Eno River State Park (Few's Ford Access): Birding Trail

Overview: Eno River State Park hosts a number of easy to moderate trails, and a few more difficult ones, for the weekend hiker. If you're looking for an easy hike through a variety of habitats, try the "Birding Trail" (see map below). This trail starts at the Few's Ford parking loop and can easily by completed in 40 minutes. To begin, find the gravel maintenance road at the beginning of the parking lot loop (again, see map below). Continue down the gravel maintenance road until you find an opening in the woods. Continue through the woods, until reaching a clearing for electrical lines. At this clearing, notice a variety of ephemeral wetland pools (often hopping with frogs). Continue to the river and walk along the river until reaching a more heavily traveled trail. This trail will take you back up to the parking area.

Directions: The park is divided into five access points. The "Birding Trail" is found at the Few's Ford access, located just at the northern end of Cole Mill Road (maps & directions here).

Observations & Ponderings: On October 4, 2009, we enjoyed a lackadaisical hike along the birding trail. At the beginning of the hike, walking along a gravel road past full red cedars, we were greeted by the calls of northern mockingbirds, American crows, bluejays and northern cardinals. Before entering the dense canopy of the woods, a yellow shafted flicker zoomed by us.

The forest path offered an additional sign of wildlife: fox scat peppered with persimmon and hair. Soon a wood nymph fluttered by. We walked past some tall pines where we had seen yellow bellied sapsuckers flitting around busily in years past. Soon we came across a large mushroom and striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata).

As we left the wooded area, and came to the wetland filled power-line cut, we saw a number of fall flowers in bloom, including thistle, gerardia, an aster and Eupatorium species.

After traversing the power-line cut, we arrived at the slow flowing and shallow Eno River. Yellow-bellied sliders sunned on logs, carp with young hovered in small territories along the river bottom and a large mouth past eased on by.

Our lazy hike not only provided us with a glimpse of the autumnal deceleration of the natural world, but also allowed us to experience it ourselves.

Eno River State Park (Few's Ford Access): Cox Mountain Trail

Overview: Eno River State Park hosts a number of easy to moderate trails, and a few more difficult ones, for the weekend hiker. If you're looking for a challenging hike in a variety of Piedmont habitats, try the Cox Mountain Trail. This 3.75 mile trail begins at the Few's Ford picnic area and quickly takes you down to the Eno River, where you will cross the suspension bridge. Follow the signs for Cox Mountain trail, and you will begin to ascend Cox Mountain itself (there is a 270 foot elevation change from the river to the top of Cox Mountain). Once you reach the top of the mountain, you will walk along a small creek and then the Eno River, before heading back towards the suspension bridge.

Directions: The park is divided into five access points. The Cox Mountain Trail is found at the Few's Ford access, located just at the northern end of Cole Mill Road (maps & directions here).


Observations & Ponderings: Walking along the Cox Mountain trail in early March offers even the casual observer an addictive taste of the wonders of the natural world. In early spring, some of the most beautiful flowers of the year burst forth from the cold earth, bedecking the brown leaf litter with snowy white, gold and amethystine accents. These spring ephemerals, which seem to disappear before the heat of summer arrives, include trout lilies (Erythronium americanum), spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) and round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana).

Round lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana) at Eno River State Park, Cox Mountain trail, 8 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette L. Cagle)

Trout lily (Erythronium americanum) at Eno River State Park, Cox Mountain trail, 8 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette L. Cagle)

After crossing the suspension bridge that spans the Eno River, and walking along a well-worn path, a brown sign indicates the turn-off for the Cox Mountain trail. Here begins the steep climb to the top of the mountain. The ground is noticably rockier and drier, and fallen trees are strewn across the ridge, toppled by hurricane winds. Even the fauna changes: instead of ground skinks, one might see an eastern fence lizard (Scleroporus undulatus) basking in the harsh sun on this hilltop.

