Overview: The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail (HOST) is a 44-acre preserve and historical site with about three miles of trails. The route takes visitors around the footprint of the original Occoneechee Speedway (open from 1948–1968) and, alternatively, along the banks of the Eno River. The trail is slated to join the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Directions: Travel south on I-85. Take exit 165 and turn right onto NC 86. Continue straight through the first stoplight (the NC 86 / US 70 intersection) for 0.5 miles. The entrance will be on the right-hand side, across from the Vietri glass store.
August 2009 Observations: Along the trail, we paused to admire cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda)—noting both its distinctive bark and leaves. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) was also prominent, and we spotted mating large milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) on milkweed seedpods. On a black walnut (Juglans nigra), we found a cluster of caterpillars (unidentified). Later, a hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis) made an appearance, a fitting sight along a trail that blends Piedmont natural history with a layer of human history underfoot.
Sense of Place 