A state natural area administered by Eno River State Park and located adjacent to I-85 in the vicinity of the I-85 and I-40 split. Beginning in the parking area, walking the loop trail right next to the interstate did diminish the experience. It was about 20 minutes before we turned the corner far enough from the road that we heard only the distant highway noise. Occoneechee Mountain, at 867' is the highest point in Orange County. It is unusual that the summit is just a couple hundred yards from the Eno River, the main drainage in the area. The entire side of the mountain facing the Eno is carved out having once been a quarry.
Here I am crossing the Eno on a fallen Beech tree. Beech trees are found along the river. Most of the rest of the property is dominated by Chestnut Oaks. Also riverside were Catawba Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel and Galax. Those are not plants found in man nearby locations. The Brown Elfin Butterfly is also found here, although we didn't see any on this chilly November day. Brown Elfins are not seen anywhere else nearby until you get 100 miles away in the foothills of the Blue Ridge.
There are still some colorful leaves along this section of the loop trail next to the Eno River.
Here you can see the upper slops of the mountain and the scarred remains of the quarry. It appears the rock is unstable on these quarry slopes and thus closed to any type climbing.
We enjoyed the short walk, less than 3 miles in this natural area. It definitely seems out of place for its surroundings.
No comments:
Post a Comment