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Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,014 Google reviews · Running trail in Hillsborough, North Carolina · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
This park has over 190 acres of land, mountain hiking trails & the highest land point in the county.
What runners say about Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
“Never knew this hidden gem existed all these years I’ve existed smh excellent views clean air quality and the trails are good to job but extremely steep”
“Had a great hike here recently - can be mild to moderate with great views from the overlook area.”
“The path is almost entirely in the shade, except for a few sections away from the highway under the power lines.”
“It was 48 minutes from me went there did the walk which is amazing great place quiet and when I left and got back home, I forgot about all my problems!”
I have lived in NC for almost 30 years and never heard of this place! I have been missing out! Amazing. I brought my 4 & 6 year old and they made it around the large trail and back up to the top after. Excellent place to bring the kids and amazing views. We will be back many times for sure.
Really lovely. If you’re not a little fit, the trails are not easy as they are described. Im reasonably fit and there were areas of the mountain loop that were tricky for me, primarily due to the incline or decline and the trails having loose gravel or bare roots.
This was a pretty cool trail. First impressions were this why is this a moderate rating?!? It starts off with nice flowy trails, slight inclines and just a nice walk in the woods. That was the Chestnut Oak trail --just a pleasant walking spot. The the other connecting trails are where the moderate rating comes.
This is one of our favorite places to hike. The 2 mile loop is very challenging with all different types of terrain: roots, clay, gravel, dirt, moss, rocks. You definitely need hiking gear and to be prepared for a moderate level hike.
Trail conditions & character
“Never knew this hidden gem existed all these years I’ve existed smh excellent views clean air quality and the trails are good to job but extremely steep”
“Im reasonably fit and there were areas of the mountain loop that were tricky for me, primarily due to the incline or decline and the trails having loose gravel or bare roots.”
“Im reasonably fit and there were areas of the mountain loop that were tricky for me, primarily due to the incline or decline and the trails having loose gravel or bare roots.”
“Im reasonably fit and there were areas of the mountain loop that were tricky for me, primarily due to the incline or decline and the trails having loose gravel or bare roots.”
“The entrance is gravel and narrow and the parking lot gets full so we like to come early.”
“Im reasonably fit and there were areas of the mountain loop that were tricky for me, primarily due to the incline or decline and the trails having loose gravel or bare roots.”
“The path is almost entirely in the shade, except for a few sections away from the highway under the power lines.”
“It was 48 minutes from me went there did the walk which is amazing great place quiet and when I left and got back home, I forgot about all my problems!”
“My brother and I come here pretty often for a quick hike with a nice view at about 700ft above sea level.”
“Map, enough parking, picnic area, restroom available at the start of trails.”
“I brought my dog as usual when exploring NC, she enjoyed herself, but it was very rocky on the trails; so not sure I'd recommend that way.”
Plan your run at Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitencparks.gov
- Phone+1 984-250-1370
Hours
| Monday | 8 am–9 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am–9 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am–9 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am–9 pm |
| Friday | 8 am–9 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am–9 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am–9 pm |
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