ENO TRAILS - Public Hiking Trails on the Eno River

OCCONEECHEE MTN. AREA Occoneechee Mountain Trail - 2.2 mi Overlook Trail - 0.1 mi* Summit Trail - 0.35 mi* Brown Elfin Knob Trail - 0.15 mi* Chestnut Oak Trail - 0.6 mi* King's Highway Park Trail - 0.9 mi	All trails in the OCCONEECHEE AREA are contained within the Occoneechee Mountain State Park southwest of downtown Hillsborough off Orange Grove Road. Take Virginia Cades road past two small fishing lakes and park in the designated parking lot. Trails in this area are: Occoneechee Mountain Trail which goes completely around the high bluffs that make up this park; Overlook Trail which spurs off from the north side and skirts past an impressive overlook before meeting the Summit Trail to the peak (The actual peak belongs to the Orange County as is used to a communications tower and abandoned lookout - This Summit trail to the lookout towers is now closed to the public, with a large sign proclaiming it is for Authorized Personnel Only); the Chestnut Oak Trail which is brand new and cuts across the entire park east-west on the high ridgeline; and the Brown Elfin Knob Trail which explores the bluffs on the east side of the park. ( * = See Below.) FAVORITE COMBINATION TRAILS FOR LONGER HIKES IN THIS AREA: This is such a small park that you could easily do all the trails, or a combination of loops and figure-eight's to take in much of the trail system in on afternoon hike. I recently did a large figure-eight encompassing all of these trails in less than 6 miles.
SUMMIT 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.
	The Summit Trail is accessed by parking at the Occoneechee Mountain parking area, and following the old roadbed off to the right, uphill past the Ranger's residence, and ending at the Overlook Trail and Chestnut Oak Trail (about 100 ft. apart). From there it is closed to the public as it climbs nearly due west uphill to the top of the mountain. The land itself at the very top belongs to Orange County, and is used for telecommunications. There is an old fire tower and a larger antenna. It is illegal to enter any of the fenced-in areas. Most people combine the Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail with the Summit and Overlook Trails as one longer hike. The new Chestnut Oak Trail now links the Summit Trail with the west side of the park on the higher ridge line.
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By Jay "Greybeard" Schwantes