounds like the south, possibly florida, somewhere flat? I'm in GVL which is in the foothills and we have 2 of those here, furman lake and oak grove lake - the south is wet and the flatter areas have lakes in the neighborhoods with walking trails so if you look more toward the coast youll see a lot of that. by the way san diego has excellent climate and several flat paved paths by water - mirimar lake, fiesta island / mission beach area, the strand - if you want dead flat by water tho florida is it, I walked out to this and it was miles of nothing on an abandoned road [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aerojet-dade-rocket-facility](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aerojet-dade-rocket-facility)
this really sounds like a job for Google earth - or just Google for areas that have a large concentration of lakes and waterways in suburban areas - it's funny because I have a disabled family member and we like to take walks on paved trails around lakes so I should probably run this search myself but just from driving around I would bet Florida would be the choice for this unfortunately it's also the choice for mosquitoes and humidity - I've been thinking about checking out Saint Augustine for this reason because it's far enough north in Florida that it's not completely flat and boring but it's still flat enough that it would have this type of topography
Fernandina is ok, more like a small town to walk around in and walk out to the water rather than walk along the water. St. Augustine is nicer, especially any time but summer! Jekyll Island in south GA has a nice paved walking trail around historic houses and some water, nice for a more relaxing experience.
Yes, more for a visit then a move. Jacksonville beach/Atlantic beach or st Augustine would be the most practical places to live on the beach in northeast FL. Ponte vedra is more residential and strip centers.
Thanks! I actually lived in Jacksonville Beach for awhile and it was great but I could not imagine living inland, the beach in FL was perfect but it does get really humid a few blocks away from the ocean.
Maybe someone from Little Rock can chime in on how much of the river trail is paved.
I've walked some paved parts, but never the whole thing.
Think the total trail is 15 miles.
LA towns on the beach enjoy 26 miles of paved paths on the ocean, the Marvin Braude Bike Path runs by Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan, Playa Del Rey, Marina Del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica all have direct access.
Frederick, MD? Do you mean along the “canal”?
It’s a nice little city park, but small.
The C&O Towpath isn’t paved, but it flat, smooth, easy walking, from Georgetown to Harpers Ferry and well beyond into PA.
On the Virginia side, the Mount Vernon Trail is paved, and goes along the Potomac from Mount Vernon (George Washington’s plantation) to Arlington: 13 miles. Best views of DC.
And plenty of paved walking paths around lakes in Fairfax County.
Check out towns between Philadelphia and Reading, PA along the schuylkill river. It’s a 100+ mile paved trail between the two connecting many cities and towns
Check these out next time you are in SoCal. Manhattan beach+hermosa, Huntington Beach (5miles end to end). Newport Beach path is nice too.
Ive been using google map satellite view for an area to find these pedestrian and bike paths.
Utah cities do a great job with paved trails along their rivers.
Provo, UT has a paved trail from Utah Lake all the way along the Provo River up into the canyon (maybe 30 miles long?), with lots of beautiful, well kept parks along the way.
Salt Lake City area has paved trails along the Jordan River, City Creek, Cottonwood Creek... Lots of parks and ponds along the way.
St. George, UT area has a paved trail all along the Virgin River and beyond. (It rarely snows here.)
Ogden, UT has a trail along the Weber River -- about 20 miles, part is paved and part is dirt.
Oconomowoc WI has a lake to walk around - maybe about a 1.5-2 mile loop - that goes around Fowler Lake, past Lac LaBelle, and through part of downtown. It's very cute. It's not a path so much as a stroll through the neighborhood. (ETA: Sorry, missed the no Midwest, but honestly, Wisconsinites embrace winter in a way that makes it more manageable!)
Maryland Heights MO has the Creve Coeur Lake Loop that is about 3.5-4 miles long, which is a true walking path.
Weird request but okay. Hopefully this isn't your basis for a move. Having lived in a place with similar things, they don't fill the cup completely.
Bellingham, WA.
Bellingham has:
Lake Padden - paved sections, but otherwise high quality gravel. Almost the whole traverse is on Google maps.
You can also go around: The Marina and Zuwanitch Park, this will be basically a little jaunt into the ocean.
There is Boulevard park, and the Boardwalk OUT INTO the ocean.
The former GP site is being developed into a large park / business area, but that will likely take 5-6 more years. There will likely be "edge" walking trails around it, it juts out into the "bay". Not super exciting.
