ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — More than 200 acres in Hillsborough will soon be protected under the Eno River State Park.
The Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough is the former home of a NASCAR racetrack and has miles of trails for people to enjoy. Now, the Eno River Association is helping transfer ownership of the land from Classical American Homes Preservation Trust to Eno River State Park.
Down a dirt trail in the middle of a heavily forested area, you'll find the old NASCAR track.
The site attracted drivers and thousands of fans from 1948 to 1968. If you visit, you can still see the original grandstands where NASCAR enthusiasts watched Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett and Louise Smith race.
Plus, remains of old racecars, a ticket booth and concession stand sprinkle the property now used by hikers and joggers.
The parcel proposed for the Eno River State Park includes the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail and the surrounding trail system.
The protected land to be sold by the preservation trust acts as a stream buffer and wildlife corridor for more than 2.8 miles of rivers and tributaries, preserving clean water and supporting wildlife along the Eno River.
"A ranger will provide safe trails. There could be parking lot improvements. There could be other facilities that are built and maintained," said Kim Livingston, who works as the director of conservation and stewardship for the Eno River Association. "It will just have more of a presence and more of that safety factor that you get when you're out in Eno River State Park."
Livingston studied landscape architecture in college, but soon realized she had a larger passion for protecting places versus creating them. She says by designating this land under a state park, it will provide vital protection for water, wildlife and historic resources like the racetrack.
“First and foremost, this is a community resource. The people use this land often to recreate, engage with nature, birdwatch, look at vegetation and just be outside," Livingston said. "And I would say that globally it is a growing issue that we don't have open spaces anymore, we don't have a lot of spaces for wildlife movement or for climate resilience."
The Eno River Association also identified a 20-acre parcel in this area that would best be managed by the Archaeological Conservancy. It's part of Historic Downtown Hillsborough and contains four known early settlements dating back to A.D. 1000. It includes the remains of an Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation village on the banks of the Eno dating back to A.D. 1690.
"The archaeological sites located at this bend in the Eno River are tremendously significant in informing our understanding of Native American life in the Piedmont region from A.D. 1000 until the early 1700s," said Kelley Berliner, eastern regional director for the conservancy.
This is one of the biggest land acquisitions that the Eno River State Park has seen in a long time. This transaction, contingent on fundraising, would bring the total state park lands in Orange County to more than 4,000 acres.
Even though the transfer has been announced, it's not official yet. Over the next year, the Eno River Association is raising funds to make it happen. The preservation trust will donate 23% of the $2,028,480 land value. The remaining funds will be raised through public and private donations.