Historic Occoneechee Speedway

The track is a great place for a walk, run and relaxing break from city noise. It’s about a ¼ mile walk from the parking lot to the track. Well maintained.

Loved this place, I walked my dogs there on a regular (almost daily) basis But… now they are allowing local high school teams to have track practice there. They are intrusive loud and take over the place, disrupting all flora and fauna, kicking in the doors of the old original buildings and ruining the quiet walks I had grown to love so well. When I called the manager (Bill) to let him know what was going on he said he gave them permission to practice there. Why, this is a historic site, where animals are often seen and the serenity is part of the whole charm!!! Very disappointing that another place has succumbed to the public ruining it’s tranquility.

It’s a great park just make sure you have someone riding shotgun or you are paying close attention as it’s really easy to miss the entrance. Parking, once you are in doesn’t seem to be a problem. I’m not a Nascar fan but if I was this place would be a religious experience. I am however an outdoors fan and this is great. If you were looking for a place to run this is perfect. The track is 1 mile.
We have a Beagle with a bad back and this is a perfect flat track to take him out to. The park is very peaceful and I’ve found the runners and other dog walkers to be exceptionally friendly. The park seems to be run by a grassroots organization but I could be wrong on they really don’t want bikes in there. There are some really interesting historic markers and hand painted signs.

It’s funny how many people don’t know about this place. The 1-​mile Occoneechee Speedway was an active NASCAR track from 1949 to 1968, and it’s the only surviving speedway from NASCAR’s first season. (Sir Richard Petty won the last race held here, of course!) Nature’s been working hard to reclaim the land ever since.
The site was bought from the original owners’ family in 1997, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 2002. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail (HOST) site now has 44 acres of trails, both along the track itself and in the surrounding woods, which border the Eno River just across from Ayr Mount (the same company owns both properties).
If you’re looking for a moderate to strenuous hike, go to Occoneechee Mountain. But if you’re looking for a good walk or jog on a level dirt surface, or want to bring your (leashed) dog along, the Speedway is the place to go. Both are free, and both are mostly shaded.
The Historic Speedway Group holds a «Celebration of the Automobile» racer reunion and car show here every year, which includes parade laps around the track, an open car show, and a general party atmosphere… sounds like fun!
Oh, and the Speedway is part of North Carolina’s Mountains to the Sea trail system, which aims to run across NC from the Smokies to the Cedar Island Ferry. Someday I’m going to walk this.