Cox Mountain trail at Eno River State Park, 8 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette L. Cagle)

Eastern fence lizard (Scleroporus undulatus) at Eno River State Park, Cox Mountain trail, 8 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette L. Cagle)

Here, I take a moment to enjoy the stunning views of rolling hills that remind us that we are truly in the Piedmont, the foothills of Appalachia. My mind wanders. What intrepid travelers first saw these same views? Had the Eno indians climbed this same mountain? Did the explorer-naturalist Bartram pass this way? Maybe the Cox family was the first to explore the great hill. Or, perhaps, I am the first to ever see these sights. I would love to re-live that moment, when the first man or woman stood on this ridge. What did they see? How have things changed? Were there more northern red oaks then? Was the soil richer? How many lizards were startled by their arrival? Did they see elk browsing in the distance or maybe a bear snacking on sun-ripened berries?

A snapping twig break the reverie, and I continue down the trail. Here, the trail runs first along a small creek that was recently bifurcated by a fallen tree limb and now trickles down the trail as well. The creek runs into the rocky Eno River and suddenly, the din of calling chorus frogs fills the air.

View of the Eno River along the Cox Mountain trail at Eno River State Park, 8 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette L. Cagle).

Three shallow, ephemeral pools line the trail here, providing breeding habitat for frogs and toads. The evidence of these midnight rendezvous is apparent: gelatinous green frog (Rana clamitans) eggs stuck to twigs beneath the water's surface.

Green frog (Rana clamitans) eggs at Eno River State Park, Cox Mountain trail, 8 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette L. Cagle)

The trail continues, looping around the base of the mountain, marching pass enchanting painted buckeyes (Aesculus sylvatica), about to burst open, until finally bringing you back to the suspension bridge, back to the lovely spring ephemerals and then back to the concrete world.

Painted buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica) at Eno River State Park, Cox Mountain trail, 8 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette L. Cagle)

Eno River State Park - Few's Ford & the Buckquarter Creek Trail (Durham NC)

On Labor Day, my family (husband and grandparents-to-be) and I hiked the Buckquarter Creek trail, located in the western portion of Eno River State Park at the Few's Ford entrance. This is a great trail to hike with friends and family, especially in early fall when vibrant mushrooms rise from the ground, leaves start to change color and one is still able to find snakes, frogs and fall warblers.

The Buckquarter Creek trail begins in the parking lot closest to the park entrance, near the historic Piper-Cox house (which you can visit with a park ranger on Saturday afternoons, call 919.383.1686 to register). The roughly 1.5 mile trail first runs along the rocky Eno River. This section of the river is a favorite for waders, as the water is generally shallow and rocky. All of the rocks, and the forested banks, make a great habitat for snakes and turtles. On this trip, we saw nearly 20 turtles (river cooters and yellow bellied water turtles) and one queen snake. Queen snakes (Regina septemvittata) are docile, non-venomous snakes that feed almost exclusively on freshly molted crayfish. In many areas, their populations are declining due to water pollution and loss of habitat. These snakes are dark brown-gray in color, with keeled (rough) scales, and light tan to white stripes on the sides of their body.

After walking along the banks of the Eno River, the trail heads into the upland forest -- a mix of hardwoods, including maples and oaks, as well as scattered loblolly pines. Look for small hopping Fowler's toads here, as well as some wild mushrooms after a night or two of good rain. This section of the trail is usually a great place to find a black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta), one of North Carolina's most common non-venomous constrictors. On Monday, we were lucky enough to find a medium sized copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) that was about to shed it skin. When snakes are about to shed, they often appear less vibrant in color and their eyes become an opaque, milky gray. Snakes are very vulnerable to predators when they're about to shed, and they also have difficulty hunting, making them quite irritable. It is best not to handle any snake during this critical phase, but especially not a copperhead, which can deliver a nasty, although seldom fatal, bite.

This trail is a loop, so after walking through the upland forest, you can take a refreshing dip in the river before returning to your car.

If you would like further information about snakes and their conservation, please check out my doctoral dissertation, A Multiscale Investigation of Snake Habitat Relationships and Snake Conservation in Northern Illinois.

You can also click here if you're interested in guided nature hikes or other events at the park.