Blazing Starts (Directions)

Common Starting Points – Directions & Parking Information

I have tired to list all the common meeting places with a link to Google Maps (for directions. I tired to add parking info, meeting spots and how to find the trailhead where relevant.

• Briar Chapel:  TraingleMTB map (we enter trails at the very top). BC art map. TORC trail map.
  • Chapel in the Pines:  Meet at 314 Great Ridge Parkway (not on most GPS – Google has it as Norwood Dr.) – From 15-501 turn right on Manns Chapel. After Chapel Hill Bed and Breakfast, turn left on Great Ridge Parkway (in front of the water tower).  CITP will be on the right. (google map).
  • Catullo Run Lot: From the 15-501 entrance to Briar Chapel. Take Briar Chapel Parkway to Catullo Run (on left). The parking area (on Catullo Run) is within sight of the intersection and the trailhead is on the righ.
• New Hope @ Jordan Lake: (Trail Map) (Google Map) Meet @ New Hope Overlook From US 64 (or Mt. Carmal/Farrington Rd to 64) go south on Beaver Creek Road/SR1008 and continue for three miles. Turn right onto Pea Ridge Road and continue for 2.2 miles. Turn right onto W. H. Jones Rd., continue .1 miles to park entrance.
• Cole Mill @ Eno: (Trail Map) (Google Map) Meet @ Cole Mill Trail Head
• Reedy Creek @ Umstead: (Trail Map) (Google Map) Meet @  Reedy Creek section:  You get off the exit and take a left and drive to the parking lot.
• Kenan Football Center: (by the statue of Charlie Choo-Choo Justice) Rrom Columbia bear rt onto South Road then turn right at the 2nd light (the first light doesn’t work) – (you’ll see the Bell Tower) this is a small side road that runs in front of the Football Center and behind the Sonya Hanes Building. The parking lot will be just beyond the Football Center. (Google Maps)
• Duke Forest (Korstian Division) on Whitfield Rd.: Meet at the New Hope Commons Fire Station, locate at 4012 Whitfield Road. Take MLK north past 40 (like going to Johnston Mill) and take your first right onto Whitfield. Park along the shoulder of Whitfield when you get to the fire station. We will enter the 3.5 mile, U-shaped, hilly trail just to the left of the fire station. The trail comes out less than a 1/2 mile up Whitfield on the other side of the fire station.
• Fleet Feet: (http://preview.tinyurl.com/fleetfeetcarrboro): Meet in front of the store next to Amante’s and the Carrboro Arts Center.
• Unity Church: (8800 Seawell School Road, Chapel Hill): No Parking here before 2 on Sundays. If Sunday, park across Seawall School Road in the CHHS parking lot (corner nearest Unity).
• Johnson Mill: “From Chapel Hill: Go north on NC 86 (N Columbia / Airport Rd). Cross over I-40 and continue north for about 1.8 miles. Turn right on Mount Sinai Rd. and continue about 1.1 miles. The parking area is on the right just before the New Hope Creek bridge.”. See the parking lot on Google maps. The web site says you can plug in “2881 Mt Sinai Rd” for GPS but it might not be exact. Here’s a map of the trails there: New Johnston Mill Map
• McDougle Middle School: (900 Old Fayetteville Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516) is between Hillsborough and 54 on Fayetteville. Take Greensboro from Main St. to Hillsborough and left on Fayetteville.
• Pumpkin @ Municipal Dr.: (spelled Municiple on Google Maps) (http://preview.tinyurl.com/Pumpkin-Municiple): Look for the long gravel road leading to the “Locust Lot” (see http://fac.unc.edu/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=UGiI3rXoJws%3d&tabid=266&mid=922).
• Al Buehler: There is a little parking lot on 751 (aka Cameron Blvd) between 15-501 and the Duke Inn (http://preview.tinyurl.com/DukeInn). The lot is at the zero miler marker on this map: http://www.dukeforest.duke.edu/location/Al_Buehler_trail_distance.pdf.
• Estes Community Center (http://preview.tinyurl.com/EstesCommunityCenter): The lot is tiny, but there is plenty of parking across Estes at University Mall in the local neighborhood. Meet at the start of the Bolin Creek Trail.
• Lower Booker Creek (http://preview.tinyurl.com/LowerBookerCreek): Park in back of the Home Team realty or across Franklin at Eastgate. Meet in the Home Team parking lot.
• Seawall School (http://preview.tinyurl.com/SeawellTrailhead): You want to park in the parking lot right next to the trails, not the entrance that is shared with Smith Middle School. Where ever you park, walk towards the trails, towards Seawell School Road. There is a kiosk and a cattle gate right there at the trail head with a map.
• American Tobacco Trail – Durham City side – Southpoint entrance (http://www.cardinaltrack.com/tobacco_trail.html): Meet in the parking area.
• American Tobacco Trail – Durham City side: DBAP entrance (http://preview.tinyurl.com/ATT-DBAP): The ATT (http://www.triangletrails.org/ATT.HTM) starts next to theparking lot under the overpass next to the Durham Bulls Stadium and the parking garage for the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
• American Tobacco Trail – FAYETTEVILLE ROAD TRAILHEAD (Southoint entrance) (http://www.triangletrails.org/ATT.HTM): This trailhead parking area is located on the west side of Fayetteville Road just north of the bridge passing over the American Tobacco Trail (ATT). The street address is 7682 Fayetteville Road, Durham, NC 27713.From I-40, take Exit 276 and proceed south about 1.5 miles on Fayetteville Road. The Trailhead will be on your right just before the bridge.” (www.triangletrails.org/DIRECTIONS.HTM) See map @ http://www.triangletrails.org/ATT.HTM . The lot is small, so the church across Fayetteville might be a good overflow spot.
• UNC XC Route @ NC Botanical Gardens (http://preview.tinyurl.com/UNCXC-NCBG): Susan suggest we park at the NC Botanical Gardens’ parking lot in the very first section that you come to.
• Southern Village: You can park at the Southern Community parking lot and run the disc golf/walking trails or the trail along Morgan Creek – will take you all the way to the Botanical Gardens. OR you may park at Nana’s (309 Carlton Drive, Dogwood Acres and cut through the trails at the end of the street to Southern Village). This is a deadend street and as long as you don’t block the driveways, it’s cool 🙂