Trails on the Eno River
Eno River Trail Guides
Contact Information for the Eno River Trails
Area Trails on the Eno River
Map of the Trails on the Eno River
Area Trails on the Eno River
COX MOUNTAIN AREA
Trails in the COX MOUNTAIN AREA are generally accessed from parking areas at the very end of Cole Mill Road, northwest of the intersection where it crosses Pleasant Green Road. Three separate parking areas exist inside the Eno River State Park on Cole Mill Rd., the Ranger Station, the upper parking area immediately past the Ranger Station, and the loop parking area at the very end. To the left of the Ranger Station is a trail that heads to the Eno River. From there, or the more convenient and preferred upper parking area just to the left (southwest) of that, you'll hit Few's Ford. Buckquarter Creek Trail climbs up the ridge upriver from there, leaves the river and follows an old roadbed to a point where the Ridge Trail splits off to the right. Ridge Trail meets the Knight Trail and then after a tricky rock crossing of upper Buckquarter Creek you find the Shakori Trail up Buckquarter Creek.

At Buckquarter Creek, (also accessed on the return section of the Buckquarter Creek Trail that runs directly along the river) there are remnants of a small footbridge to the Holden Mill Trail, and a short extension to the old mill remnants. This bridge was destroyed in recent flooding and may not be rebuilt. There is also a self-named and unblazed access to the west end of Holden Mill Trail called Dumont Trail found off Dumont Rd. If you park at the very end of Cole Mill at the loop parking area, you more easily access the short Eno Trace Trail, and the swinging cable bridge to Cox Mountain Trail and Fanny Ford Trail. The 5 backcountry campsites located in this area are on the Fanny Ford Trail. ( * = See Below.)

FAVORITE COMBINATION TRAILS FOR LONGER HIKES IN THIS AREA:
There are quite a few combinations available in this section and doing all of them in any particular order could total over 12 miles. I will often do Cox Mountain clockwise, turn onto Fanny's Ford clockwise, ford the river at Few's Ford (Fanny's Ford is often not fordable in high water) and take on Buckquarter and Holden's Mill Trails. Likewise, it is usual to do Buckquarter, Fieldstone, and Holden's Mill together, or Buckquarter, Ridge and Shakori together. Knight trail is simply a local resident access for horses. You can also follow the bushwhack trail south to Pleasant Green Road to meet up with the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Quarry Trail, and points east.

COX MOUNTAIN 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.
View from this Eno River Trail

Cox Mountain Trail is one of the longest individual trails on the Eno, except for the Laurel Ridge and Mountains-to-Sea trails. It is typically accessed from the loop parking lot at the very end of Cole Mill Road. From the end loop lot, simply follow the trail to the right. There is a split to the left on the bluff, before you head downhill that goes to the Eno Trace Nature Trail. Stay to the right, alongside some split rail fencing, then go downhill and over the cable suspension bridge on the near (east) side of the river. At the other side of the river, there is a shelter to the left, and the trail continues straight, slightly uphill. Where the trail turns sharply to the right you will see a sawhorse warning you that there is no trail beyond - though clearly there is. This is one of many abandoned old roadbeds that still traverse the park and can be walked if you have GPS or really good reckoning skills.

Let's assume you followed the trail to the rigght, you will be presented with an option to go uphill to the left or continue straight. Both are Cox Mountain Trail. I generally go uphill at this point to get the uphill grunt out of the way. Further straight loops around the opposite direction, but also access Fanny's Ford Trail and campsites 1 through 5.

Assuming you went up to the left over the mountain, you will find it emerges into a powerline cut and back into the woods beyond. It will follow the hilltop for a short way, and begin a slower descent to the river's edge. Look on the opposite bank at this point - that is the old Holden's Mill foundations - often difficult to see from this bank. Follow the river downstream, past several great lunch rocks in the river, and duck back into the woods uphill and away from the river. You will re-cross the powerline cut, and descend to a 3-way split in the trail. Be observant here as the third split is slightly down the obvious split. Your options here are to continue straight on the Cox Mountain Trail, or cut left onto the Fanny's Ford Trail, and the Campsite access trail. The trail will jog to the right, will be rejoined by the other end of the Fanny's Ford Trail, and eventually rejoin the point where you wnet uphill over Cox Mountain. Follow the trail back to the suspension Bridge and uphill to the parking lot.


 

Map of this Eno River Trail
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