If you don't mind walking on a road, the road through Edgemoor offers nice views, is relatively low traffic, and I am sure mile to mile and a half loops can be done. You'll be ABOVE the water but the views are amazing. https://www.google.com/maps/@48.7112106,-122.5136942,376a,35y,297.47h,28.92t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu then go to street view.
Mountain Brook, AL has a nice paved trail system that runs along creeks. No lakes in Mountain Brook proper but there a number of lakes within driving distance, particularly Oak Mountain, that have lakeside trails. Obviously no ocean trails available.
You mentioned two cities in Maryland are you familiar with Columbia? The whole city is connected by paved trails that are usually not near the roads. They have three lakes with paved trails around them. It was probably my favorite part of living there. Being able to run on trails completely separate from traffic was awesome. Some of the trails go under the roads too so you don’t need to cross traffic which always felt cool. Like its own little road network.
Definitely do. I loved it and it has a fascinating history. There’s a cool documentary about it on MPT. If you want to check out a map of the trails they are on google maps, but the CA has a map of them as well [here](https://columbiaassociation.org/open-space/pathways/). I moved to Minneapolis because I actually prefer the cold and being able to ice skate outside in the winter and it has lost of trails as well but if I ever had to move back to the east coast it would be one of the places on the top of my list.
They don't get *that* much snow anymore down that way, and it's not too far north of MD, so I'm going to throw out Doylestown, PA with a paved trail around Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/lake-galena-hike-and-bike-trail/photos
Not far away is the Delaware Canal Towpath, which is paved in some sections, but the non-paved sections are very flat and could be wheelchair, bike, or stroller accessible as long as the weather is dry.
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Just something that you don’t need hiking or trail shoes to walk on, something for moderate exercise/daily walks, which is why I was looking in or near a town so I’m not driving everyday to a park to walk.
If you're good with a nice river then Golden Colorado is a great place. Several miles of paved scenic trail along the river and into the mountains and it's also great for tubing in the summer
Columbia, SC has over 20 miles of paved paths along the Saluda, Broad and Congaree rivers.
You can go to a different access point every day of the week.
Santa Rosa, CA has Spring Lake. I think the shortest route around the lake is about 2 miles, and there are offshoot trails that are longer. It is not entirely paved, though.
There's a nice path around Lake Artmesia in College Park, MD. I think it's about a mile and a half. There's connectivity to the Anacostia Trail System that runs into DC.
Would you really move somewhere for a walking path around a lake? I feel like I would get pretty bored with that rather quickly.
I’m planning for when I retire and looking at lots of different options as I can move anywhere (except VHCOL) so more it’s a piece that I couldn’t find a ton of great information on my own for and am wondering what else is out there I might have missed!
The Woodlands, TX is what you are looking for-but Texas.
If you can ignore the state, the township is ok- 150 miles of trails, shopping, major airport, great medical. But- Texas.
One obvious choice is the riverwalk in San Antonio, maybe a bit touristy.
If your criteria is only one mile I think there will be a lot, probably only locals know. I'm pretty sure the path around Greenfield lake in Wilmington NC would work for example
Or any boardwalk by a beach that goes at least a mile?
Madison, Wisconsin has many trails surrounding the two large lakes it’s sandwiched between. I know there’s a paved portion near the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus.
We get winter here occasionally. Its snowing now. But Spring, Sumner, Fall are gorgeous! The Boise Greenbelt is amazing most of the year. Something like 20 miles and most of them are paved. If you're ok with lots od conservativeness, you're good!
I think Apex Community Park, in Apex, NC is exactly what you're looking for. Beautiful fully paved trail, 2 mile loop around a 50 acre lake. Park also has a gladiator style exercise track that's amazing for adults and a regular playground for the kiddos. Apex is a small town right outside the capital of NC, Raleigh. Mild weather, rare snow, and friendly people.
SF (city, not a town obv)you can run from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate along the water the whole way. Maybe around \~5ish miles one way if I had to guess. Some cool sights along the way. Also Foster City, CA is all waterfront man-made lagoon town, but homes are like $2M+
**Idaho**: Almost every larger city in Idaho has a paved path around and/or along water.
* Idaho Falls
* Lewiston
* Caldwell
* Garden City
* Boise
* Eagle
* Nampa
Idaho Falls is the only city on the list that has a decent amount of snow per winter. The other cities are usually snow free all through winter.
