Best Places for Hiking in Durham, North Carolina

Durham offers visitors many fun and exciting things to do with their time including visiting Duke University, seeing the hottest Broadway show at the Durham Performing Arts Center, catching a Durham Bulls minor league baseball game, or enjoying some fine dining in our burgeoning food scene. However, there is also some great hiking in Durham that often gets overlooked by visitors!

I’ve explored many of these places inside and out during my time in Durham. They may lack the ooh-aah views of some of North Carolina’s mountains or beaches, but they make up for this with the solitude of being among their southern pine forests and peaceful flowing waters.

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Eno River State Park

Eno River State Park is my absolute favorite place in Durham. As long as the weather cooperates, I usually spend at least one early morning there each weekend.

With over 30 miles of hiking on 16 different trails, there’s something to be found for everyone regardless of fitness level and interest. There are peaceful strolls along the river, challenging uphill climbs, local historic sites, wildlife, and stretches in the woods with no one else around.

There are five different access points at the park, all within about 15-20 minutes from anywhere in Durham. My favorite access point is the Pump Station Access on Rivermont Road. From this access point you can hike along the Laurel Bluffs Trail as it moves west to east along the Eno River. This trail has great viewpoints of the river (especially during winter) and enough difficulty to make for a fun hike in the woods.

Keep in mind that each access point has gated access with strict opening and closing hours. More than once I’ve tried to visit early in the morning hoping the gate would be open only to be turned away. Visit the Eno River State Park website for opening hours of each access point as they’re all a little different and vary by season.

My Favorite Trails

• Laurel Bluffs
  • accessed from Pleasant Green, Cabe Lands or Pump Station
  • three different segments spanning the length of the park totaling 6.1 miles
• Buckquarter Creek
  • accessed from Few’s Ford
  • 1.5-mile loop
• Cox Mountain
  • accessed from Few’s Ford
  • 3.75-mile loop
• Holden Mill Loop
  • accessed from Buckquarter Creek Trail
  • 2.6-mile loop
• Ridge
  • accessed from Buckquarter Creek Trail
  • 1.27 miles one way

West Point on the Eno

Go a little farther east along the Eno River and you’ll come to West Point on the Eno. Unlike the larger state park, this is a much smaller city park. However, it’s essentially an extension of what you find at the state park, just on a smaller scale.

The highlight of West Point on the Eno is the Eagle Trail on the other side of the river from the parking area. This is an easy 1.8-mile out-and-back trail along the river. There are a few sections that go right up against the river where you can sit and relax while watching some of the small rapids and cascades.

Besides the Eagle Trail, on the parking area side of the park are several intertwining trails to enjoy. None of these are particularly remarkable, but they are nice if you just want a quick wander through the woods.

Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area

Occoneechee Mountain is a little outside of Durham in neighboring Hillsborough but is still only a 20-minute drive. This natural area’s claim to fame is the Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail.

The trail is a 2.2-mile loop through the woods. The main reason for coming out to Hillsborough for this hike is its fantastic viewpoint overlooking the forest canopy below with the Eno River winding its way through the trees. I recommend coming out here during autumn as it’s the best spot to see the trees changing color. It’s no Vermont, but it’s about as good as you will get in this region!

In addition to the overlook, there’s a nice stretch along the river and a short spur that goes up to a former rock quarry.

Looking for other outdoor activities in North Carolina? What about a wintry weekend in the mountains!

Occoneechee Speedway Trail

The Occoneechee Speedway Trail isn’t part of the natural area, but it’s close enough and worth mentioning for its historic significance. This is a neat little slice of Americana, especially if you enjoy NASCAR.

The Occoneechee Speedway was one of the first two NASCAR tracks to open during its inaugural season in 1949. It’s now the only one still remaining. Now, it’s used by walkers and joggers as a gentle 1-mile loop in the woods. To be honest, it’s not much of a hike. Regardless, it’s still worth checking out after hiking through Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area.

You can still see the original concession stand and press box. There are also grandstands along the edge of the trail and a couple old NASCAR cars.

I’m not a NASCAR fan by any stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed the couple times I’ve been out here for its historic significance. I’m an unabashed sucker for old things!

Duke Forest

Of all the spots on this list, Duke Forest is the one I’ve explored the least. I’ve been trying to see more of it recently to make up for lost time. Unfortunately, it’s not the easiest to visit. The primary issue is there are no good resources available with a map of trails. Additionally, Duke Forest has over 7,000 acres of land stretching across three different counties with multiple spurs and foot trails. Without a map, it’s difficult to know where to even start.

That said, it’s a great place to go and just get lost if you have a couple hours to wander around the forest. I’ve done this a couple times now and have found some real gems.

Duke Forest is also interesting in how the trails are setup. All the areas I’ve been in so far have one large main trail with a gravel surface with more interesting foot trails branching off at various points. If you’re just looking for an easy walk, stick to the main trail. If you are looking for something more interesting that goes deeper into the woods and along the river, take the side trails.

