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What an amazing experience. We went on a Sunday at around 10(30 am and there was ample parking. We walked the Cole mill trail with our two dogs and it was a great level of difficulty for small dogs. Overall, a great place to visit if you are staying in Durham!
A great park with brand new facilities. Found the people in the information area to be knowledgeable about the park and surrounding areas. Learned a great deal from them on the way we shed, local plants, and the history of the park. The trails are in heavily wooded areas so they make a good alternative on a sunny day. Easy to get to with good signage off the interstate and located in Durham, so it is convenient from Raleigh, Greensboro and parts in between.
Great place for a wonderful spring hike through the forests and along the banks of the Eno River.
What a great spot to play and have fun with families hiking in the woods. There are places to splash and cool off, easy trails, bathrooms and a park office! I'd certainly recommend it to families
First time visitor to the area and heard about Eno River State Park for hiking. It didn't disappoint. Very picturesque and tranquil. High recommend.
I love Eno River State Park! There are so many different trails to explore. There are also a variety of different parking lots. Beware though! Some of them fill up pretty quickly on the weekends. They don't really fill up on weekdays though! I like Fews Ford specifically. It is so fun to wade in the water on a hot day! And I often see wildlife (snakes, birds, fish, etc).
I survived my first hike in North Carolina at Eno today. I've been wanting to get out and hike for sometime since relocating from New York. I was invited on a group hike with 7 others. Eno is a 28 minute ride from home and one straight shot. I arrived about 8:30 and was able to score a great parking spot at Cox Trail. This is very rugged terrain but perfect for working out. I suggest you come early, on a cool day and wear hiking boots. I really enjoyed crossing the high bridge over looking the water here. I will admit I had to adjust to the height but it was very scenic. I plan to return again next weekend and do a few more miles.
We came to hike at this state park when we were in the triangle area for the weekend. It's about 40 minutes from Raleigh and 15 minutes from Durham. We came here after hiking at Occoneechee Mountain since it's only 15 minutes away and both hikes were on the shorter side. This park was a little underwhelming to me. We did the Cox Mountain Trail which was 3.8 miles. It climbs up for the first part, but there's no overlook. Then most of it is just along the river and not very exciting. My favorite part was the cool bridge that crosses the river. If you're local, I would definitely come here to get outside. For an out of towner, I'm not sure it's really worth it.
Eno River is a great place for trail running that goes along the river that has nice variety of woodland plants and animals. I was able to get some pretty good nature shots from my time here. The Cox Mountain Trail is about 4 miles round trip and is perfect for a workout. It's usually not too crowded compared to some of the other parks so parking isn't a hassle. Overall, a nice park worth visiting at least once.
Such pretty State Park. My friends and I went here with our NC state park passport books. Such a nice hike, we almost walked 5 miles.
Love this park and if you get there early like I did it is quiet and peaceful. I only did the yellow marked hike but I plan to come back often as it is very shaded. Beautiful walk taking the water as well where you see lots of turtles. Lots of people walking in while I was walking back so I assume this place stays pretty busy. I will be coming back here quite often in the future!
With the rain from earlier in the days settling down just enough, I got a good 1.5 mile hike in by stringing a few walks (and stumbles) together here along the river. Not far from the visitor center you can encounter the water's edge. Despite the insane amount of mud and standing water, I walked along the shore line to see some small rapids, then back the opposite direction to the swinging bridge. Albeit, it was more of a bouncing bridge. On the other side of the bridge after a short hike there is one large campground that can be rented for a large group or family for $40-50 per day. Quite steep in my opinion for what it is. But I suppose on the other hand it would be quite affordable and comfy for a group of six. Nearby is an old cabin which seemed far preferable as a campsite considering the day's rain. Park staff was very friendly and helpful. Yet another empty park in the cold air of autumn. Not to mention the rain. Still worth a visit and basically IN the RDU area.
