Fifty years ago, a group of concerned residents who banded together to protect the Eno River worked with conservation groups and the city of Durham to establish Eno River State Park. Since then, it's grown from its first parcel of 90 acres to more than 4,600 across Durham and Orange Counties.
In honor of its 50 anniversary, the park is hosting events throughout the week. The celebration culminated Friday with music, activities and a birthday cake, along with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for a new visitor center.
The new center will help expand the park's educational efforts, said Eno River State Park superintendent Kimberly Radewicz. Unlike the former visitor center, the new one includes a classroom and an exhibit detailing the Eno River Valley's extensive history.
"The beautiful thing about this particular building is that for the first time, the history of the Eno River Valley—from the time of Indigenous people living here before the colonists came, all the way up until today—is documented in our exhibits gallery," Radewicz said. "This kind of invites people in to learn a little bit more about the park they're at.”
The Eno, Shakori and Occoneechee tribes lived along the Eno River before Europeans settled in the area. Previously, such history of the area was primarily shared with park visitors when they participated in special programs, including hikes that occurred every few months, Radewicz said.
“The things we hear from people is how much they love that they come here, and you wouldn't know that you are located in one of the fast growing metropolitan areas in this part of North Carolina,” Radewicz said. “When you step out on our trails, and you follow the path of the river, all of those sounds fade away, and you're able to find this peace.”
More than a million people typically visit the park each year, according to the Eno River Association.
