The Speedway Trail, steeped in nature and history, made for an absorbing walk, but I was also curious about how the former speedway became a trail. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail (HOST) site now has 44 acres of trails, both along the track itself and in the surrounding woods, which border the Eno River just across from Ayr Mount (the same company owns both properties). The trail borders the Eno River. France and NASCAR took this idea to Alabama where 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway was built. The area surrounding the trail is mostly forested, but the few open fields were turning emerald with new grass. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail is located at 320 Elizabeth Brady Road, Hillsborough, N.C., 27278. I haven’t done much exploring on the east coast but I know there are a lot of National Parks I would like to visit. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Historic Occoneechee Speedway and James M. Johnston Nature Preserve. One oak I spotted also had a very wide, tall, fuzzy vine growing up its trunk, perhaps the largest poison ivy plant I’d ever seen. Thought you might guess that hiking and NASCAR have nothing in common, you’d be surprised to know that in Hillsborough, NC, they go hand in hand. If I ever visit NC I’ll definitely make sure I pack my runners so I can tackle this. It must be so peaceful to get to hike and run in that setting. Hikers can walk along what used to be the track's racing surface, which currently resembles little more than a dirt back road, where cars used to reach speeds of up to 120 mph. Occoneechee's demise paved the way for the Talladega Superspeedway. 44 acres? Ooh that looks like a fun quaint place to visit! At least that is what Bill France, the founder of NASCAR, thought when he flew over it in 1948, viewing what was then an oval horse track, which was in turn part of a farm. So much to explore! I love how they preserved the area and turned it into trails to explore! He bought the land and began converting it to a racetrack, and he must have been right about it being a good location, because from 1949 to 1968 the Occoneechee/Orange Speedway was part of the NASCAR network, attracting thousands of fans. I walked down the steps of the old stone stadium and found crusty wooden sheds whose original use was no longer apparent, and other, less mysterious relics. Those are some beautiful trails. Gorgeous! Beautiful pictures! Great way to spend the day or a few hours enjoying the outdoors. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough is one of those places, and it combines several of my favorite things — history, outdoors and fitness. I’m not sure how I managed to miss the Occoneechee Speedway Trail up until now, when over time I’ve been hiked up and down Hillsborough’s Occoneechee Mountain several times, done the Riverwalk before and after dinner in town, and walked the Poet’s Walk at Ayr Mount with other English majors. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail is located at 320 Elizabeth Brady Road, Hillsborough, N.C., 27278. Announcing Online Auctions! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail is a 1.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Hillsborough, North Carolina that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. Four miles of trails takes you along the banks of the Eno River, where you’ll walk around the only surviving dirt speedway from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season. As one might guess from the name, the Preservation Trust is primarily interested in historically-important homes, like Ayr Mount, the Federal-era plantation house in Hillsborough, rather than in NASCAR. II P/1046 Won Le Mans For Ford, And America, A Vintage Video Tour Of The CCCA's 9th-Annual Meeting At Buck Hill Falls. Chassis of old cars representative of the era were brought in and set along the speedway, and it eventually turned into the site walkers see today. In addition to the profusion of trout lilies, mountain laurel can be found nearby, and some species of fir. North Carolina is on the list of places for me to visit. What a great trail! It’s the last remaining dirt track from NASCAR’s inaugural 1948 season. It sparks the imagination to think about a past era. I’ve always wanted to visit North Carolina. Constructed in 1948 on the grounds of a former horse racing track in Hillsborough, North Carolina, this speedway helped open the door for NASCAR's future with longer tracks and higher speeds, but Bill France wanted to turn this track into a superspeedway similar to Daytona, which opened in 1959. Apparently, before the banks of the Eno were a great place for a walk, they were a great place for a speedway. Go, Filed Under: Diary, Fitness, Travel Tagged With: exercise, fall, fitness, hiking, North Carolina, outdoors, review, running, walking, What It's Like, workout. Ground was broken on Talladega in March 1968 just months before Richard Petty took the checkered flag at Occoneechee's final race. All facilities at Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area are open as of September 11. I am really so jealous that you have so many gorgeous places so near to you. There is a parking lot on site, and no admission is charged. What a neat place! The park is part of North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail system, and sits adjacent to the newly connected Hillsborough Riverwalk. The outer shells of a couple of cars sat along the track, bottoms rusted out, the side trim still announcing the make. What a cool hike! Matthew 19:26. The Occoneechee Speedway site is now heavily forested with pines and sycamores. There’s a uniqueness, a creativity, both hidden and in plain view, that manages to weave history and the present. After 1968, the track fell into disrepair before being acquired by a preservation group in 1997. Both the natural poison ivy and the nonnative English ivy had been allowed free rein there for years, reflecting the mingling of natural and human history that makes the trail so interesting. Stunning views and beautiful captured! Current status of park facilities . Crowther, who has worked at Ayr Mount for 30 years, had time during our conversation to just touch on a few of these. For highly recommended products I’ve hand-picked to help you in your fitness journey, visit my Amazon shop, With God, all things are possible. Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail is a 44-acre site on the National Register of Historic Places. I really need to visit. Both the natural poison ivy and the nonnative English ivy had been allowed free rein there for years, reflecting the mingling of natural and human history that makes the trail so interesting. As Crowther explains, they knew that the speedway had been on the property they purchased, but didn’t know much more at first. My name is Michelle Rogers. As the Classical Homes Preservation Trust was gradually uncovering the track’s history and planning for the trail, others knew the track from a different perspective, memories. What a beautiful trail! Gradually some of the overgrowth gave way to reveal the remnants of old buildings, which were then partially restored. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail has an access and parking lot at 320 Elizabeth Brady Road in Hillsborough. Visit my fitness services website! It’s an old racetrack that was in use from 1948-68 and in 2003 was converted to a park with trails. The Occoneechee Speedway Trail, A Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg, VA, Getting Spooky With The Ghosts of Charleston Tour in Charleston, SC, Autumn Is Amazing At Biltmore Estate In Asheville, NC, The Inn At Celebrity Dairy In Siler City, NC, Weekend at The Azalea Festival In Wilmington, NC. Even through the language barrier, the love of cars translates. Copyrights © 2018. Donate to the Shelby American Collection and get entered to win a 2020 S... VIDEO: 1966 Ford GT40 Mk. Fill out to receive my eBook, "6 Secrets to Winning at Exercise (Even if You've Always Failed!). Yesterday was gorgeous and perfect for a walk or run on the trail. You'll get the EXACT strategies I used to drop the weight over age 40 after decades of failure! A peaceful place to run Interested in visiting? It is open until sunset, year-round. My son and I enjoyed being out there, relishing the last days of autumn color. I love our state! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pics! Absolutely beautiful! Rare classic and collector cars vetted by our dealer network. You are so lucky , This looks like such a beautiful place. I’m glad though, to add HOST to my list. Looks beautiful! I love nature and talking walks. Your dog is so cute. Gene Hobby, who formerly raced at the track, is part of the Historic Speedway Group, and he gives some interesting facts about the track's past including a first-hand experience about what it was like to crash at Occoneechee. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway holds the distinction of being the last remaining dirt track from NASCAR's inaugural 1949 season, but it could have been much, much more.
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