2 years ago
Great trail!!! We like the Cox Mountain trail there, about 4.5miles Bring plenty of water and electrolytes and a snack. We wear trail shoes for this hike, you maybe able to get away with regular running shoes. read more
1 year ago
What an amazing experience. We went on a Sunday at around 10(30 am and there was ample parking. We walked the Cole mill trail with our two dogs and it was a great level of difficulty for small dogs. Overall, a great place to visit if you are staying in Durham! read more
A great park with brand new facilities. Found the people in the information area to be knowledgeable about the park and surrounding areas. Learned a great deal from them on the way we shed, local plants, and the history of the park. The trails are in heavily wooded areas so they make a good alternative on a sunny day. Easy to get to with good signage off the interstate and located in Durham, so it is convenient from Raleigh, Greensboro and parts in between. read more
1 year ago
Great place for a wonderful spring hike through the forests and along the banks of the Eno River. read more
2 years ago
What a great spot to play and have fun with families hiking in the woods. There are places to splash and cool off, easy trails, bathrooms and a park office! I'd certainly recommend it to families read more
2 years ago
First time visitor to the area and heard about Eno River State Park for hiking. It didn't disappoint. Very picturesque and tranquil. High recommend. read more
I love Eno River State Park! There are so many different trails to explore. There are also a variety of different parking lots. Beware though! Some of them fill up pretty quickly on the weekends. They don't really fill up on weekdays though! I like Fews Ford specifically. It is so fun to wade in the water on a hot day! And I often see wildlife (snakes, birds, fish, etc). read more
5 years ago
I survived my first hike in North Carolina at Eno today. I've been wanting to get out and hike for sometime since relocating from New York. I was invited on a group hike with 7 others. Eno is a 28 minute ride from home and one straight shot. I arrived about 8:30 and was able to score a great parking spot at Cox Trail. This is very rugged terrain but perfect for working out. I suggest you come early, on a cool day and wear hiking boots. I really enjoyed crossing the high bridge over looking the water here. I will admit I had to adjust to the height but it was very scenic. I plan to return again next weekend and do a few more miles. read more
5 years ago
We came to hike at this state park when we were in the triangle area for the weekend. It's about 40 minutes from Raleigh and 15 minutes from Durham. We came here after hiking at Occoneechee Mountain since it's only 15 minutes away and both hikes were on the shorter side. This park was a little underwhelming to me. We did the Cox Mountain Trail which was 3.8 miles. It climbs up for the first part, but there's no overlook. Then most of it is just along the river and not very exciting. My favorite part was the cool bridge that crosses the river. If you're local, I would definitely come here to get outside. For an out of towner, I'm not sure it's really worth it. read more
Eno River is a great place for trail running that goes along the river that has nice variety of woodland plants and animals. I was able to get some pretty good nature shots from my time here. The Cox Mountain Trail is about 4 miles round trip and is perfect for a workout. It's usually not too crowded compared to some of the other parks so parking isn't a hassle. Overall, a nice park worth visiting at least once. read more
5 years ago
Love this park and if you get there early like I did it is quiet and peaceful. I only did the yellow marked hike but I plan to come back often as it is very shaded. Beautiful walk taking the water as well where you see lots of turtles. Lots of people walking in while I was walking back so I assume this place stays pretty busy. I will be coming back here quite often in the future! read more
7 years ago
With the rain from earlier in the days settling down just enough, I got a good 1.5 mile hike in by stringing a few walks (and stumbles) together here along the river. Not far from the visitor center you can encounter the water's edge. Despite the insane amount of mud and standing water, I walked along the shore line to see some small rapids, then back the opposite direction to the swinging bridge. Albeit, it was more of a bouncing bridge. On the other side of the bridge after a short hike there is one large campground that can be rented for a large group or family for $40-50 per day. Quite steep in my opinion for what it is. But I suppose on the other hand it would be quite affordable and comfy for a group of six. Nearby is an old cabin which seemed far preferable as a campsite considering the day's rain. Park staff was very friendly and helpful. Yet another empty park in the cold air of autumn. Not to mention the rain. Still worth a visit and basically IN the RDU area. read more
3 years ago
Great place to walk your dog. Well maintained trails and convenient parking. My dog digs it. read more
