Trail Rating: Easy (Almost entirely handicapped accessible with fairly even terrain).
Trail is a combination of pavement, boardwalk, and dirt/gravel.
My first experience on the Mountains-To-Sea Trail.
For my first Nature post, I’m going to discuss my recent adventure on the NC Mountains-To-Sea Trail (MST). I recently learned about the MST when exploring potential hikes in NC. I’ve lived in the Triangle for almost two years and have sadly gone on very few hiking adventures. Since I will be moving to Ohio in July, I decided it was time to get out and explore some of what NC has to offer.
The MST is NC’s longest marked trail stretching 1,175 miles from the Smoky Mountains in the west to the Outer Banks in the east. Currently, about 700 miles of the trail are footpath with the remaining temporary segments taking place on back roads and bike paths until footpaths are completed. The trail also requires two ferry rides and hikers also have the option of floating (kayaking or canoeing) for a portion down the Neuse River. Adventurers willing to hike the entire trail will be treated to areas that really highlight everything NC has to offer. This of course is according to the MST website, not from personal experience, which can be found here.
We (Zebra’s amazing girl and myself) decided we wanted to find a hike close to home. Every time we drove to Hillsborough, we talked about walking on the trail along the Eno River, but just hadn’t done it yet. We decided that the day had come, so we headed north. Once we arrived, I noticed on Google Maps that we were actually going to be hiking on a portion of the MST.
I want to apologize in advance for not taking more pictures. I am historically very bad about taking pictures, and even worse about being in pictures. I’m also new to blogging, so I guess it isn’t surprising that we had almost returned to the car before I thought to take a single picture. I will rectify this in future posts. Sorry.
My first adventure out on the MST was noteworthy and I’m sure my descriptions won’t nearly do the experience justice. We started by parking at the free parking garage on the southern end of town. Every time I park here, I can’t help but be amazed that the parking is still free and this was a sure fire way to start my adventure with a smile.
A short walk (1 min or so) lead us to the entrance of the Riverwalk Trail which just also happens to be part of the MST. This portion of the trail is a beautiful elevated boardwalk that leads down to the river and under the vehicle bridges that cross the river. The boardwalk lasts for about a half mile and you are will see some graffiti under the bridges. For the most part, the graffiti is standard tagging, but there were a few artistic images that were interesting to look at like a dancing alien and a dinosaur. There wasn’t anything particularly offensive at the time of our hike for people with families.
After about the boardwalk ends, the trail becomes paved and leads to River Park. This is a small, but well maintained park that seems like a great spot for a picnic or family outing. We stopped here on the way back as we were trying to find a blue-gray gnatcatcher in the trees above us. We recently purchased our first set of decent optics and have been taking them on almost every hike. We also have been using a great phone app BirdNET from Cornell University which can identify birds by their song. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to spot the little guy/gal.
Next, we hit a fork in the road. To stay on the MST/Riverwalk Trail, you need to head left across the bridge.
This also happened to be my favorite bridge on our hike today. You will soon learn that I am a sucker for bridges. Love them, especially bridges that have a little give or sway. While not a tall bridge, this bridge gave in just that oh so perfect way as you cross it with a little babbling brook below it. Wonderful.
On the other side, you need to turn left to stay on the trail, also a bit confusing. In front of you is the Occaneechi Village replica site which was built where an original 17th century village once stood. I wish I had taken a few pictures and out of respect for copyright, I chose not to post other people’s photographs which you can check out on Google at the link above.
The trail stays paved for about another 1/4 – 1/2 mile and then becomes dirt/gravel traveling through the woods along the northern bank of the Eno River. We passed quite a few people walking and biking, maintaining our six foot spacing for COVID. Even with all the people, it was still fairly peaceful and serene and we were able to look for a few other birds we don’t get near our house. We were able to spot an Acadian Flycatcher but weren’t able to set eyes on the Red-Eyed Vireo, both identified initially through the BirdNET app. We also found our first geocache of the day in this area. If you aren’t familiar with geocaching, check out the site here. At some point, I will do a full post on geocaching.
After about a 1/2 mile or so, you will come across a higher, longer bridge crossing the Eno River. Just before the bridge on your left, you will pass an archaeological site where another native village once stood with some informative placards about the site. The bridge was another very nice trail bridge made of metal, resembling a small train bridge. Since it was made of metal, there was no sway and this deducts points on my bridge scale, but still a very enjoyable crossing. There was also a geocache hidden in a fun location at one end of the bridge. My favorite geocaching find of the day.
After the bridge, you pass an Italian decor warehouse/company/??? named Vietri. I was so intrigued, I had to look up the website when I got home. It appears to be a chain store that specializes in Italian artisan home goods. I had never heard of this store and it has a very large footprint, which surprised me that it would be located in a small-ish town like Hillsborough. The company was apparently founded by two sisters and their mother after traveling to Italy for the first time. Maybe I’ll have to check it out some day.
After passing the store, we crossed Elizabeth Brady Rd and found ourselves at the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trailhead. We did not hike the Speedway Trail, which is a former NASCAR dirt speedway, due to impending rain, but plan to park at this trailhead to start our next MST adventure. Before heading back, we took a small trail to the left which lead us to Cates Creek which flows to the Eno River. There was a new bridge across the creek under construction, so that was the point we turned back.
I must say, this was an enjoyable afternoon and this portion of the trail is now one of my favorite hikes in the area. All said, I think we spent a little over two hours out on the trail which included bird watching, geocaching, and stopping to enjoy the bridges. I would recommend this trail to anyone living in the area or passing by. It has bridges, historic landmarks, and archaeological sites, all next to a flowing river and within a short distance from each other. Not to mention the town of Hillsborough is a great place for a meal and a drink, in non-COVID times.
As always, thanks for stopping by. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Facebook to get notified of new posts, and remember to keep on adventuring.