In July 2025, Tropical Storm Chantal brought heavy rainfall to Alamance, Chatham, and Orange counties. The cyclone flooded the Eno River, cresting at 25.63 feet, breaking the previous record of 23.58 feet set in 1996 by Hurricane Fran. The Haw River and the Jordan Lake reservoir also saw major flooding. The area sustained around $500 million in damage.
Eno River State Park and NC State Parks have been diligently working to reopen trails that sustained damage from Chantal. To date, we have reopened 18 trails in their entirety. Four trails remain fully closed: Cole Mill and Bobbitt Hole trails at the Cole Mill access, and the Cox Mountain and Fanny's Ford trails at the Fews Ford access. In addition, Holden Mill Trail remains partially closed.
The extended closures are due to the bridge infrastructure along these trails. The suspension bridge along Cox Mountain Trail experienced floodwaters approximately 6.5 feet above the bridge deck. We had concerns about the foundation of the bridge and its ability to withstand future flood events.
The pedestrian bridge on Bobbitt Hole did not have a conventional foundation and was thus displaced during the flooding. The replacement will incorporate appropriate foundation considerations to help prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
One of the larger challenges has been navigating the additional hydraulic and structural requirements associated with construction within a regulatory floodway. We were required. to conduct additional engineering analyses as the project moved through the technical review process.
We feel confident that the engineering and permitting issues have been satisfactorily addressed, and we can move forward to bidding the project soon. Restoring these bridges is a top priority for NC State Parks and park staff.
