Best Hiking and Walking Trails Near Chapel Hill

May 22, 2016

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to go on a long walk or hike with Joe. We both put our phones away and spend that time together enjoying the nature around us and enjoying each other’s presence. It’s incredibly peaceful as well as energizing!

We’ve checked out basically all of the parks and walking trails in the area and the ones listed below are the ones that are my favorites for different reasons. If you know of any amazing hiking or walking trails that you would recommend, please please please send them my way! I’m always up for an adventure and exploring a new area!

Carolina North Forest: This is a hidden gem that’s literally 8 minutes away from where Joe lives so we frequent this one the most. It’s a beautiful trail, extremely easy to walk with amazing tall trees that block you from the streets. It’s a great trail to run or bike on as well! We love taking the “pumpkin loop” and I’d say it’s about 2.5 miles long.

Source: Yelp

Eno River State Park : This park is AMAZING! There are so many trails here that Joe and I are not anywhere near close to hiking all of them. We’re trying to plan a day-long hike to conquer the 11 mile trail but for now we stick with the basic 1-4 mile trails. Our favorite is the Cox Mountain Trail cause that one is slightly challenging. My favorite part to walk across at the Eno River State Park is the bridge, how fun does it look!

Source: Wikipedia
6101 Cole Mill Road
Durham, NC 27705

Occoneechee Mountain: Okay, now this one is a TRUE gem. Joe and I both adore the mountains but it’s a bit much to drive over 3 hours to hike up a mountain (which we still do occasionally). But, if you’re craving the mountain but are short on time, this place is perfection. It’s only twenty minutes away from Chapel Hill AND near Mapleview. So take a hike then go grab some icecream. It’s a recipe for the perfect day!

I did a post on Occoneechee Mountain which you can check out –> HERE.

625 Virginia Cates Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278

Merritt’s Pasture: Okay, so here’s what you have to do if you’re planning on walking this trail. First, go to Merritt’s and grab their amazing BLT (with avocado, treat yourself). And then, take a soda pop and walk this amazing trail (or pasture). It’s literally an open field looking out in a forest of trees. Doing a quick google search of it also showed me that it’s a popular place to take engagement pictures, so… if you’re recently engaged and in Chapel Hill might be worth checking out ;)

Source: Flickr
NC Highway 86/Fordham Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Duke Gardens: Okay, so this is one of the rare moments when I praise something that comes from Dook. There’s no denying that Duke Gardens is absolutely beautiful especially during this time. I’m also a little biased because this is where I got engaged and had multiple amazing picnics at. With that being said, Duke Gardens is an amazing pleasure to walk (or run) through when the flowers are in full bloom. If you park after 5 PM, parking is free and you can enjoy the gardens with plenty of sunshine time left during the summer!