Eno River-Cox Mountain

Hike: Cox Mountain
Location: Eno River State Park
Nearby Town: Durham
Elevation (Max): 674'
Elevation Gained: 485'
Mileage: 4.39
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Take Exit 170 off I-85 onto US-70 West. Take first right onto Pleasant Green Rd. Follow signs. Go left on Cole Mill Rd, enter the park, and follow road to the end for parking and trailhead.
Web Site: http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/enri/main.php

Stairs down to the Eno

Maps are available at the trailhead. Follow the cement sidewalk through the picnic area to the trail which leads down a hill. Follow this trail which will bring you down to the Eno River and eventually to a suspension foot bridge. Cross the bridge, which can be a bit exciting as the bridge bounces and swings with each step. Continue on the trail until the trail splits. At this point, the loop begins, and you can either go left or continue straight. I went left to get the climb out of the way at the beginning of the hike.

Swinging bridge

Across the Eno

The trail climbs pretty steeply for a while before reaching a cut in the forest for power lines near the summit. The trail then descends down the other side of the hill back to the Eno. Follow the trail along the Eno where you will see some cascades, several turtles, and I also saw a pool of water about 3 feet deep on the opposite side of the trail from the river with 5 fish in it. They must have gotten trapped there after a heavy rain when the river was high. I wonder how long that pool a) has been there and b) will last, especially now that it's summer and temps will be in the 90s for the next few months.

Near the summit of Cox Mountain in the power line cut

Back to the Eno

The trail then turns away from the river and crosses power lines. At the next trail junction, you can go right to complete the loop and retrace your steps back to the parking. I chose to go left, though, and recommend doing the same. This brings you through the campground at Fanny's Ford (I wanted to check out the campground in case I want to camp here sometime in the future). Walk through the entire campground, past the pit toilet, and back to the river, and turn right. This trail walks along the river through a very neat section where the river goes through a long cascade around and over rocks, including a section with a small waterfall followed by a pool, which leads into another small waterfall. Several people were swimming in this section of the river, and I was very envious seeing as it was absolutely beautiful, and I was very hot on this 90 degree day.

Popular swimming hole

AMAZING spot to cool off on a summer day

The trail eventually reaches Fews Ford, where it turns right. Follow the trail, keeping left at the junction where the trail meets the Cox Mountain Trail. From here, you will soon finish the loop and retrace your steps back to the car. This is the best hike I've been on in Eno, and the river was really beautiful in this area with lots of cascades and the clearest river water I've seen in the Triangle. I returned two days later with my girlfriend to swim in the same spot I watched several people swimming on this hike, it was truly enjoyable. Below is a GPS-generated map of this hike.