Eno River State Park closed due to Chantal flooding. When will it reopen?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Flooding from Chantal pushed Eno River to a record 25.63 feet on July 7, 2025.
- Park staff continue assessing damage; no timeline set yet for full reopening.
- Bridge and trails suffered structural damage; cleanup will require volunteers.
At Few’s Ford, Kimberly Radewicz looked at the alley of downed trees along the river and said “looks like somebody took a giant bowling ball and just rolled it right through.”
Radewicz, the Eno River State Park superintendent, pointed to the remains of an uprooted tree. She said she didn’t know where the rest of it ended up — maybe in the woods somewhere.
Where crabgrass and other vegetation once protected the banks from erosion, branches and other debris now lined the banks, while rocks poked out of the exposed red clay like baby teeth.
Flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal pushed the Eno River to 25.63 feet on the morning of July 7, according to the National Water Prediction Service, a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Chantal surpassed Hurricane Fran’s record of 23.58 feet in September 1996, causing significant damage to Eno River State Park. The park receives more than a million visits a year, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
Radewicz said there is no timeline for when the park will reopen.
She said she hopes the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area will reopen “in a month or less,” but it sustained much less damage than the park. She urges people not to trespass while debris and washed-out trails make the park unsafe.
“Getting them help or getting them out might take double the time it took before [if] they’re injured somewhere,” Radewicz said. “We just can’t reach them until we can surpass some of these, these blocks in trails or trails that are missing.”
On the state park’s website, a red banner says the park is closed. The alert will be removed when the park reopens.
For now, Radewicz said she and her staff are still assessing the damage and forming a plan.
Debris and erosion
Near the “swinging bridge” at Few’s Ford Access, a park staple, the water has begun revealing the bases of the river’s rocks, an improvement from the muddy days after the storm.
Radewicz still can’t make out some of the trails that run along the river, though. Tall and thick debris cover some. Flooding washed out others, leaving only dusty clay to walk on.
Several ironwood trees — named for their dense wood used for mauls, axes and hammers — lay across the banks completely uprooted. The banks themselves have eroded and made the river wider, leaving trails closest to the river exposed.
Removing the debris will be complex, Radewicz said, and some trails may be closed a long time.
“In some places, it can be sheer rock and the trail is maybe just three feet wide,” Radewicz said. So we’re just gonna have to be really deliberate about how we go about organizing some sections of trails that would be easier to clear than others.”
Damage to the bridge
The bridge looks fine from a distance — save the piles of branches and debris. But on one side, some of the footing has been pulled out of the ground. On the other side, the river ripped the stairs out.
A metal sign marks how high the river reached during Hurricane Fran. Radewicz said the water rose two or three feet above that during Chantal. And the flooding took time to recede as the river pulsed slower than normal. Cables holding up the bridge acted as nets for debris.
“I was certain it was going to break,” Radewicz said. “It didn’t break, but I have serious concerns.”
Radewicz doesn’t have a cost estimate for the damage to the bridge or the park. She still needs to bring out a structural engineer to assess whether the bridge can be repaired or must be redesigned altogether.
“I’ve stood in the middle of it, and it’s a beautiful view, looking upstream, looking downstream,” Radewicz said. “It’s a beautiful view to stand in the middle of it and take pictures, especially in the fall — even in the winter when there’s snow on the ground.”
What’s next?
One silver lining for Radewicz is that rebuilding gives the park a chance to look at how to build trails that can withstand flooding or if certain trails were too close to the river.
The Friends of the Mountain to Sea Trail will also assist in rebuilding trails washed out by flooding. The park will likely have volunteers lay down gravel to save and build new trails.
“It won’t be anyone using chainsaws or any of the big equipment, but handsaws, wheelbarrows, shovels — things of that nature,” Radewicz said.
Radewicz said people can keep up with the Eno River Association on social media for when volunteers can help. The association has an Instagram and Facebook page.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, state parks set a record for visitors, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Radewicz said she and others saw how important the environment was to people and their mental health.
“I think it soothes people in a way that’s kind of hard to put a price tag on,” Radewicz said. “But it’s so important for people to find that peaceful place, and I think the Eno really serves that [purpose] for many people in the area.”
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This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
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