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“Outdoors & Recreation in Hillsborough, NC”
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area is a North Carolina state park in Orange County, North Carolina in the United States. Located adjacent to the town of Hillsborough, it covers 190acre and includes Occoneechee Mountain, the highest point (867 ft) in Orange County and a settlement of the Occaneechi tribe.HistoryRising more than 350ft from the Eno River, the Occoneechee Mountain summit is the highest point in Orange County.Researchers believe that the area's habitat has remained relatively unchanged since the last Ice Age due to the presence of the brown elfin, a rare butterfly, and several unique plant species. The brown elfin is typically found in mountainous and northern areas, and the nearest brown elfin population to Occoneechee is more than 100mi west. When the Piedmont's habitat underwent enormous transformations after the Ice Age, the area became unable to support the brown elfin and other species more accustomed to cooler environments. Brown elfins, believed to have once populated the Piedmont, were restricted to the state's mountains. However, the brown elfin butterflies at Occoneechee Mountain remained.The land the state natural area now sits on was originally settled by the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, who traveled to the mountain from the west. In the colonial period, European immigrants settled the area. Until 1987, a mill village occupied a section of the natural area. The NC Division of Parks and Recreation first purchased land at Occoneechee Mountain in December 1997. Since then, the natural area has grown to nearly 124 acres.
Nice view from the top! We hiked with our 3 year old so we just did a quick trip up and down for a total of about 1 mile. The 3 year old was able to do the entire hike on his own. The main part of... Read more
We love hiking and are super excited that we found this lovely park. The park is wooded and elevated. The trail is easy to follow and there are benches to sit on if you get tired. There is a... Read more
We came to the triangle area for a long weekend and came here for an early morning hike. It's about 45 minutes from Raleigh and only 15 minutes from Durham. We got there too early and found out... Read more
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
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