I love parks and nature and try to take advantage of one whenever I am visiting somewhere away from home. I spent the day in Durham and checked out this park later in the afternoon. It was a hot, humid and hazy day so being under the trees for shade was a huge relief. I was tired from walking a lot in the hot sun. Apparently there are a few entrances to this park because the first one I went to looked just like smack in the middle of the woods with no path. I asked some people who were courageously going in and they redirected me to the main entrance. The main entrance had signs and a clear path which I was very thankful for. I only spent about an hour in this huge park and only covered a very small part near the front. I walked in and saw a pond with people actually cooling off in and decided to go sit by the water. It was so beautiful and serene. I just got my feet wet and chilled on some of the rocks for awhile enjoying the greenery. I walked a little further looking for the swinging bridge and bravely crossed it solo. Honey, I was holding for dear life while trying to snap chat me look like I was a pro, LOL. I let this family go ahead of me on the bridge so I could take my time and take some pictures and it was a lot of fun. I didn't venture further in to some of the other trails because this city gal didn't want to be in the woods in the dark. I will definitely check this park out again to get walk some more hiking trails and enjoy the beautiful scenery. read more
Eno River State Park is on more than 4,000 acres. It is absolutely beautiful! It has many entrances throughout Orange and Durham counties. The park has beautifully maintained hiking trails - and many of them! The many times I have hiked in this park, I have never found any litter. There are canoe access sites, camping sites, historic sites and picnic areas. There is a very cool suspension bridge on one of the trails. You can also find many turtles, butterflies, frogs, and some snakes. If you ever need help, park rangers can be found throughout the park. There are many parking areas, but on beautiful days they can be a little hard to come by. There are clean bathrooms, trash and recycling bins, and picnic tables near most of the trailheads. Always look forward to coming to this park! read more
What a sight to see in October after a little rain. We were in the area and saw the beautiful pictures on yelp and knew we had to stop and visit. I wasn't able to find the bridge- l was however able to enjoy all of its beautiful fall leaves and crisp weather. I like that they had stairs and trails which made it easy to walk around the area. Although it had rained earlier, the trails were ok to walk on. There were a few people enjoying the river. I would definitely come back if I am able to locate the bridge. read more
A somewhat disconnected series of trails just outside of Durham. The park runs on both sides of this small river, and the forest it includes has a mossy, old-growth feel to it. The trails are clearly marked, but fairly rugged and there were a lot of steep inclines around the bluffs I visited. Parking was not that plentiful, but with several different areas nearby I imagine one could cycle through them on a busy day if necessary. As green space near an urban area goes, the forest was quite pretty and a good workout. read more
6 years ago
I love coming out here for a nice invigorating hike! The location is great for many local eateries for you to eat at after your hike, and you have a nice selection of trails for all different difficulties! If you're older or less sturdy on your feet, be sure to bring a trekking pole or Walking stick, as the trail can get very steep and uneven at times! If you come in the summer, be sure to pack a swimsuit for some water shenanigans in the river, or even bring a tube to go floating! Just be aware that there are rapids and you should keep that in mind if you are not a strong swimmer. The park seems very detached from the bustling city center of Durham Downtown, and is a great way to get some exercise in a beautiful forest setting! read more
6 years ago
So many great trails here. Many folks wear masks when passing other humans, which i appreciate. The water is lovely and the paths are a great range of long & difficult (which spouse likes) and moderate and gorgeous (which I like). Best to get there early in the day - fewer people, more beauty. Great place for photography. read more
We enjoyed a walk along Cole Mill Trail. It was an easy hike, roughly a mile and half, and it had light traffic. It is a loop trail that starts and ends at the parking lot. The trail is dog friendly as long as dogs are leashed at all times. It is a good walk for families with children. The most enjoyable part of the trail was seeing the river. About a third of the trail followed the river, and at points there was access to go right up to the water (which our dog loved)! For the most part, the trail is flat (altitude-wise). However, it is not paved so there are rocks and roots along the way. The path is wide/open on the sides so it is easy to move out of the way in case other people are walking past (for COVID). Some people were wearing masks, but not all. read more
3 years ago
Totally awesome! So many trails with amazing views. Nice layouts for relaxing walks/ hikes, or real workouts. read more
Eno River is to Durham and Hillsborough what Umstead park is to Cary and Raleigh. I might be biased, but I think Eno River State Park has a slightly upper hand in the parks department. Quiet, isolated, TONS of walking trails, swimming quarry area and easy access to maps. If you're looking to have an overnight camp, day time picnic or long hike, this is a great option! The trails are well marked and trodden over although the forest surrounding you is basically untouched. I recommend entering through the main entrance off Cole Mill Road and testing out your hiking legs to begin with. There are bathrooms located all the way down the road, trail maps located before each entrance and even some historical houses with informational plaques at this starting point. The Eno River State Park isn't anything incredibly fancy, it's a trail through the forest along the Eno. Also, the paths aren't challenging, mostly flat with a couple spots where there's built in wooden stairs, but a child could easily hike these paths. It's primarily for me a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, listen to the water as it flows past you, smell the flowers, and just enjoy the outdoors a little more. read more
