ENO RIVER STATE PARK, Durham, NC: A Place to Enjoy Nature

Eno River, North Carolina

The Eno River is a swift, shallow stream that flows for 33 miles through Orange and Durham counties in North Carolina.  Its wooded shores and surrounding forest are home to birds, deer, and other wildlife, and have been preserved for public enjoyment as Eno River State Park.  On a recent visit to North Carolina, we went on a family outing to the park.  We began our visit with a naturalist program at the park headquarters where we learned about red-shouldered hawks, Cooper’s hawks, ospreys, eagles and other raptors (birds of prey) that can be seen within the park.  Many raptors, including bald eagles, are seen more easily during the fall migration season.  (We didn’t see any during our visit in July.)  We also learned that when the bald eagle was chosen as our national symbol, it almost lost out to the wild turkey, the bird preferred by Benjamin Franklin for our national symbol because of its industrious nature. Wild turkeys can also be seen in the park, along with more than one hundred species of songbirds, such as the cardinal, the North Carolina state bird, and water birds such as great blue herons and wood ducks.

Bridge across the Eno River

After the raptor talk we hiked down the trail from the visitor center to the river.  In the shallow water we watched fish dart among the rocks and dragonflies flit over the water’s surface.  We even saw a turtle.

Summer flowers bloomed along the path, which we followed along the river to a suspension bridge.  The narrow pedestrian walkway, which spans the stream to connect to a path on the other side of the river, provided a few thrills for the kids and a nice view down the river from the middle.  Afterward, the kids took off their shoes and splashed and cooled their feet in the stream.

Fungus on a fallen log, Eno River State Park

It was a warm day, as most summer days in North Carolina are, but the late afternoon hour and the shady forest made our visit a very pleasant and rewarding experience as we immersed ourselves in the natural beauty of North Carolina.

For more information about park hours and special activities click here.