Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed6-ft leash
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- ncparks.gov(919) 383-1686
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area is a natural area in Orange County, in Hillsborough.
The park supports fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other — January | Not stated | 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. | — |
| Sat–Sun | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | — | |
| Other — March | Not stated | 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. | — |
| Fri | 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. | — | |
| Sat–Sun | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | — | |
| Other — May | Not stated | 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. | — |
| Fri | 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. | — | |
| Sat–Sun | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | — | |
| Park | The park is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays. | ||
| Other — January | Mon–Fri | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Other — March | Mon–Thu | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Other — January | Mon–Fri | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Sat–Sun | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | — | |
| Other — March | Mon–Thu | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Fri | 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. | — | |
| Sat–Sun | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | — | |
Official wording
January: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
February: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
June: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
July: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
August: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
September: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
November: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The park is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays.
Park Office at Eno River: Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area does not have an on-site office. These are the hours for the Eno River park office:
January: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
February: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
March: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
April: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
May: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
June: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
July: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
August: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
September: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
November: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
December: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The park office is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays.
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area does not have an on-site office. These are the hours for the Eno River park office:
January: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
February: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
June: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
July: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
August: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
September: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
November: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The park office is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Fees and passes
Free entry at most parks ('Most state parks are free to enter'); per-vehicle day-use fees at the reservoir SRAs (Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, Kerr Lake) and fees for swimming, boat launches, rentals, ferries and camping.
Statewide fee rule from North Carolina's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
North Carolina park passes
- Annual Pass for Reservoirs — $70 Details
- Annual Pass — $100 Details
- Annual Pass with 4WD Beach Access — $200. Annual Pass benefits plus four-wheel-drive beach access Details
From the North Carolina state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveAmerica (northcarolinastateparks.reserveamerica.com)
- Phone
- 1-877-722-6762
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed · leash up to 6 feet
Pets are allowed at the park. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Camping
There are no camping facilities at Occoneechee Mountain. The closest state park with camping is Eno River State Park.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
HikingFishingPicnicking
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Elfin Knob Trail | 0.1 mi | Moderate | 0.1-mile one way; Blaze: blue circlesHiking only |
| Chestnut Oak Trail | 0.9 mi | Moderate | 0.9-mile one way; Blaze: orange circlesHiking only |
| Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail | 2.2 mi | Moderate | 2.2-mile loop; Blaze: red circlesHiking only |
| Overlook Trail | 0.15 mi | Easy | 0.15-mile one way; Blaze: yellow circlesHiking only |
Trail descriptions from the park
Hiking Trails: Open
Brown Elfin Knob Trail (0.1-mile one way; Blaze: blue circles), Moderate, Hiking only
Chestnut Oak Trail (0.9-mile one way; Blaze: orange circles), Moderate, Hiking only
Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail (2.2-mile loop; Blaze: red circles), Moderate, Hiking only
Overlook Trail (0.15-mile one way; Blaze: yellow circles), Easy, Hiking only
Fishing
Fishing
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- 625 Virginia Cates Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278 - Nearest town
- Hillsborough
- Coordinates
- 36.0620, -79.1209 (from Wikidata)
- Phone
- (919) 383-1686
- eno.river@ncparks.gov
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- North Carolina State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- NC State Parks 'Catalog: Find a State Park Access' (paged Drupal view, ?page=0..6)
- Wikidata
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology