RIVER WALK, HILLSBOROUGH, NC: Reliving History at Occaneechi Village

Historic replica of Occaneechi Village, Hillsborough, NC

In late November, on a cool but bright fall day, we took a walk along the Eno River in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with our family. The Riverwalk path follows the river bank through the town park and links with other hiking trails. Not far from where we joined the trail near the Weaver Street Market we came upon Occaneechi Village, a historic replica of a native American village as it would have been in 1701.

Thatched dwelling.

At that time the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation lived on the land, growing food and hunting in the surrounding forest. The village was an important trade location where the Occaneechi people traded with Europeans as well as nearby tribes such as the Tuscarora. Many descendants of the Occaneechi tribe continue to live in Hillsborough.

Village surrounded by stockade of wooden posts.

Inside a stockade of wooden stakes are several thatched dwellings, open air shelters, places to build fires and prepare food, and other work areas.

Sample of caulking along the lower part of the stockade.

Openings between the wooden stakes could be filled with a lattice of sticks caulked with mud.

River Park path.

After exploring Occaneechi Village we continued walking along the paved path through River Park. 

Map of the Oxbow archeological site.

Signs further along the trail explained the historic significance of this location. Toward the end of our two mile walk we learned that archeological research of the ten-acre site within the oxbow bend of the Eno River has revealed that it was home to Occaneechi villages going back to 1000 A.D.

Footbridge across Eno River at Oxbow.

At the bridge near the oxbow, the trail veers away from the river bank and heads into the forest. We turned around here and headed back to our car. (A large parking garage is located near the trail head.) On our way back we passed a deer busy browsing, who paid little attention to us or other walkers.

Deer.

Occaneechi Village is located along the Riverwalk, within River Park, behind the Farmer’s Market Pavilion in Hillsborough. It is open 8am to 7pm. Hillsborough is about a half-hour drive from Chapel Hill, where our daughter and her family live.

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.