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.

Once Fieldstone hits Holdens Mill Trail, you immediately are presented with an option to turn right uphill, or turn left and following it through some swampy areas to Buckquarter Creek, but be aware the bridge is no longer there. I will describe this loop counter-clockwise, (turned right headed uphill) being the way I generally do it to get the grunt up/downhill out of the way early and meander back along the river. (Alternatively, many people only walk up and back along the river!)

Going uphill, it is a pretty relentless, but not too steep climb to the top, ironically the same height as Cox Mountain but more gradual. It also comes slowly back downhill after crossing a powerline cut. Just before it reaches the Eno River, you are at a small creek, with a short loop extension crossing the river and you can follow that up and back to the remnants of the old Holden's Mill. Once on the extention toward the old Mill, you will find a trail split, the right fork (upper) going to the upper foundation of the mill and the left (lower) going to the mill races themselves. As you approach the mill on the lower side, you are walking IN the tailrace. Once beyond the mill foundations, you are in the head race, which supplied water from the (then) dammed up Eno River. Once you complete the extension loop, return downriver to that same creek, and follow the riverbank, over a slightly challenging rock formation at the river's edge, and back to the footbridge at Buckquarter Creek. Usually, you can cross the rocky outcrop (called Rock Beach) near the river edge at low water, but after a long rain, you may need to scramble high to go around the rocks, as the water may be too high lower. This trail is generally done as part of one or more other trails in this area.

BUSHWACKING TO THE HOLDEN CABINS!

Here's an opportunity to see some of the best kept secrets inside the Eno River State Park, but it takes a little bit of bushwhacking to get there. Hiking off-trail, while frowned upon by the rangers, is completely legal. They don't recommend it because they don't want to come looking for you when you show up late to the trailhead. It is completely legal, and in my opinion going off-trail brings you to some of the best secrets of the park. In this case, the bushwhack is pretty easy to follow, is only about 1/3 mile one way, and ends up at the homestead of not only the mill owner, Thomas Holden, but the 38th and 40th Governor of the State of North Carolina! (Continues to the left in that column)*

After you've walked in the old roadbed for about 10-15 minutes, you'll begin to notice a large amount of deadfall debris in the road, and you should get on the far right bank of the roadbed. Shortly after, you'll come across a very obvious and easily seen old Tobacco Barn. If you're fortunate enough to have planned your trip for the green-up season, you'll find a carpet of greenery that will stun you (see image on left). Inside, the rafter poles - called 'bents' - that held the 'sticks' full of drying tobacco can still be seen, as well as the ventillation holes and the hole left behind when the Wood Stove was removed. Just north of this barn, only about 50 feet away, lies the ruined remnants of a more modern house, complete with standing chimney, foundations, front steps and debris indicating a plumbed and wired house. Find your way back to the roadbed - not sunken at this point, but level and fairly obvious - and continue another 100 yards north. Look on the west (left) side of the road and you will surely find the old two-story duplex cabin of the 1800's. (GPS: N36.0884 W-79.0251) PLEASE be careful in these ruins as they are delicate artifacts, and protected by state law. No Tresspassing signs are posted at this cabin for good reason because it is a bit unstable. And be aware we have found angry possums inside!

Directly west of this duplex cabin, follow the terrain into a wide shallow basin. On the far west side of the basin, maybe 75 yards from the house, you will find an abandonded spring cistern, now dry, with a covered concrete cap. (GPS: N36.0883 W-79.0261) A much more recent cement patch is seen on top with the name J.T. Powell on it and 1929 scratched into it while it was being poured. The cistern itself appears older than the cement cap.

Make your way back the way you came to return to the Holden Mill Trail, turn left, or downriver, to return to the Fieldstone, ridge and Buckquarter Creek Trail, and your return to the parking area. Or if you haven't been to the Holden Mill yet, turn right and follow the lower river trail to the Mill remnants.