Day Hike 2: Guess Road to Pump Station Access off Rivermont Road

Laurel Bluffs

Distance: 2.6 miles, plus 0.4-mile connector trail

  • Difficulty: Moderate.
  • Camping: No.
  • Land managers: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
  • Volunteer Task Force Leader: Fred Dietrich, fred.dietrich@duke.edu.
  • Piggyback trail: Laurel Bluffs Trail.
  • Connecting trails: Pump Station Trail (1.5-mile loop at western end).
  • Trailhead/access: Eno River Association headquarters on Guess Road and Pump Station Access off Rivermont Road. The latter is an access operated by Eno River State Park and has official hours of 8 a.m. until sunset; there is no overnight parking. At Guess Road park behind the Eno River Association office (the red brick house on the north bank of the Eno); parking is at your own risk. Click on the map below for more detail.

Eno River above Guess Road.

The eastern trailhead is a little sketchy. From the Eno River Association headquarters off Guess Road the MST goes under the four-lane (five if you count mid-road turn lane) urban road, then surfaces to cross the bridge. Once across, a stairway quickly escorts you back down to the river.

The trail follows an old mill race and and passes the remains of a dam decommissioned long ago. You hike through floodplain for a short bit, then encounter the quick but mellow up-and-down common to the Eno River Valley. Tempting neighborhood trails beckon; keep your eye on the white blaze.

You’ll come up to a utility easement clearing near the end, follow it down to the river and continue upstream Shortly, you’ll have the option of continuing to the right on the MST or veering left on a 0.4-mile connector to roadside parking for the Pump Station Access. Continue on the MST and shortly you’ll be treated to the brick remains of the old water pumping station for which this area is named. Proceed with caution; this is a rare spot where access remains open to an entertaining (and potentially dangerous) piece of the past. After exploring the pump station, return uphill to the access on Rivermont Road.

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.