Hiking trails in the Hillsborough, North Carolina area.
Please check individual websites for more information, including trail details and hours of operation.
Riverwalk Greenway – 2 miles of trail, with access points at Occoneechee Mountain, Gold Park, Calvin St., Weaver St. Market, Faribault Ln., River Park (farmers’ market pavillion), and Occoneechee Speedway. The map shows that you can connect to the Occoneechee Mountain State Park trail, but I haven’t tried that yet.
Trails are flat and paved, until you go east past the Occoneechee Village (you’ll know it, when you see it). Shortly after that, it turns to a dirt path and connect to Occoneechee Speedway.
This is all part of the Mountain-to-Sea trail system and is linear, rather than circular – make sure you don’t go too far to make it back to your car.
Poet’s Walk at Ayr Mount – 1 mile circular hiking trail. 376 St. Mary’s Rd. Easy trail – there are some elevation changes, but they aren’t steep. It’s also a nice place it you want to picnic or just play in the grass. There’s a neighborhood free library box, so if you have a couple books to share, bring them along or take a couple for yourself. The last time I was there, the box was full.
May, 2024: Note that a couple spots are muddy, for a few days after a rain.
Hillsborough Historic Occoneechee Speedway – 4 miles of circular hiking trails. 320 Elizabeth Brady Rd., The 1 mile racetrack is the only remaining dirt track from NASCAR’s inaugural season in 1949. There are additional trails that loop outside the track area, and lead to the Eno River. At that point, Ayr Mount is across the river. There are plans to build a bridge to Ayr Mount, but no timeframe.
June, 2024: From the parking lot, if you take the trail on the right, you can hike to Hwy 70. Consider your skill / fitness level before doing this, as there is a very steep hill. Once at the top, it’s a steep downhill to the river. Since it’s a 1-way trail, you’ll have to hike up the hill again to get back.
Occoneechee Mountain State Park – 3 miles of hiking trails (some of this is steep). 625 Virginia Cates Rd., Hillsborough.
June 2024: I did the Occoneechee Mountain Trail clockwise, then counter-clockwise, with a side trip to the overlook. There are a lot of roots on the trail, and some erosion-prevention steps, with no handrail. I took my hiking poles for support on the stairs (I’m not a fan of going down steep stairs without a handrail.)
The view from the overlook is very nice – you can see quite a distance.
Kings Highway Park – 1 mile of nature trails. Ben Johnson Rd., Hillsborough.
Confluence Natural Area – 5.7 miles of trail (one was just opened in May, 2024) – all are circular. 4214 Highland Farm Rd., Hillsborough. A confluence is a joining of 2 rivers – in this case, the West Fork of the Eno and the East Fork of the Eno, which merge to become the Eno River.
There are 2 easy trails, and 2 moderate ones. The 0.5 mile Rocky Water Path trail takes you to the West Fork river, and a crossover to the new 2 mile long Poplar Bend Loop – you’ll need to traverse the river, via some strategically placed rocks, to get to the new trail.
The 1.3 mile Big Meadow Loop trail does just that – loops around a meadow. At the far southern part of the trail, there is an access path to the confluence point. That path also crosses the 1.9 mile Two Forks Trail so, if you miss the turnoff to the trail at the beginning (as I did), you can jump on Two Forks there.
NOTE: This is a relatively unknown and sparsely used area, so it’s nice if you want to get away from the crowds.
Blackwood Farm Park – 4 miles of circular hiking trails. 4215 NC 86 South, Hillsborough.
Seven Mile Creek Natural Area – 2 miles of circular hiking trails. 2187 Moorefields Rd., Hillsborough.
Eno River State Park – Many trails, with varying degrees of difficulty. 5 access points – check the website for information.
Little River Regional Park & Nature Area – 7 miles of circular hiking trails and 7 additional miles of biking trails. 301 Little River Park Way, Rougemont.
The Ridge Trail is an out-and-back trail. At the northern end is the North River Trail loop, so you can either turn back, or add that loop to your hike. If you take the loop, you’ll get to the Little River – it’s a nice place to dip your feet in the water or have a picnic lunch. NOTE: If you continue (clockwise), from the river, the trail is rougher terrain – it’s not hard, just more rocks and tree roots in the trail, as well as a couple of ups and downs (not strenuous). If you don’t want to do that, you can turn back and retrace your steps back to the Ridge Trail.
I haven’t hiked the South River Loop Trail yet.
I haven’t done the biking trails, but I’ve heard that they are challenging.
George and Julia Brumley Forest Nature Preserve – 15 miles of circular trails. Northern access 3620 Old State Hwy 10, Chapel Hill, Southern Access: 3055 New Hope Church Rd., Chapel Hill.
Johnston Mill Nature Preserve – 5 miles of circular trails. Main Entrance: 2713 Mt. Sinai Rd., Chapel Hill, Secondary Entrance: 6001 Turkey Farm Rd., Chapel Hill.
Hollow Rock Nature Park – 1.5 miles of circular trails, with access to Duke Forest trails. 692 Erwin Rd., Durham.
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