Day Hike 1: U.S. 501/Roxboro Road to Guess Road, Durham
West Point on the Eno City Park
Distance: 1.6 miles, plus 0.1-mile connector trail
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Camping: No.
- Land manager: Durham Parks & Recreation.
- Volunteer Task Force Leader: Fred Dietrich, fred.dietrich@duke.edu.
- Piggyback trail: Eagle Trail.
- Connecting trails: Additional 3 miles of trail in West Point on the Eno city park.
- Trailhead/access: West Point on the Eno city park, 5101 North Roxboro Road, Durham, and at the Eno River Association headquarters (the red brick house) on north bank of the Eno River at Guess Road. Park at your own risk. Overnight parking is prohibited. Gate hours at West Point on the Eno are 8 a.m. to sunset. Click on map below for more detail.
Sennett Hole.
There’s a secret on this hike that you discover about 0.6 mile in. After losing touch with the river for a short period, you come over a rocky passage and there it is: Sennet Hole. This rock-rimmed pool (a little smaller than a community pool) is a favorite for folks looking to cool off on a steamy summer’s day. It may be tepid on top, but dive down five, 10, 15 feet in the middle and a chill is guaranteed. Ample rocks for sunning afterward.
The trail proceeds along the river upstream before taking a turn upland with about a half mile to go. Keep an eye out for the white blaze; well-trod neighborhood trails are notorious in this stretch for luring hikers off the mark. And don’t be concerned if it appears your hike winds up in someone’s backyard. That brick house is actually home to the Eno River Association, which has been preserving land along the Eno since the 1960s.
A popular way to hike this trail is as a 32-mile out-and-back from West Point on the Eno. A shuttle isn’t really justified on a 1.6-mile hike, and you avoid the issue of parking at the Eno River Association headquarters, which can be tight at times.
For detailed hiking directions and parking information, download the Segment 10 guide from our Trail Guides page, using the “Primary Trailheads” section to pinpoint the location. You can also visualize the route on our interactive map.
