A little about the area is here.
As you enter, you can pick up a map and see a some items of interest on a covered bulletin board (click to make the pic larger):
Much of the trail is rooty and rocky, but my hiking partner did okay in her tennis shoes. There is a fair amount of uphill/downhill but nothing too strenuous. The trail is considered "moderate."
After a while, you'll get to the big scary warning sign about the Quarry:
Continue on down the trail and soon you'll hear frogs and crickets loudly singing. Water is close. The Quarry is close.
Right before the payoff of seeing the Quarry up close, you have to stone-step over a little creek. The stones looked mighty slippery to me and I was worried about slipping and falling and breaking my leg far down a trail, but I finally got over to the Quarry side (to the steps) safely and snapped a picture.
The Quarry was lovely. I was going to circumnavigate it because a trail does go around it according to the map, but I got my shot of the Quarry and headed back.
above, Eno Quarry 3.7.2009
Hiking out we saw some teenagers hiking in quite obviously going for a swim. I wondered about how cold the water must surely be since earlier this week the temps were 13 or so degrees a couple of nights.A few other shots from the hike:
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4 comments:
Such timing on this blog! See below for warning not to mess with that water just now. (Did you see any of the mentioned signs?):
LOCAL BRIEFS
BY MARK DONOVAN : The Herald-Sun
mdonovan@heraldsun.com
Mar 7, 2009
State issues Eno health warning
RALEIGH --A health warning regarding potentially dangerous blue-green algae has been posted at an abandoned rock quarry in the Orange County part of Eno River State Park, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
Visitors and pets are advised not to have contact with the water in the 60-foot deep quarry off Laurel Ridge Road and east of Pleasant Green Road in the Cabe Lands section of the park.
Signs have been posted at the property, advising visitors that the water contains blue-green algae capable of producing toxins that can be dangerous to humans and pets. Visitors are warned not to ingest the water, not to allow pets to swim or drink the water and not to allow children to play along the shoreline. Rangers will regularly patrol the area to inform visitors of the warning.
Biologists with the state parks system are working with the state Division of Water Quality to try determine the cause of the algae bloom and to further identify its potential effects.
Hi Phil,
There were so many warning signs about the Quarry itself, but yes, there was a sign tacked to a tree that said swimming is highly discouraged, and don't ingest the quarry water (or let your pet do so) because they are monitoring the water right now.
I don't think the sign said it was dangerous, but to be cautious.
Thanks for putting up the new information on the Quarry.
Durham Bull Pen
I have spent the last two summers swimming there. Never a sick day. Must be something new. This quarry is said to be fed by a underwater spring at or near the bottom. The quarry overflows into the eno when full.
I would swim in that quarry as a teenager in the 80's. Now my teens go there. Its a throwback to old summer days with no cellphones, ipads or facebook. A really great time.
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