When you visit the Dismal Swamp, you are transported back in time to the forest primeval and enveloped in its greenery and quiet. It is 125,000 acres now but once covered 1.28 million acres in NC and VA but it has been drained and logged since the time of George Washington who used slave labor to help build part of the original canal. These slaves found refuge here also as it was a staging area for the Underground Railroad to freedom in the north.
For boaters, it is a chance to get off the ICW fast lane and cruise at very slow speed through the brown tannic water and enjoy more of a wilderness experience. The canal is lined with walking and bike trails and some of the walkers were passing us. The park borders are home to deer, black bears, fox, snakes, songbirds and butterflies. It is not without risk as the canal depth is 7-8 feet in the center but the bottom is full of tree trunks and deadheads that might just reach up and grab your propeller.
You can do the canal in one day with 2 locks but we opted to tie up at the Dismal Swamp Visitors Center dock for the night along with Los Gatos (catamaran sailing family with 3 adorable daughters who have been cruising and home schooling for a year) and Briar Patch (Dean and Kathy on their beautiful hand-built wooden sailboat from NH heading north after the Bahamas; we were even at the same Easter sunrise service on Great Guana Cay and I am unintentionally in two of her photos—how is that for it being a small world).
It was a hot, humid 93 degrees and it was interesting and cooling to spend time in the North Carolina Welcome Center. There is a new Dismal Swamp Interpretative Center across the canal which is reached by a portable bridge which is swung into place for land visitors and swung over again when boaters want to pass. Pretty clever use of space.
Why is it called “dismal” if the experience is so wonderful? There are many stories and legends about this but the best one we heard was from the Deep Creek lockmaster, Robert. Apparently, Colonel Byrd was charged to survey the swamp area to establish the border between VA and NC. He returned years later to oversee the canal building, but it was slow going and the canal crew abandoned him after they ran out of rum. He then pronounced the entire operation, “dismal.” Not only can Lockmaster Robert tell a good story but he gave us a conch shell concert so remember to bring an extra shell for his collection.
For boaters, it is a chance to get off the ICW fast lane and cruise at very slow speed through the brown tannic water and enjoy more of a wilderness experience. The canal is lined with walking and bike trails and some of the walkers were passing us. The park borders are home to deer, black bears, fox, snakes, songbirds and butterflies. It is not without risk as the canal depth is 7-8 feet in the center but the bottom is full of tree trunks and deadheads that might just reach up and grab your propeller.
You can do the canal in one day with 2 locks but we opted to tie up at the Dismal Swamp Visitors Center dock for the night along with Los Gatos (catamaran sailing family with 3 adorable daughters who have been cruising and home schooling for a year) and Briar Patch (Dean and Kathy on their beautiful hand-built wooden sailboat from NH heading north after the Bahamas; we were even at the same Easter sunrise service on Great Guana Cay and I am unintentionally in two of her photos—how is that for it being a small world).
It was a hot, humid 93 degrees and it was interesting and cooling to spend time in the North Carolina Welcome Center. There is a new Dismal Swamp Interpretative Center across the canal which is reached by a portable bridge which is swung into place for land visitors and swung over again when boaters want to pass. Pretty clever use of space.
Why is it called “dismal” if the experience is so wonderful? There are many stories and legends about this but the best one we heard was from the Deep Creek lockmaster, Robert. Apparently, Colonel Byrd was charged to survey the swamp area to establish the border between VA and NC. He returned years later to oversee the canal building, but it was slow going and the canal crew abandoned him after they ran out of rum. He then pronounced the entire operation, “dismal.” Not only can Lockmaster Robert tell a good story but he gave us a conch shell concert so remember to bring an extra shell for his collection.
We passed a signpost which put our travels in perspective so now on to a month in the Chesapeake. We have travelled through 5 states in May.
