The Neuse Greenway stretches 27.5 miles from Falls Dam in Raleigh all the way down to Clayton. I’ve explored the upper sections of the trail extensively, but yesterday I took a run along the lower portion near the Wake and Johnston County boarder to get a peek at the famous sunflower fields along the trail. These fields are located between mile markers 23 and 24 near the intersection of the trail and Brown Field Road (map).
I’ve tried to get pictures of this field before but my timing in the past was off and I always missed the flowers in bloom. If you want to see them you need to go out there by mid July otherwise the plants start dying off from the heat. (Update: I’ve gotten reports that the sunflowers are already “spent” from the intense heat – best to try and catch them next year). To get there I parked my car at the the parking lot along Mial Plantation Road, which is a little past mile 26 on the trail. I then ran about 2.25 miles to mile marker 24 which is where the fields are located. If you don’t want to run or bike there you should be able to pull off the road along Brown Field Road and sneak a peek at the field.
Many don’t realize this, but these fields are owned by the City of Raleigh and are used to land apply treated wastewater. The plants are grown on the fields to take up the nutrients from the wastewater, which basically acts like a fertilizer for the flowers. Because it is City of Raleigh property you’ll need to enjoy the view of the field from behind the white fences that line the fields. To learn more about the Neuse Greenway and download a full map of the trail visit the Neuse Greenway website here.
The Triangle Explorer 
Never knew about this place! Hope to stop by there one day this week. Fingers crossed this heat won’t wilt them before I get there!
Hope you get to check it out. If you do go, go soon. I was back out there on the 4th of July and I noticed some were already wilting from the heat. There is only a short window to catch them each year!
thanks to your post, I managed to make it in time to see the fields and also check out the trail. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
My photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ejchang/sets/72157655189248670
Eunice – So glad you made it out to the fields and got to enjoy them while they were in bloom (they wilted a bit quicker this year than I expected). Just looked at your photos. Great pictures! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m looking forward to visiting the field again next July. Some years they plant even more acres with the flowers. The Neuse Trail is my favorite local greenway!
We have this marked on our calendar for next year. Can’t wait — thanks for the map!
Glad to help. I missed this two years in a row but finally remembered to mark it on my calendar. You really need to get out there the last week of June or first week of July to catch it in all its glory!