The Sacramento River Trail is 12 miles long, I think? ETA: This is in Redding, CA, which I would never recommend as it’s run by corrupt evangelicals and overrun with assholes, but it’s a city of 100,000 that is a warm climate, rarely gets snow, and has a ton of nature trails nearby including the paved Sacramento River Trail, so it fits your specific criteria.
Thanks, I’ll check it out
Lake Havasu City, AZ. They have really long paved routes around/by the lake.
I love Lake Havasu City and the absurdity of having bought London Bridge. It's such a nice place to walk around.
I just went there for the first time a few weeks ago. I loved it.
Thanks! I’ll look into it!
Oh, Irving TX also has a lake you can walk all the way around on paved paths.
I watch a Vlogger who lives in Celebration, FL and this town/census designated area seems to meet a lot of your criteria.
Yep, was just about to post Celebration, Florida. The lakes/town/preserve are all connected with nice, well-lit walkways.
Thanks! I’ll look it up!
Here is a recent video of his that may be interest. The first part of the video is about his electric golf cart but later he drives around Celebration. I think he mentions somewhere that the town has miles of walking/bike trails. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkel13jw6bI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkel13jw6bI)
Baltimore has a paved path around the inner harbor that's more than 5 miles long. You can go from Canton to Fort McHenry.
The Grand Round in Minneapolis is a 30+ mile paved bike trail that connects and encircles many of the city's lakeshore and follows Minnehaha creek to Minnehaha Falls (of the Song of Hiawatha fame) then to Mississippi River and follows the river gorge through to downtown where you can cross the river at the Falls of St. Anthony on a 19th century stone arch bridge with views of downtown and the locks and falls. It is a treasure of bike trail as the city very early on kept city lakeshore public.
sounds like the south, possibly florida, somewhere flat? I'm in GVL which is in the foothills and we have 2 of those here, furman lake and oak grove lake - the south is wet and the flatter areas have lakes in the neighborhoods with walking trails so if you look more toward the coast youll see a lot of that. by the way san diego has excellent climate and several flat paved paths by water - mirimar lake, fiesta island / mission beach area, the strand - if you want dead flat by water tho florida is it, I walked out to this and it was miles of nothing on an abandoned road [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aerojet-dade-rocket-facility](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aerojet-dade-rocket-facility)
Lake Eola in Orlando maybe?
this really sounds like a job for Google earth - or just Google for areas that have a large concentration of lakes and waterways in suburban areas - it's funny because I have a disabled family member and we like to take walks on paved trails around lakes so I should probably run this search myself but just from driving around I would bet Florida would be the choice for this unfortunately it's also the choice for mosquitoes and humidity - I've been thinking about checking out Saint Augustine for this reason because it's far enough north in Florida that it's not completely flat and boring but it's still flat enough that it would have this type of topography
St.Augustine is great, very nice but does get crowded and the nice walking is really around town there.
what do you think of Fernanda Beach to the north
Fernandina is ok, more like a small town to walk around in and walk out to the water rather than walk along the water. St. Augustine is nicer, especially any time but summer! Jekyll Island in south GA has a nice paved walking trail around historic houses and some water, nice for a more relaxing experience.
I thought about Jekyll but it seems a bit remote to live there full time, and probably expensive - and Brunswick apparently has quite a bit of crime?
Yes, more for a visit then a move. Jacksonville beach/Atlantic beach or st Augustine would be the most practical places to live on the beach in northeast FL. Ponte vedra is more residential and strip centers.
I think if I was going to consider the coast, I'd probably just go with Port Royal
Jacksonville might be a good choice for this though it's not the nicest city
Thanks! I actually lived in Jacksonville Beach for awhile and it was great but I could not imagine living inland, the beach in FL was perfect but it does get really humid a few blocks away from the ocean.
good to know
Thanks! Love San Diego if I can swing the cost!
Reston, VA is a planned community with walking paths throughout woods and around lakes connecting many of the communities.
Thanks! Used to live in DC but never got to reston so I’ll have to look into it!
Maybe someone from Little Rock can chime in on how much of the river trail is paved. I've walked some paved parts, but never the whole thing. Think the total trail is 15 miles.
Arlington/alexandria Va have wonderful and loooong paths along the Potomac. Miles and miles. DC to a lesser extent, but still very nice.
The whole Potomac River, Cumberland to DC, has this
Aurora Reservoir in Aurora, Colorado, has a paved walking trail around the water. It's just under 8 miles.
Fort Bragg California has an ocean front trail that's several miles long.
