Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
Approximately 30 minutes from our home is Occoneechee Mountain State National Area in Hillsborough, NC. The mind-boggling thing is, we didn’t know about it. How do we hike but didn’t know about this?!
After researching more local hiking trails, this location appeared. Of course, we have to share it with you & give you the details. It’s a beautiful place to explore.
The area has 190 acres of land & roughly 3 miles of trails. The summit is at 867 feet & is the highest point in Orange County, NC. It is even thought to be the highest altitude between Hillsborough, NC & the Atlantic Ocean (if I’m not mistaken).
The natural area has an impressive diversity of plants & wildlife unlike any other in the Triad area. The only wildlife we encountered were deer & squirrels during this trip. We were honestly okay with that.
Fishing is allowed (with an NC fishing license) in the ponds for panfish & bass. You can also access the Eno River during some parts of your hike. There's an old quarry to explore as well.
What I found most interesting is the history & village of the Occaneechi Indian tribe who once lived there. With a little research, you can find out how/why they arrived, how they sustained their family life, why they left, & what happened going forward. The history is way more detailed than I can add in this post but this link will get you started.
We hiked the Mountain Loop Trail. It's around 2.2 miles. There are shorter trails, too, so don’t feel intimidated. One wondeful thing about hiking is you can always turn around. The difficulty level for this trail is posted as moderate.
There were pretty steep climbs & descents. The terrain was rough (tree roots, rocks) but mostly shaded which was nice. If you own hiking boots, wear them. The more support you have, the better.
This hike was definitely a good workout. We ventured off the trails a few times which led to more climbing & descending. The hot temperatures, mixed with the activity level left our clothes drenched early on. Halfway through our hike, we sat by the river to have lunch & cool off.
…Know Before You Go…
-The restroom is open to the public & located beside the parking lot
-As of this date, no physical brochures or maps are being distributed due to COVID-19 (take a pic of/download a map on your phone)
-The way trails are marked has left some people confused. Fortunately, we didn’t have problems.
-As always, bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen & sunglasses, use insect repellant.
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
625 Virginia Cates Rd
Hillsborough, NC 27278
To see the video of our visit to Occoneechee Mountain, check out the vlog below. Be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel (it’s free!) for more family adventures.