Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
Encyclopedia
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area is a North Carolina state park in Orange County
, North Carolina
in the United States
. Located adjacent to the town of Hillsborough
, it covers 124 acres (0.5 km²) and includes Occoneechee Mountain, the highest point (867 ft) in Orange County
and a settlement of the Occaneechi
tribe.
, the Occoneechee Mountain summit is the highest point in Orange County. The summit is also reported to be the highest point between Hillsborough, NC and the Atlantic Ocean
.
Researchers believe that the area's habitat has remained relatively unchanged since the last Ice Age
due to the presence of the brown elfin, a rare butterfly, and several unique plant species. The brown elfin is typically found in mountainous and northern areas, and the nearest brown elfin population to Occoneechee is more than 100 miles (160.9 km) west. When the Piedmont's
habitat underwent enormous transformations after the Ice Age, the area became unable to support the brown elfin and other species more accustomed to cooler environments. Brown elfins, believed to have once populated the Piedmont, were restricted to the state's mountains. However, the brown elfin butterflies at Occoneechee Mountain remained.
The land the state natural area now sits on was originally settled by the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
, who traveled to the mountain from the west. In the colonial period, European immigrants settled the area. Until 1987, a mill village occupied a section of the natural area. The NC Division of Parks and Recreation
first purchased land at Occoneechee Mountain in December 1997. Since then, the natural area has grown to nearly 124 areas.
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located adjacent to the town of Hillsborough
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
, it covers 124 acres (0.5 km²) and includes Occoneechee Mountain, the highest point (867 ft) in Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
and a settlement of the Occaneechi
Occaneechi
The Occaneechi are Native Americans who lived primarily on a large, long Occoneechee Island and east of the confluence of the Dan and Roanoke Rivers, near current day Clarksville, Virginia in the 17th century...
tribe.
History
Rising more than 350 feet (106.7 m) from the Eno RiverEno River
The Eno River, named for the Eno Indians who once lived along its banks, is the initial tributary of the Neuse River in North Carolina, USA.The Eno rises in Orange County. The river's watershed occupies most of Orange and Durham counties...
, the Occoneechee Mountain summit is the highest point in Orange County. The summit is also reported to be the highest point between Hillsborough, NC and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Researchers believe that the area's habitat has remained relatively unchanged since the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
due to the presence of the brown elfin, a rare butterfly, and several unique plant species. The brown elfin is typically found in mountainous and northern areas, and the nearest brown elfin population to Occoneechee is more than 100 miles (160.9 km) west. When the Piedmont's
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
habitat underwent enormous transformations after the Ice Age, the area became unable to support the brown elfin and other species more accustomed to cooler environments. Brown elfins, believed to have once populated the Piedmont, were restricted to the state's mountains. However, the brown elfin butterflies at Occoneechee Mountain remained.
The land the state natural area now sits on was originally settled by the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
Saponi
Saponi is one of the eastern Siouan-language tribes, related to the Tutelo, Occaneechi, Monacan, Manahoac and other eastern Siouan peoples. Its ancestral homeland was in North Carolina and Virginia. The tribe was long believed extinct, as its members migrated north to merge with other tribes...
, who traveled to the mountain from the west. In the colonial period, European immigrants settled the area. Until 1987, a mill village occupied a section of the natural area. The NC Division of Parks and Recreation
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources is the state's leading stewardship agency for the preservation and protection of natural resources and public health.- Divisions :* Air Quality* Aquariums...
first purchased land at Occoneechee Mountain in December 1997. Since then, the natural area has grown to nearly 124 areas.
Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area:- Eno River State ParkEno River State ParkEno River State Park is a 3,900 acre North Carolina state park in Durham and Orange Counties, North Carolina in the United States. It is near Durham, North Carolina along the banks of the Eno River...
- Falls Lake State Recreation AreaFalls Lake State Recreation AreaFalls Lake State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park in Durham and Wake Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Near Wake Forest, North Carolina, it covers over 30,000 acres and includes the 12,000 acre Falls Lake....
- Jordan Lake State Recreation AreaJordan Lake State Recreation AreaJordan Lake State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park spanning Chatham County, and Wake County North Carolina in the United States. It includes the over Jordan Lake.-History:...
- William B. Umstead State ParkWilliam B. Umstead State ParkWilliam B. Umstead State Park is a North Carolina state park in Wake County, North Carolina in the United States. It covers nestled between the expanding cities of Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, North Carolina. It offers hiking, bridle, and bike trails, boat rentals, camping, picnic areas, and...