Annual Durham to Hillsborough hike

Annual Durham to Hillsborough hike - 2024

Hi Friends (of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail)

Join us on a hike of the biggest gap in the Mountains-to-Sea Trail between Durham and Hillsborough. This year we will reverse direction.

Date: ~~Jan 6, 2024~~ (rained out)

Rain Date: Jan 20, 2024

Meeting Location: We'll meet at 9 AM at the Eno River Parking Deck at the end of Nash and Kollock Street, Hillsborough (36.073609291646854, -79.10019701763281). This is adjacent to the Weaver Street Market, a great place to pick up some trail snacks (but please don't park in their lot for the duration of the hike)..

Starting Point: We will then leave half the cars in the (free) parking deck and carpool to our starting point, the Cox Mountain trailhead in the Few's Ford section of the Eno River State Park, at the at the end of Cole Mill Road (6101 Cole Mill Road, Durham). The ERSP has multiple parking areas, we will meet at the one farthest into the park (go straight past the first three right turns and the last left turn).

At the end of the hike, we will again carpool from Hillsborough back to the Cox Mountain parking area and those cars parked there.

Important: About half this hike will be a bushwack: over unmaintained social or no trail, uneven ground with possible holes, through sections of high brush, crossing drainages and one stream, potentially marshy areas and some quite steep slopes. If the ground is wet, there may be slippery sections.

The total hike is roughly 9 miles. In the past it has taken about 7 hrs.

The hwy 70 bridge (above) is the end of the bushwack section

The hike will traverse:

The ERSP suspension bridge across the Eno
The river leg of the ERSP's Cox Mountain trail
Passing the historic Fanny Breeze homestead.
About 5 miles of bushwack to hwy 70
The James M. Johnston Nature Preserve trail *
Pass near The Historic Occoneechee Speedway *
Classic American Homes Preservation Trust trail *
Again crossing the Eno *
Passing the Oxbow (Native American) Archaeology Site
Westward on Hillsborough's Riverwalk
Past the Occaneechi (Native American) Village Replica Site
And finally back to the parking deck and the parked cars.

* There is a strong possibility that these segments will be the newest additions to the Eno River State Park by the hike date.

If you can join us: Please respond by email to Bill.Boyarsky@gmail.com by Jan 15, 2024 -- your response puts you on the notification list for update, postponement, or cancellation messages.

What to bring: You will need to wear appropriate-for-the-weather clothes (that can get muddy or wet), solid shoes or boots, and bring lunch, snacks, and water.

Cancellation: If the hike is postponed or canceled due to bad weather or high water, an email will be sent out no later than 8 pm. the preceding day (to the RSVP list).

Hope to be hiking with you.

Bill (& Fred)

Friends of the MST Task Force Leaders, Orange County (& Eno)

Friends of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail https://mountainstoseatrail.org/