My Favorite Trails

• Al Buehler (technically not part of Duke Forest but is maintained by their offices)
  • accessed from Cameron Boulevard
  • 3-mile loop
• New Hope Creek
  • accessed from Whitfield Road via either Concrete Bridge Road Trail or Slick Hill Fire Trail
  • 1.1 miles one way with multiple connecting trails to make for a longer hike
• High and Dry
  • accessed from New Hope Creek South Trail
  • about 0.5 mile with multiple connections

Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve

Penny’s Bend is an easy out-and-back hike along a unique section of the Eno River in east Durham. As the name implies, the river has cut a large, horseshoe-like bend through the terrain. Think Horseshoe Bend in Arizona except way smaller, silty water, not in the desert and you’re walking 10 feet above the water instead of 4,200.

The trail itself is just around 2.5 miles depending on where exactly you turn around. There is an endpoint with a sign pointing you in the direction of West Point on the Eno around 1.2 miles. From here, you can either go on deeper into the woods along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (more on that in a bit) for a longer hike or turn around to head back to the parking lot.

There’s also a spur shortly before this sign that goes uphill to an attractive meadow. I recommend doing this for a bit of a pleasant change in scenery from what you already experienced on the way in.

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The Mountains-to-Sea Trail

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) is a 1,117-mile trail spanning the width of the state from Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Outer Banks. Durham is fortunate to have 79 miles of this trail along the Eno River as it flows into Falls Lake.

This is a bit of a free-for-all category because the trail actually goes through each section I mentioned above with the exception of Duke Forest while making its way to Falls Lake State Park. If you’re on a trail in Durham and notice white trailblazes, you’re on the MST. Some of these trails include Laurel Bluffs in Eno River State Park, Eagle Trail in West Point on the Eno and Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve.

The two main trails worth mentioning that don’t belong to a larger park are the River Forest Trail and the Falls Lake Trail. The River Forest Trail is a fairly unremarkable length of trail along the Eno River connecting West Point on the Eno and Penny’s Bend. There aren’t any great sights along this stretch of trail, but it is very peaceful as not many people hike through here.

The Falls Lake Trail is a much better highlight. It’s 60+ miles of forested trail from Penny’s Bend to the Falls Lake Dam near Wake Forest. I’ve only hiked about 13 miles of this trail as some of the sections don’t have parking and I haven’t gone any farther east than the Rolling View section of Falls Lake State Park. Yet, the little bit I’ve seen is well-worth the effort.

Below are a couple of my highlights from the MST as it passes through Durham.

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Rolling View to Little Lick Creek Bridge

This is possibly my single favorite hike in Durham. It has so many great viewpoints of Falls Lake and an amazing endpoint at Little Lick Creek Bridge. The total distance of this segment is 4.2 miles one way. That means a whopping 8.4-mile hike round-trip.

it’s long, but the destination is worth it. At the end of your one-way hike is a secluded inlet of Falls Lake with a narrow bridge hovering just over the water’s surface. Because there are no parking areas nearby, you’ll likely be at this spot totally alone.

Wander around for a bit. Admire the trees growing out of the water. Take in the views from the bridge. If you’re lucky, some wading birds will fly overhead, creating the perfect scene for this lowlands area.

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Penny’s Bend to Red Mill Road

Another one way 4.2-mile hike through the woods. The highlight of this trail comes around 2.5 miles from the Penny’s Bend entrance when the trees transition to mostly southern pine. It’s always a great sight walking into one of these stands, and this one is the best in Durham I’ve found so far. Try to get there in the morning as the sun starts peeking through these tall trees. You’ll thank me for getting you out of bed!

Asides from that, there is about a 1.5-mile stretch along a bluff overlooking the river before reaching the forest scene I just described. It’s a pleasant stretch but don’t expect to see much if hiking in summer. All the greenery obscures any views of the river.

There is one major downside to this hike, though. The first mile is within earshot of an industrial park resulting in a constant whir of machinery filling the air. You get used to it after a while. It’s just unfortunate that it’s there at all ruining that first bit of your hike.

Red Mill Road Twice

I just recently discovered this trail the weekend before writing this. The hiking gods must have known I was writing this because it definitely belongs on this list.

It’s a bit of an odd structure as it’s 4.8-miles long starting at one point on Red Mill Road and ending at another about two miles away. Presumably, it’s to keep through-hikers off the busy road and out of danger.

Whatever the reason, this hike has several highlights worth the long trip off the road. Like every great hike in Durham, there are several fantastic views of our local waterways (Falls Lake in this case). Some other parts of this I particularly enjoyed were some of the open meadows the trail takes you through. Scenes like this are pretty rare on hikes around here, so I found these particularly lovely because I don’t see them too often.

The hike is fairly easy but expect it to be a little slow going because of how often you’ll stop to admire the various landscapes.

Hiking in Durham Essentials

Here are some things to take with you on your hike now that you know where to go!

Resources to Book Your Trip to North Carolina

Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your trip to Durham!

Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out my travel essentials pages for more of my recommendations.

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