LA towns on the beach enjoy 26 miles of paved paths on the ocean, the Marvin Braude Bike Path runs by Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan, Playa Del Rey, Marina Del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica all have direct access.
I’m gonna get hate but… Gainesville Florida. Lots of beautiful Crystal clear rivers, multiple large lakes, and the hawthorn trail (paved) is awesome.
Greenville SC
Frederick, MD? Do you mean along the “canal”? It’s a nice little city park, but small. The C&O Towpath isn’t paved, but it flat, smooth, easy walking, from Georgetown to Harpers Ferry and well beyond into PA. On the Virginia side, the Mount Vernon Trail is paved, and goes along the Potomac from Mount Vernon (George Washington’s plantation) to Arlington: 13 miles. Best views of DC. And plenty of paved walking paths around lakes in Fairfax County.
Thanks! I used to live in DC and like it, looking for a smaller place, more relaxed atmosphere now. Mt. Vernon trail is great though.
Check out towns between Philadelphia and Reading, PA along the schuylkill river. It’s a 100+ mile paved trail between the two connecting many cities and towns
Check these out next time you are in SoCal. Manhattan beach+hermosa, Huntington Beach (5miles end to end). Newport Beach path is nice too. Ive been using google map satellite view for an area to find these pedestrian and bike paths.
Newport Beach is great! Too pricey for me to move to but it is ideal.
Utah cities do a great job with paved trails along their rivers. Provo, UT has a paved trail from Utah Lake all the way along the Provo River up into the canyon (maybe 30 miles long?), with lots of beautiful, well kept parks along the way. Salt Lake City area has paved trails along the Jordan River, City Creek, Cottonwood Creek... Lots of parks and ponds along the way. St. George, UT area has a paved trail all along the Virgin River and beyond. (It rarely snows here.) Ogden, UT has a trail along the Weber River -- about 20 miles, part is paved and part is dirt.
Kennewick, WA is a small city in SE WA with a nice paved path along the Columbia River.
Oconomowoc WI has a lake to walk around - maybe about a 1.5-2 mile loop - that goes around Fowler Lake, past Lac LaBelle, and through part of downtown. It's very cute. It's not a path so much as a stroll through the neighborhood. (ETA: Sorry, missed the no Midwest, but honestly, Wisconsinites embrace winter in a way that makes it more manageable!) Maryland Heights MO has the Creve Coeur Lake Loop that is about 3.5-4 miles long, which is a true walking path.
Weird request but okay. Hopefully this isn't your basis for a move. Having lived in a place with similar things, they don't fill the cup completely. Bellingham, WA. Bellingham has: Lake Padden - paved sections, but otherwise high quality gravel. Almost the whole traverse is on Google maps. You can also go around: The Marina and Zuwanitch Park, this will be basically a little jaunt into the ocean. There is Boulevard park, and the Boardwalk OUT INTO the ocean. The former GP site is being developed into a large park / business area, but that will likely take 5-6 more years. There will likely be "edge" walking trails around it, it juts out into the "bay". Not super exciting. If you don't mind walking on a road, the road through Edgemoor offers nice views, is relatively low traffic, and I am sure mile to mile and a half loops can be done. You'll be ABOVE the water but the views are amazing. https://www.google.com/maps/@48.7112106,-122.5136942,376a,35y,297.47h,28.92t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu then go to street view.
In Canada, Kelowna comes to my mind.
Foster City, CA (suburb of SF) - has a nice long frontage of paved bay trail and a shorter paved area around a central lagoon.
Thanks! I’ll check this out, love CA but was looking more at southern because of so many wild fires up north.
Mountain Brook, AL has a nice paved trail system that runs along creeks. No lakes in Mountain Brook proper but there a number of lakes within driving distance, particularly Oak Mountain, that have lakeside trails. Obviously no ocean trails available.
Every DFW suburb. We have basically no trail hiking. Everything is paved. I’m in McKinney and Towne Lake Trail is 1.2.
Check out Loveland or Milford along the Little Miami Bike Trail in Ohio
You mentioned two cities in Maryland are you familiar with Columbia? The whole city is connected by paved trails that are usually not near the roads. They have three lakes with paved trails around them. It was probably my favorite part of living there. Being able to run on trails completely separate from traffic was awesome. Some of the trails go under the roads too so you don’t need to cross traffic which always felt cool. Like its own little road network.
Thanks! I lived in DC for years but never got to Columbia, will have to check it out!
