Cox Mountain Trail is one of two "mountain" hikes in the Triangle (the other is Occoneechee Mountain just upstream in Hillsborough) and it's hard to tell whether the trail embraces its mountainness or eschews it. Nearly all of the climb up this 732-foot dome is along the mountain's steep, eastern face abutting the Eno River. After a stair-step assault of less than a quarter mile -- think mountaineers kick-stepping their way up a steep snowy slope -- and after crossing a clear-cut that gives you the only view out into the surrounding countryside, you top out into a surprisingly mature hardwood forest.

Take a moment (your heart and lungs will agree to that). It's quiet and the understory is open. Nice as it is on a 75-degree May day, it's more so in the dead of summer. The faintest breeze wafts relatively unobstructed across the top of the mountain; couple that with the intense sweat you earned on the hike up and you've got instant air conditioning.

To your left is the 815-acre Eno Wilderness, a tract acquired by the park for $6.9 million in 2003. As its name suggests, it's some of the wildest land along the Eno; at the time of its purchase it was considered the largest roadless tract in the region. As yet there is no trail system in the Eno Wilderness. Since my last two timber-bashing attempts there were woefully unsuccessful, I was hesitant on this trip to lead my contingent of two 10-year-old girls and a 13-year-old boy (it was a teacher workday; I was obligated by my allegiance to Richard Louv to take the kids outdoors) into a situation where, with sun setting, they'd be prone to ask for the 10th time, "Are you sure you know where we are?"

So we continued, happily, on the 3.75-mile Cox Mountain Trail. Cox Mountain is a great kid trail: If you start with excessive enthusiasm (read: wild giggliness and constant chatter about some kid at school dubiously dubbed "Booger Boy") that initial climb will pipe 'em down. Before they can gripe about cruel and unusual punishment, you'll have dropped down the gentle west side of the mountain to the Eno, where a series of small drops make this a perfect spot for water play.

The Eno is a quirky river. It's one of the rockier rivers in the area; coupled with its 250-foot vertical drop over its 40-mile run from northern Orange County to Falls Lake in eastern Durham County, it's an attractive river for paddlers who like a mild challenge -- when there's water. Because it's a small watershed, drawing water from just 150 square miles (the Neuse, by comparison, has a 6,235-square-mile watershed), the recreational benefits of a drenching rain disappear within a day or two. Eno paddlers know to check the six gauges along the river to see if it's a good day for paddling. According to the two recreational kayakers we watched from atop the foot suspension bridge, the Eno was happy enough to let you float it on this day, but not frisky enough to want to flip you.

Thus, it was also perfect for wading and exploring. A quick parental advisory here: Resist the urge to be overprotective, to yell, "Ack! Those sneakers are new from your Aunt Margaret! Don't get them wet!" In fact, resist the urge to use critical or cautionary exclamation points, period. When you're out in the woods, it's one of the few chances kids get to really explore, to let their brains and bodies work in tandem to solve problems (like how to get a log raft through a tricky rapid). Shoes will dry, clothes will dry. This applies to your shoes and clothes as well, Mom and Dad. Let them play; get in and play with them.

We spent about 45 minutes doing log races downstream before wringing out and moving on. The remainder of the hike, on what 200 years ago was the main thoroughfare to Hillsborough, was peaceful (no impromptu fights between the one 10-year-old and her 13-year-old brother) and quiet ("Booger Boy" long since forgotten).

That evening, the hike revealed perhaps its greatest reward. The girls were having a sleepover at our place, typically an occasion for raucous movie marathons lasting past midnight. They were out cold by 10:15.

Me, too.