Hiking: H.O.S.T. - HIstoric Occaneechee Speedway Trail, Hillsborough, North Carolina

Cheryl on the path to the Speedway Trace, with Prisma filter

• Dates we visited: January 11, 2020
  
• Total miles walked: 1.8
• Type of trail: Foot trail, compacted gravel
• Conveniences: Parking lot. 
• Best features of trail: Not crowded, nicely maintained, historic site. It also connects to the MST and the Hillsborough Riverwalk, so it's a good base for a longer walk or run. 
• Worst features of trail: No bathrooms or water fountains. There's a fine line between historic relics and junk that's been rusting for fifty years. You'll either find some of the rusting cars on display beside the track charming or eyesores. 
• Wildlife spotted: None on this trip, but deer and owls are pretty common
• Vegetation: Mostly pine and cedar 

The  year I was born racecars were still zooming around the dirt track at Occaneechee Speedway in Hillsborough, North Carolina.  A stretch of ground over half a mile long was utterly devoid of trees, devoted entirely to the celebration of fast cars careening as fast as they could go around a big oval track. 

Today, the Speedway looks like this: 

They stopped running races in 1968 and the land returned to nature. Today, a trust manages the land and preserves the historic site. Walking from the parking lot down to the track and once around isn't a very long walk. Depending on meanderings and detours, you might get two miles out of the walk. Take every side trail that stays inside the site and you might get three miles. However, part of the Mountain to Sea Trail passes through this area, and you can connect to it for much longer walks or hikes. 

MST blaze

The nice thing about the HOST, for us, is that it's a hometown trail. It's easy to get to, never crowded, and a flat, well-maintained surface. Back when we ran, it was the perfect place to train for 5ks. One drawback for us that's probably a bonus for runners is that bikes are prohibited, so unlike some greenways  you really don't need to be looking over your shoulder if you're a runner. 

We kind of take it for granted since we've walked it so often, but the HOST is a walk that invites introspection. Seeing how much nature has reclaimed a formerly barren area within a span shorter than my lifetime cheers me up as I contemplate the resilience of nature. Conversely, it humbles me, as I realize how quickly nature can erase traces of civilization. Of course, not everything has vanished. The stands where fans watched the races are rather sturdy ruins. When I first moved to Hillsborough, they were covered in vines and brush, but even cleared out they look ancient. 

Cheryl and I walked this on a rather damp day in January. We didn't see any wildlife, but it's not rare to come here and spot deer and other wildlife. We've seen owls here many times. There are wildflowers through most of the warmer months. One nice thing about walking in winter is the undergrowth has died off, so you get a nice view into the thick stands of pines and cedars. Lichens and moss are abundant. It's easy to feel as if your walking through some fairytale forest instead of among the decayed remains of a previous era. 

There are several other great walking destinations in Hillsborough, but if you visit and only have time for one, the HOST is the easy choice. Maybe we'll see you there!