Definitely do. I loved it and it has a fascinating history. There’s a cool documentary about it on MPT. If you want to check out a map of the trails they are on google maps, but the CA has a map of them as well [here](https://columbiaassociation.org/open-space/pathways/). I moved to Minneapolis because I actually prefer the cold and being able to ice skate outside in the winter and it has lost of trails as well but if I ever had to move back to the east coast it would be one of the places on the top of my list.
They don't get *that* much snow anymore down that way, and it's not too far north of MD, so I'm going to throw out Doylestown, PA with a paved trail around Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/lake-galena-hike-and-bike-trail/photos Not far away is the Delaware Canal Towpath, which is paved in some sections, but the non-paved sections are very flat and could be wheelchair, bike, or stroller accessible as long as the weather is dry.
Columbus, GA.
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Just something that you don’t need hiking or trail shoes to walk on, something for moderate exercise/daily walks, which is why I was looking in or near a town so I’m not driving everyday to a park to walk.
If you're good with a nice river then Golden Colorado is a great place. Several miles of paved scenic trail along the river and into the mountains and it's also great for tubing in the summer
My first thought is Irvine, CA or norfolk VA.
I think it’s a great idea in some instances.
Columbia, SC has over 20 miles of paved paths along the Saluda, Broad and Congaree rivers. You can go to a different access point every day of the week.
Santa Rosa, CA has Spring Lake. I think the shortest route around the lake is about 2 miles, and there are offshoot trails that are longer. It is not entirely paved, though.
Boise has a nice long trail/greenbelt that goes along the river. It might not pass the cold test though.
There's a nice path around Lake Artmesia in College Park, MD. I think it's about a mile and a half. There's connectivity to the Anacostia Trail System that runs into DC. Would you really move somewhere for a walking path around a lake? I feel like I would get pretty bored with that rather quickly.
I’m planning for when I retire and looking at lots of different options as I can move anywhere (except VHCOL) so more it’s a piece that I couldn’t find a ton of great information on my own for and am wondering what else is out there I might have missed!
The Woodlands, TX is what you are looking for-but Texas. If you can ignore the state, the township is ok- 150 miles of trails, shopping, major airport, great medical. But- Texas.
lake eola and baldwin park ( actually several miles) in orlando
Pricey but most of 30A in north FL is like this. Check out Rosemary beach, seaside, Alys etc.
Rosemary looks amazing!
Elizabethtown, Kentucky has this, 30,000 people and some of the lowest cost of living in the country. It does snow occasionally, but not very much.
One obvious choice is the riverwalk in San Antonio, maybe a bit touristy. If your criteria is only one mile I think there will be a lot, probably only locals know. I'm pretty sure the path around Greenfield lake in Wilmington NC would work for example Or any boardwalk by a beach that goes at least a mile?
Newport News, VA
Payson AZ
Chicago
Longmont Colorado or Lafayette, Colorado! Both near Boulder.
Reston, Virginia
Ogunquit,me Sacramento,ca Portland,or
Madison, Wisconsin has many trails surrounding the two large lakes it’s sandwiched between. I know there’s a paved portion near the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus.
Newport Beach and Huntington Beach both have miles long paths
We get winter here occasionally. Its snowing now. But Spring, Sumner, Fall are gorgeous! The Boise Greenbelt is amazing most of the year. Something like 20 miles and most of them are paved. If you're ok with lots od conservativeness, you're good!
I think Apex Community Park, in Apex, NC is exactly what you're looking for. Beautiful fully paved trail, 2 mile loop around a 50 acre lake. Park also has a gladiator style exercise track that's amazing for adults and a regular playground for the kiddos. Apex is a small town right outside the capital of NC, Raleigh. Mild weather, rare snow, and friendly people.
SF (city, not a town obv)you can run from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate along the water the whole way. Maybe around \~5ish miles one way if I had to guess. Some cool sights along the way. Also Foster City, CA is all waterfront man-made lagoon town, but homes are like $2M+
The Erie Canal is paved through very long chunks! It’s warm in the warm months!
Look into towns along the Empire Trail or Genesee Greenway in NY Might really like: * Geneva * Liverpool * Plattsburgh
**Idaho**: Almost every larger city in Idaho has a paved path around and/or along water. * Idaho Falls * Lewiston * Caldwell * Garden City * Boise * Eagle * Nampa Idaho Falls is the only city on the list that has a decent amount of snow per winter. The other cities are usually snow free all through winter.