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COLE MILL AREA |
Trails in the COLE MILL AREA are accessed from the parking area located at the end of the Old Cole Mill Rd, found at the Umstead Road/Cole Mill Road stoplight. This parking area also is used to access some of the trails found in the PUMP STATION AREA. From the parking area, access the Cole Mill Trail from either the river's edge going upriver, or from the middle of the parking lot, into the woods, at the trail sign. The Bobbitt's Hole Trail can be found from either of these starting points also. Bobbitt's Hole Trail essentially extends the trails further upriver and is how you access the five backcountry campsites in this area. See our separate section on how the Mountains-to-Sea/Laurel Ridge Trail traverses this section. ( * = See Below.) |
| BOBBITT'S HOLE TRAIL: | NOTE: All trails marked with an asterisk (*) require access to it from another trail. Consult the maps to determine how best to reach this trail, or read the trail description for options and recommended combined trails. Mileages given here ADD to the distance required to access the trail from another. |
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Bobbit's Hole can be accessed from the parking area at the end of the Old Cole Mill Rd., found at the corner of Cole Mill Rd and Umstead. Many years ago, this was the original Cole Mill roadbed across the Eno River. Bobbit's Hole must be combined with the Cole Mill Trail to get to it. I recommend doing it counter-clockwise so your final hiking is done along the River. Find the bathrooms half-way down the parking area - the trailhead goes west into the woods at this point on the Cole Mill Trail. It wanders in the woods in a northwesterly direction, swings back around southwesterly, and you are presented with a trail split. The left split goes to the river and is how you complete only the Cole Mill Trail. Bobbitt Hole Trail continues in a generally westerly direction, then swings southerly as it passes some developed Campsites. Sites 6,7, and 8 are split to the left first, and a little further after crossing Piper Creek (often dry) you can split right to go to 9 and 10. (1 through 5 are in the Fanny's Ford Area.) When you finally hit the river, turn right to continue on a short spur to the actual Bobbitt's Hole, a popular swimming and fishing spot. The trail officially stops at the wooden bench, but it continues on a short distance to an upper swimming beach with a good sandy access. Social Trails continue on the river upstram but are mainly used by locals who live nearby. A connection to the Dunnagan Trail is rumored, but inconfirmed at this point. (Stay tuned!)
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| Looking for a quick way to get to Bobbitt's Hole or Piper Creek Campsites? Try this shortcut. When you go down Old Cole Mill Road toward the parking areas, look on your right for a double grey gate under the powerlines, and park as close as you can. Backtrack up the road until you see the Powerline Cut with a double grey gate, head southwest on the dirt road that follows the cut. It is a bit more up and down, but doable by 4 wheel drive, so you can hack it. Marked by the dotted lines on the below map, it will cross the link between ColeMill Trail and Bobbitt's Hole Trail within sight of the river. From there you can either continue to campsites 6 - 10 on this shortcut to the end of the dirt road where the Bobbitt Hole trail heads directly for the campsites, or follow the river trail (Bobbitt's Hole Trail now) to Bobbitt's Hole itself. I personally, prefer to continue to the campsites along the river and turn right to the campsites, being a prettier trail than the powerline cut.
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ver. 3.1 ~ © 2011-
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