Tag: hiking
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New Hope Bottomlands Trail (Durham, NC)
The New Hope Creek Bottomlands Trail is a 2.2-mile loop located off SW Durham Drive in south Durham. At the moment, the access point at Sherwood Githens Middle School is closed. The best way to reach the trail is to park near the dumpster in the North Carolina Orthopaedic Center parking lot (3609 SW Durham…
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Laurel Bluffs Trail along the Eno River (Durham, North Carolina)
OverviewLocated in north Durham, the Laurel Bluffs Trail offers a roughly 5-mile out-and-back hike along a beautiful stretch of the Eno River. The route begins from Eno River State Park’s Pump Station Trail and continues to Guess Road. For most of the way, the trail hugs the river closely, climbing up to ridge tops only…
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Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area (Hillsborough, North Carolina)
OverviewOcconeechee Mountain State Natural Area, located in Hillsborough, North Carolina just off I-85, is widely appreciated for its geologic uniqueness and its unusual plant and animal communities. Occoneechee Mountain is one of North Carolina’s classic monadnocks—an isolated mountain rising above the Piedmont peneplain. Its elevation and relative isolation create conditions suitable for a number of…
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Turtles Time at Goose Creek State Park (Beaufort County, North Carolina)
Here is all you really need to know: it was May 2007. We arrived at Goose Creek State Park—and “turtle time” began. My trusty companion (my husband, Mark) and I pulled into the primitive campground in our reliable blue Jeep. I jumped out before Mark even turned off the ignition, my feet landing on coarse…
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Chinqua Penn Hiking Trail (Reidsville, Rockingham County, North Carolina)
Note: This site is now closed. Overview: Located about 30 minutes north of Greensboro, Chinqua Penn Plantation once consisted of 22 acres of gardens, a short hiking trail, and one of North Carolina’s architectural treasures: the Chinqua Penn home. Built in the 1920s, the English-style house includes 27 rooms filled with antique furniture from around…
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Eno River State Park – Few’s Ford Access: Birding Trail (Durham, North Carolina)
Overview: Eno River State Park offers several easy-to-moderate trails (plus a few more challenging options) for weekend hikers. If you want a short, easy loop through a variety of habitats, try the Birding Trail at the Few’s Ford access. Starting from the Few’s Ford parking loop, the route can be completed in about 40 minutes.…
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Howell Woods (Johnston County, North Carolina)
Overview: Howell Woods in Johnston County offers more than 25 miles of trails through a striking mix of North Carolina habitat types, including coastal plain bottomland hardwood forest, cypress–gum swamps, and pine/scrub-oak sandhills. Visitors can start at the Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center, then explore the preserve by canoe, horseback, bike, or on foot. Directions:…
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Lake Waccamaw State Park (Columbus County, North Carolina)
Overview: Lake Waccamaw State Park lies in Columbus County, about 160 miles from the Triangle, and showcases one of North Carolina’s most unusual natural features: a pH-neutral bay lake, named for the abundance of bay trees (including sweet bay and red bay). No one knows for certain how bay lakes formed—hypotheses range from meteor impacts…
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Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail (Hillsborough, North Carolina)
Overview: The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail (HOST), a 44-acre preserve and historical site, includes three miles of trails that take visitors around the original speedway (open from 1948–68), or alternately, along the banks of the Eno River. This trail is set to join the statewide Mountains to the Sea Trail. Directions: Travel south on I-85.…
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Eno River State Park (Few’s Ford Access): Cox Mountain Trail (Durham, North Carolina)
Overview: Eno River State Park hosts a number of easy to moderate trails, and a few more difficult ones, for the weekend hiker. If you’re looking for a challenging hike through a variety of Piedmont habitats, try the Cox Mountain Trail. This 3.75-mile loop begins at the Few’s Ford picnic area and quickly descends to…
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Eno River State Park, Cole Mill Access – Cole Mill Trail (Durham, North Carolina)
Overview: Eno River State Park, a much-beloved destination for Durham families, hosts a number of easy to moderate trails for the weekend hiker. If you’re looking for an easy hike with spectacular views, try the Cole Mill Trail. This 1.2-mile trail follows the Eno River and then loops back to the parking lot through upland…
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Morrow Mountain State Park (Albemarle, North Carolina)
Overview: On November 16, 2008, my husband and I took a beautiful autumn hike on Hattaway Mountain in Morrow Mountain State Park. The park is home to numerous trails exploring the ancient Uwharrie Mountain range, a small natural history museum, and the historic homestead of Dr. Francis Kron. For those interested, the home will be…
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Carolina Beach State Park (New Hanover County, North Carolina)
Overview: On November 9, 2008, my husband and I made a delightful stop at Carolina Beach State Park, a 761-acre park located in Carolina Beach on Pleasure Island in New Hanover County, North Carolina. The park offers a number of recreational opportunities, including boating, fishing, camping, and hiking. If you’re looking to learn more about…
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West Point on the Eno (Durham, North Carolina)
Overview: On Sunday, November 2, my husband and I took a long walk at West Point on the Eno, a 388-acre park bordering the Eno River in Durham, NC. Our walk emphasized local geology and was taken from an excellent publication produced by the North Carolina Geologic Survey (see pages 49–56 for the guide to…
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Johnston Mill Nature Preserve (Orange County, North Carolina)
Overview: Located in Orange County, near the Duke Forest, Johnston Mill Nature Preserve is a Triangle Land Conservancy property that offers a quick getaway from the urban grind of Durham and Chapel Hill. The preserve consists of two trails—Robin’s Trail (1.5 miles one-way) and the Bluff Trail (1 mile loop) on the TLC map—though they…
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Condoret Nature Preserve (Chatham County, North Carolina)
Overview: Condoret Nature Preserve, a Triangle Land Conservancy property acquired by donation in 2003, represents some of the many preserved and protected areas in and around the Triangle that are not intended for recreational use, but meant solely to preserve important ecological habitats and land for our future. The property extends 85 acres and protects…
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Sennett’s Hole – West Point on the Eno (Durham, North Carolina)
Update: Are you interest in seeing how Sennett’s Hole shifts changes intra- and inter-annually from 2008 to the present? If so, visit the Sense of Place photography page on Sennett’s Hole Across the Seasons. Overview: Sennett’s Hole, located at the western end of West Point on the Eno (a Durham city park), is a delightful…
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Eno River State Park – Few’s Ford & the Buckquarter Creek Trail (Durham, North Carolina)
Eno River State Park – Few’s Ford & the Buckquarter Creek Trail (Durham, NC) On Labor Day, my family (husband and grandparents-to-be) and I hiked the Buckquarter Creek Trail, located in the western portion of Eno River State Park at the Few’s Ford entrance. This is a great trail to hike with friends and family,…
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Cole Mill Access, Eno River State Park (Durham, North Carolina)
oday my husband and I explored the Pea Creek Trail, a 1.25-mile loop at the Cole Mill Road access point of Eno River State Park in north Durham. For a longer option, this trail connects to the Dunnagan Loop (2 miles). We started our hike in oak and beech uplands—white oak (Quercus alba), post oak…
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