This cycling guide to Clayton NC and Johnston County is for anyone weighing a move to Portofino and 297 Bonaventure Dr. Clayton is growing into a genuinely bike-friendly town, with paved greenways that link into a 70-plus mile corridor toward Raleigh, singletrack loops close to home, and quiet country roads for weekend miles. Here is how to make two wheels part of your week from a Portofino base.
From the Portofino Gate, Trails Start at Your Door
One of the best things about living in Portofino is that a ride can begin the moment you step outside. The community threads together more than seven miles of nature and equestrian trails that wind past mature trees and open pasture, and they connect naturally to the broader greenway network beyond the gate. For cyclists, that means a warm-up loop, a family ride, or a long greenway day can all start without loading the bike on a car.
The Clayton River Walk on the Neuse
The centerpiece of Clayton's cycling network is the Clayton River Walk on the Neuse, a 4-mile, 10-foot-wide paved path that runs along the river from the Covered Bridge Road area toward downtown Clayton. It connects north into Wake County's Neuse River Greenway, together forming a corridor of roughly 70 miles of connected greenway that stretches from Clayton toward Raleigh and Durham, according to Johnston County's tourism office. The route is also part of both the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and the East Coast Greenway, so you are riding on paths used by long-distance travelers from the mountains to the coast.
More Paved Greenways: Sam's Branch and Buffalo Creek
A few shorter greenways round out the paved network and serve as friendly neighborhood connectors. Sam's Branch Greenway adds about a mile and a quarter of paved trail, while the Buffalo Creek Greenway, part of the Neuse Riverwalk, extends the system by roughly three miles. Together these segments give Clayton residents a growing web of car-free riding that keeps adding links rather than dead ends, which is exactly the kind of infrastructure that turns an occasional ride into a daily habit.
Mountain Biking at Legend Park and Beyond
If you prefer dirt to pavement, Legend Park near Clayton High School is the closest singletrack option, with roughly six miles of trail that trail databases such as Singletracks list among the town's best off-pavement riding. One useful caution for first-timers: Clemmons Educational State Forest is hiking only, and the NC Forest Service does not permit bicycles on its trails, so save the drive and head to Legend Park or the Angler's Ridge trails a bit farther out instead.
Country Road Loops and Commuter Routes
For road riders, Johnston County promotes scenic country routes, including a loop through Clayton, Archer Lodge, and Wilson's Mill that strings together lightly traveled roads and farmland views. A widely shared paved route that starts near Clayton's Municipal Park links the River Walk with the Neuse River Trail, giving you a solid 25-to-30-mile ride without touching heavy traffic. These are the kinds of routes that make a Portofino home attractive to cyclists who like to roll out the door and log real miles.
Bike Shops and a Town That's Investing in Cycling
Clayton has local support when you need a tune-up or a new set of wheels. Fat Johnny's Bicycle Repair at 700 W Main St (facebook.com/fatjohnnys, 919-243-0004) handles service and repairs, and D & J Cycle Center at 5821 US-70 (djcyclecenter.com, 919-934-7853) covers sales and service. The town is also planning around cyclists rather than treating them as an afterthought: Clayton adopted its "Clayton on the Move" comprehensive transportation plan in June 2025, which explicitly builds bicycle and pedestrian facilities into the long-term network.
Why 297 Bonaventure Dr Is a Natural Base for Cyclists
This home is unusually well suited to an active outdoor lifestyle. The dedicated mudroom gives you a clean place to park a bike and stow helmets and gear before they reach the main living areas, the oversized garage and walk-in crawl space offer plenty of storage for a second set of bikes or winter accessories, and the half-acre wooded lot means your gear can live out of sight. When you roll back in from a long ride, the screened-in porch overlooking the trees is the natural place to cool down and recap the miles.
Want to see the home that puts you minutes from Clayton's trails and greenways? Browse the Portofino neighborhood guide for more on the community, then schedule a private tour of 297 Bonaventure Dr with Phil Slezak. You can also book a quick consultation to talk through what a move to Clayton and Johnston County would look like for you.
Phil leads one of the top-producing real estate teams in the Greater Triangle and Brunswick County areas — with over $100 million in sales.