Located on the outskirts of downtown Durham, the Eno Quarry is nestled unassumingly after a mile…read morehike through the woods. It is best visited during the summer, once you have had a chance to work up and sweat, and for the cool spring waters to feel inviting. The plants and small animals along the way is the start of the journey that transports you to a place that feels like one of it's own. It may begin with the brightly colored insects, and the thickening of the trees, which sprawl and almost take their own sort of personification. You'll cross over wooden steps that lead you down to large stones across a creek, which are reminiscent to childhood memories of playing in the woods. It is then as you venture deeper, the space suddenly opens up to reveal a one of a kind swimming hole, and one of nature's great treasures for the area. Swimming isn't recommended here, but it isn't prohibited either. Go here with others, and always bring a floatation device. If you like the feeling of being submerged in the water, like myself, than bringing a noodle will work just fine. But you definitely want something. If you are particularly concerned, I've seen some wearing life jackets too. The quarry is bowl shaped, and uniformly deep, about 60 feet. There is no where to touch the bottom, or any kind of graceful way to get in- Just hold your float and jump out. There have been several deaths here over the years, but most of those were attributed to inexperienced swimmers, and others, who neglected to exercise their common sense. Teenagers and college students alike often enjoy the trill of the 40 foot cliff dive, but I never would. Be mindful of the that which is unseen below, such as underwater trees, and old machinery. Exercise common sense and you'll be fine. There's a supernatural hold about this place, and a sensation of being open and vulnerable to nature, which is part of the appeal here. Respect the forest, and it will respect you. Like a snake shedding skin, I leave here with a sense of rejuvenation each and every time. If you want physical exercise along with a clearing of mind, this place is highly recommended. Come here for Zen, walk away from any pressures of the week floating on the bottom.

This is a relatively easy trail with some fairly consistent inclines. From the parking lot to the…read morequarry and back is about 1.9 miles, so a decent hike that shouldn't take too long. We went in the winter when there were no leaves on the trees and only one other car in the parking lot. We also went in the late afternoon and didn't realize that they closed a 5:30. We got to the car at 5:31 and there was a ranger waiting. We apologized profusely and promised to pay better attention next time. The hike is nice but the quarry is absolutely gorgeous and definitely worth the walk. I know that this is a popular spot in the summer but I truly cannot imagine swimming here as it doesn't exactly look safe. I need to go again soon because I bet it's lovely right now with all of the leaves changing colors. You will not regret making this hike!

This is one of my favorite hiking spots in the area. I've been here about 10 times with my dog and…read morewe discover a new part of the forest every time. One of my favorite aspects of this place is the peacefulness of these trails. It isn't a high frequented place and the trails are always in good condition. I discovered on my last trip that there is a bike trail near the Horace Williams airport entrance. This is a nice place to come and hike in the woods without traveling very far from the Chapel Hill area.

A good place to bike, walk your dog or just plain walk/ jog. I've been through pumpkin loop and…read morecrow branch overlook and I prefer the crow branch since we never realized there was a whole retention pond to walk alongside!! Beautiful and able to see a mix of wildlife if you look closely enough and slow down. We've seen crayfish, mushrooms, even owls and deer out there. Really love this spot and glad it's close to home! It doesn't have water like drinking fountains or legitimate bathrooms is the only reason it's not a full 5 star. Otherwise I'd consider it a 4.5. There is also a small pollinator garden area that comes up on the left when starting from MLK side. Love this place.

This preserve is a great place to walk, jog, and bird. Although they don't allow bikes or horses…read morefor the trail - they do allow LEASHED dogs. (DO NOT HAVE UNLEASHED DOGS ON THE TRAIL- it's irresponsible regardless of how good they are) There are coyotes out there and a fair amount of wildlife. The trail we went on was about 2miles long and has water areas, the path is very obvious and there is signage. Highly recommend it- only down side it the parking lot is quite small.

Beautiful trails! We really enjoyed our hike. We had 3 kids with us and they had the best time…read moreexploring! Definitely recommend hiking shoes if it's been a bit wet out - the trails were pretty muddy the day we visited.

This updated review is for the turf soccer fields. The youth Rainbow soccer league uses these for…read moreweekly practices. These are nice fields that don't really end up needing to be closed from rain since they are turf. The parking lot can get very crowded. I recommend backing into a parking spot so you can exit a little easier.

Went on a Saturday- I will say a fair number of dogs were unleashed which is never good in my…read moreopinion. We had to turn around a couple of times to avoid other dogs off leashes. The parking at the soccer field area wasn't bad but I do know it gets packed at that soccer field but there was also a playground and a couple of trails (the longest was about 1.1 miles so we did a couple). The trails were relatively easy to follow and had posts with color coordination. Overall a really close spot to me so will be visiting again. I do think the trails could be longer but overall are nice. Next time will visit the water with the overlook.

First and only visit took a bit of a drive from where I lived but did not disappoint. The hiking…read morewas fairly level with a great meditative and uncrowded nature walk. Deserving of good hiking boots to navigate the trail's obstacles.

Nice park with many trails of varying difficulty. A couple trails were closed due to a past storm,…read morebut we still enjoyed our hike along the river

Another wonderful experience here! The hike is just strenuous enough to get your legs working and…read moreheart pumping without being too overwhelming. The rangers also do a great job of keeping the path clean.

This is a great hike! It has wide paths that go around the mountain and a beautiful view at the…read moreoverlook point.

Beautiful, easy to walk up piece of lake it's usually pretty busy when it's hot they have a lot of…read morewildlife and places to sit They're not too far from a couple of places to eat (pizza, Chinese, grocery store) Great location for a picnic

Love the hiking paths at West Point in the eno! There is a few shelters and a bathroom!…read more During the summer you will find families swimming in the river The old mill is open some days with a guide to answer any questions!

Such a cute little area. The access point we went to was right off the bridge. There were several…read morepeople swimming. This access point looks like at one point it was well maintained. Currently the trashcan smells as you walk by it and it's surrounded and covered in weeds. There was an old metal bench there too, but again, covered in weeds. I think if someone could clean that area up and expand the small walking trail down to the river, it would be a great place!

Sad... overgrown.... forgotten? Not sure who is responsible for this place but um, I think they…read moreforgot about it. Looks like it could be a nice place to hang out, swim, hike but it needs to be cleaned up. There is a beautiful dam and nice area to swim if the area was cleaned up. Grass hasn't been cut in parking area and beginning of path, Trails are all overgrown, there is graffiti and trash all over... no trashcans anywhere. Very sad.

Battle Park is right in the heart of Chapel Hill and UNC. We were just in Chapel Hill for the day…read moreand decided to explore Battle Park on our way to the Gimghoul castle. Battle Park is a small urban park - very forested - and quite beautiful! Worth exploring if you're in the area! And a great place for runners!

LOVED IT. MY FIRST YIME HIKING. Beautiful day beautiful hike. Moderate to easy trailread more