text: Another fantastic greenway in Mecklenburg county. This one is located in the heart of Matthews. It has entrances at E. Johns St & S. Trade St along with plenty of access from the surrounding neighborhoods. There is ample parking at Squirrel Lake too, which is located off Pleasant Plains Rd. There are more that 2 miles of paved trails that meander through the woods. Meck Park & Rec did a great job with the design. Nice wide trails, accurate mile markers, miniature street signs that let you know what streets feed into the trail from the surrounding neighborhoods, conveniently located trash cans w/ \"doggy bags\" for your four legged friends  & even a few pieces of art in one area. The Squirrel Lake section has a huge playground & picnic areas along with a 12 hole disc golf course. I'm out here at least once or twice a week for a good run. The E. John St entrance is just off the Matthews I-485 exit (this is where I start). To run it from one end to the other and hit a few side paths, I can easily get in a 5 mile run. Plus it's has some good elevations which keeps it challenging. Whether you jog, walk, bike, hang with the family or are just looking to get back to nature, you can do it here!