The new Thornton Road Boat Launch is officially open and available for use! Navigate to 6100 Thornton Road and drive down the gravel driveway, off of the greenway parking lot, to reach the designated boat launch parking lot.  

Note: Paddlers must cross the Neuse River Greenway Trail to reach the boat launch – please be mindful of greenway users.

To learn more about river access in Raleigh, visit https://raleighnc.gov/river-access.

Raleigh Parks is working in partnership with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) to create a new river access point and boat launch at 6100 Thornton Road.

There is an existing gravel greenway parking lot at this location, with pedestrian access to the Neuse River Greenway Trail. This project will consist of a new gravel driveway from the existing greenway parking lot, connecting to a gravel parking area closer to the river for boaters and river users, including 3 trailer parking spaces and one ADA-accessible parking space. The parking area will connect, across the existing Neuse River Greenway Trail, to a concrete ramp-style boat launch.