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You are here: Home / Diary / Take a walk or run on the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail

Take a walk or run on the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail

November 11, 2016 By Michelle Rogers

You can still go up into the old concrete grandstand. A great place to take a break from your run or walk!
You can still go up into the old concrete grandstand — a great place to take a break from your run or walk!

One thing I love about North Carolina, besides its stunning natural beauty, is the character found in so many towns and spaces. There’s a uniqueness, a creativity, both hidden and in plain view, that manages to weave history and the present. I’ve lived here for almost a decade and I’m still having fun discovering new-to-me places, right in my own backyard. Obviously, this speaks to the dedication and hard work of the people who make these community treasures a reality.

The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough is one of those places, and it combines several of my favorite things — history, outdoors and fitness. It’s an old racetrack that was in use from 1948-68 and in 2003 was converted to a park with trails. It’s the last remaining dirt track from NASCAR’s inaugural 1948 season.

The Speedway is a 44-acre site along the banks of the Eno River and is on the National Register of Historic Places. There are three miles of flat, dirt tracks ideal to run or walk, including the original oval loop around the speedway. Today, it’s surrounded by tall pines.

The park is part of North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail system, and sits adjacent to the newly connected Hillsborough Riverwalk.

Yesterday was gorgeous and perfect for a walk or run on the trail. My son and I enjoyed being out there, relishing the last days of autumn color. Here is my photo tour of the Speedway trail.

Near the trail entrance
Near the trail entrance

Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

Approaching the track loop
Approaching the track loop (Speedway Trace)
Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.
The flat, dirt trails are ideal for running or walking. There are no hills.
The trail borders the Eno River
The trail borders the Eno River

Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

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Occoneechee Speedway Trail in Hillsborough, N.C.

See, I told you this place has character! A vintage racecar adds charm to the track.
Like I said, this place has character! A vintage race car adds charm to the track.

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A peaceful place to run
A peaceful place to run

Interested in visiting?

The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail is located at 320 Elizabeth Brady Road, Hillsborough, N.C., 27278. It is open until sunset, year-round. There is a parking lot on site, and no admission is charged. For more information, see http://www.historicspeedwaygroup.org.

© Michelle Rogers, Inc.

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Filed Under: Diary, Fitness, Travel Tagged With: exercise, fall, fitness, hiking, North Carolina, outdoors, review, running, walking, What It's Like, workout

About Michelle Rogers

I'm a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Health Coach, Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and a Senior Fitness Specialist. Visit my fitness services website!

About Me

Welcome to my healthy living blog! My name is Michelle Rogers. I am a Certified Personal Trainer, a Certified Health Coach, a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and a Senior Fitness Specialist. I … Read more

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