7 years ago
Came here in the winter for a walk. It's calming. You will see people with their pets. Easy to find and plenty of space to park. Wish there's more maps lol got lost few times. Spring is pretty here sometimes you get to see turtles. read more
Fun little spot to wander. Nice bathrooms at the entrance. Woman's has a kid size toilet in the first stall. Nice maps to grab. Plenty if parking. Dog and kid friendly. Steps down to the river to put your feet in. Fun suspension bridge to walk across. Pretty spring flowers in bloom like the daffodils. Nice log cabin to wander around in. Good informational sign posts where you can do a free cellular tour (call a number and dial the code of the spot your at and it will play a recording telling you info at the spot). Good place for an easy hike read more
2 years ago
We have lived in the Cary area for like 100 years and this is the first time we have been to ENO !!! What we have been missing !!! This is such a nice little area nestled underneath loads of trees. We brought our grand puppy (and our daughter) hiking. There are trails that run along the river. Lots of people bring their dogs here. When the pups get hot or when they just get a hankering for some swimming they can go into the river pretty easily. I would recommend if you are going into the water that you either wear chacos or some sort of water shoes. There are lots of rocks that can get pretty sharp and also slippery. At one point, we came to a beach like area that many families were enjoying on a Sunday afternoon. They brought picnics and blankets. The parking area has some pretty nice restrooms. Flush toilets and running water . GO HERE !!! Go hiking . It's a great place. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
We spent 3 days wandering around the park. The rushing river cuts beautiful formations in the rock. There are large boulders good for free-climbing. Lots of beautiful plants and insects in the springtime. If you're looking to connect with nature this is a wonderful spot to do it. read more
4 years ago
6 years ago
Get ya ass moving and come here ! It's gorgeous ! Although the trail was taken over by water and we couldn't go on , well we could but I wasn't wearing the right clothes for the off trail hike . Also I'm here cuz I wanted to see how anyone can give nature a bad review read more
6 years ago
A pleasant surprise, a very peaceful nature walk. This state park is close to Durham (10-15 mins) so provided a great afternoon trip from the city. We went on a Saturday (9/19/20) and it wasn't too busy so our walk wasn't disrupted by lots of people. We did the Cole Mill trail which was a short loop that went by the river. Neither of us had been prepared for this visit so were wearing inappropriate footwear, and this trail was still manageable. read more
Came here on a Sunday afternoon and pleasantly surprised that it was open until 8:30 pm in March. The restrooms were clean, there were picnic tables throughout the park and a1.5 mike loop or .5 mike loop, well marked and close to the river for nice views. Trail was narrow with lots of tree roots but not a difficult walk. Camping signs were visible. Lots of parking. There was an area for a canoe launch. read more
As a Virginian who has been known to hop on the road and randomly go on a 12 mile hike on a Saturday, I have to say I am very impressed with what I have seen so far. I will, without a doubt, be making another trip down here specifically to go camping here (as opposed to randomly stumbling across it as I did this trip). The customer service here was great, and the woman working behind the desk even helped me find the address for the Red Roof Inn (RRI) I was staying in. I asked about the camping, and it's tent only - which means no electrical or water hook ups. They also do not allow campers (I would double check on this first tho). She was also OK with my wet dog running around like an idiot barking at the stuffed coyote, and that's a win in my book. :) I am not sure what the bathroom situation is here (showers and poop places - porta pottys? full on bathrooms? how clean are these?), BUT a major bonus to this gem is that it's close enough to civilization that you can take a shower in town (feigning interest in a membership at a local gym and getting a free one day pass usually at least gets you access to the showers). As for hiking - there are many trails ranging in difficulty, so if you want an easy one mile hike, or a more challenging multi-mile higher elevation and or rocky path, these are options too. There are also some water/river crossings here, so depending on your hiking level or desire to get wet, I would wear some decent tread on your shoes (no need for ankle high boots or even gore tex, just your generic trail runner grippy shoes will suffice). Do NOT wear plain running shoes if you can help it, you -will- bust your butt on the rocks (wet or not). You are better off wearing the water shoes you can get at Wal-Mart for $5 (assuming you are OK with no ankle/arch support while hiking, but, these are not monstrous mountains so while ankle support helps, it shouldn't be mandatory unless you have stability issues). MAPS! many parks lack these, but Eno has a full stock of trail maps available outdoors, protected from the rain. These maps are easy to read, and seem to always be in stock (another bonus, and something many places don't have, or lack). The water here was so warm, like a lazy river without dragging you into the abyss of nothingness. Heck, even my dog, who has been terrified of water up until this point, was perfectly fine hanging out in these waters. Next time (there will be a next time... hopefully before the end of this summer) I will remember to bring a floating thingy with me so i can further enjoy my time here. Also, they are strict on leash rules for good reason. Yes, our dogs are all wonderful little puppy wuppies, but everyone elses dogs may not be as friendly. Not to mention, there are wild animals here, many dogs instincts are to maim/kill/hunt mammals, and it's much easier to protect your dog from getting bitten by a wild animal (possibly transmitting rabies!) when they are leashed. A great alternative to the leash laws is to have a long lead. I was able to have my dog on a 30 ft lead and have a good hold of her the whole time. I wasn't told about the leash restrictions (i.e. if there was a length maximum - sometimes there is), so as far as i know there arent any other than as long as your pup is leashed you should be ok. Leashed = leash on dog AND you are holding on to it and in control of your dog. I saw a few people letting their dog run wild with a leash on them, which is extremely dangerous around rocks. It's the same reason we keep our legs up in the water when we fall out of a raft, it's easy to get stuck in a rock under water and drown. on land, it's easy to get stuck on something and they get choked. So yes, the last part of this review got sort of gloomy, but that doesn't make it any less relevant or important. The fact that Eno enforces the leash laws by giving tickets makes me respect/enjoy this place that much more. read more
We decided to tackle this area on the lazy day after the 4th of July festivities and weren't disappointed. On a sleepy Monday late morning, hiking the Cox Mountain Trail with our single Chi-wiener dog in tow presented us with some beautiful, quiet and serene sceneries for the three of us - worthy for the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from Chapel Hill and Durham...makes it a nice 30 minute excursion from our home. The hiking itself is pretty trivial and won't challenge you if you're used to more scenic and or grueling hikes such as those in Yosemite, the Sierra-Nevadas, the Cascades, or the Appalachians. The highest point in this part of the park is Cox "Mountain" - a whopping 250 ft of elevation change from the parking lot to the top near the electric wire towers at ~700 ft above sea-level. The close by Occoneechee Mountain State Natural area has the title for the highest point in Orange County at 867 ft. But rumour has it that the Cox Mountain Trail is slightly more challenging (steeper) than the one to the top of Occoneechee Mountain. This might be splitting hairs. We have yet to verify this - but will update accordingly when we do venture that way. The great thing about this park when we hiked was that it was not crowded on the trails. The watering holes and river seem to draw a majority of the crowds - esp. in the summer. There is camping (group sites available) and some picnic sites near the bottom. It's very dog friendly and we passed by several other dog owners as well that day. Our little pint sized runt had no problem scaling all 250 ft to the top. Everything is very accessible. The trails are wide and well-marked throughout the park. Our venture up/down and around the Cox Mountain trail took a leisurely 1.5 hours for something like 4+ miles with some side excursions. 90% of the trail is shaded except for small patches near the top when you have to traverse near the electric wire towers - maybe 100 ft at most? On a cooler than average July 5th (mid 80'sF), it was muggy, but pleasant with a pair of light synthetic hiking pants and t-shirt. The views aren't that great if you're expecting big open vistas....everything is pretty much hidden between the trees and the river is really the focus of this park. If you want better vistas, I'd opt for the longer drive (1.5 - 2 hours) to the next closest mountain at Hanging Rock State Park. There you can gain some decent elevation and views as well as their own set of swimming holes. Overall, 4 stars for providing a quick (30 minute) get away for all of us Triangle trapped individuals. Moderate/easy hikes....and while we never tried out the river, there seems to be many good ops for swimming here if you so choose. The one star deduction is just b/c it's not that challenging of a hike and the views weren't as amazing as one would hope at the top. Still worthy of a quick jaunt - maybe even as a decent trail running op for those so inclined....pun intended. ;-) read more
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More info about Eno River State Park
6101 Cole Mill Road
Durham, NC 27705
Directions
(984) 250-1370
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Visit Website
https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/eno-river-state-park
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Indoor Amenities
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