The new section of the White Oak Greenway is one of my new favorite places to run. Opening just this past spring, our running tribe has found it to be a great addition to the area. It links to the American Tobacco Trail between the Wimberly and White Oak entrances and runs about 5 miles up to White Oak Park (a good bathroom stop). From there, it continues on to Davis Drive, where there will be new construction to connect it to the other section of the White Oak Greenway, which ends at Bond Park.
My favorite part about this greenway are the boardwalk sections. Much of the greenway is paved, but the boardwalk weaves through beautiful undeveloped wooded sections, providing much needed shade in the summer months. I have come across deer twice, and several times have seen large groups of vultures gather in the tree tops where the woods open up in a wetlands area near Kelly Rd. Other smaller birds love the area as well–we once met a photographer on the boardwalk bird calling, as he was trying to capture them in photos.
One thing for runners to note: the boardwalk does get slippery when wet. Even with temps in the upper 30s in the fall months, frost accumulates on the boardwalk, making it a potentially dangerous spot for falls. Note to self: When visiting this lovely greenway in the winter months, it might help to time a run for later in the morning after the sun melts the frost!
