Cruising the Canal Everything you always wanted to know about the “DO THE DISMAL” GREAT DISMAL SWAMP and We highly recommend it!!! DISMAL SWAMP CANAL Cruise the oldest continually operating hand-dug waterway in the country. Enjoy beautiful scenery, free dockage, and “convenience” stops. The Deep Creek, VA, lock is located about 11 miles from Hospital Point and Waterside Marina, off the southern branch of the Elizabeth River. There is an anchorage in a cove about 2 miles north of the lock and a FREE DOCK between the lock and the highway bridge. On the south side of the bridge, there are cleats on the east bulkhead. A nearby shopping strip offers various shopping opportunities From Deep Creek to the southern lock at South DISMAL SWAMP CANAL Mills, NC, is 22 miles, where boats can tie up to WELCOME CENTER the west bulkhead and visit “Your Information Center for a convenience store with Northeastern NC” food service. The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center is located The Welcome Center, in Camden County on US Highway 17, approximately located 17 miles south of 18 miles north of Elizabeth City, NC, and 3 miles Deep Creek and 5 miles south of the NC/VA line. north of South Mills, offers FREE DOCKAGE, potable Camden County is adjacent to the Hampton Roads, water, picnic tables, grills, and clean restrooms VA, metropolitan area (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, open 24 hours/day. A friendly staff, Book Ex- Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News, change, Boater’s Log, NC Coastal Boating Guide, vid- and Hampton), only a short distance from Williams- eos on the Dismal Swamp Canal, and a small GIFT burg, Jamestown and Yorktown. The county is con- SHOP are also available. veniently located near the beaches of North Caro- lina’s Outer Banks (Corolla, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill An 18-mile trip along the beautiful Pasquotank Devil Hills, Nags Head, Hatteras, and Ocracoke). River ends at Elizabeth City, “Harbor of Hospital- ity” and home of the famous Rose Buddies. The CAMDEN COUNTY, NC City offers 48 hours of FREE DOCKAGE. “An Opportunity Awaits You” Entered in the National Register of Historic Places BOTH LOCKS OPERATE ON THE SAME SCHEDULE: Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center Designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark 2356 US Highway 17 North Recognized as part of the National Underground Railroad Network 8:30am, 11:00am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm South Mills, NC 27976 to Freedom Program 252.771.8333 ~ 877.771.8333 NOTE: Locking times vary in times of drought. [email protected] Part of North Carolina Civil War Trail NOTE: Welcome Center monitors channels 13 & 16 for navigation www.dismalswampwelcomecenter.com History of the Dismal Swamp Canal The Dismal Swamp Canal, which connects the Eliza- in 1802, approximately 2-1/2 miles south of the North ate strongholds in Virginia. beth River in Virginia and the Pasquotank River in Carolina/Virginia border. This inn and the Lake Drum- North Carolina, is the oldest continually operating mond Hotel or Halfway House (established in 1829) be- The wartime activity left the canal in a terrible state of canal in the United States. Now a historic landmark, came an infamous rendezvous for lovers wanting to take repair. The Canal Company requested assistance from the canal has experienced numerous changes and advantage of the lenient North Carolina marriage laws the federal government but this was to no avail, and periods of prosperity and neglect. and fugitives seeking the isolation of the swamp. These the canal was sold in 1878. Although the canal had houses were notorious as sites of duels and lover’s trysts. some traffic in the 1870 -1890 period, it could not The Dismal Swamp posed a formidable obstacle to compare to its previous prosperity. The repairs and early settlers and explorers. In 1728, Colonel Wil- By 1820, the canal was recognized as an important part of maintenance needed by the canal made travel difficult, liam Byrd II of Virginia noted the hazards of traveling commercial traffic between Virginia and North Carolina. if not hazardous. in the swamp, describing it as a “vast body of dirt In 1826, the United States government acknowledged this and nastiness.” His miserable experience A new era for the canal came in 1892 when prompted him to consider a canal that the Lake Drummond Canal and Water would connect the Albemarle Sound to the Company assumed operations. This com- Elizabeth River. pany launched rehabilitation efforts in 1986 and by 1899 the first vessels were admitted George Washington and five fellow inves- into the “new” Dismal Swamp Canal. Once tors saw the rich potential of Dismal Swamp again, a steady stream of vessels carrying timber and invested in 40,000 acres of lumber, farm products, and passengers swampland. By 1764, the Virginia Assembly made the canal a bustling interstate thor- had given this company permission to build oughfare. a canal, if needed, to remove timber, but only a preliminary ditch was dug. The re- With 20th century improvements in modes turn on Washington’s investment was not of transportation, the canal gradually en- what he had hoped and by 1795 he had tered another bleak period in its history. withdrawn his interest. By the 1920s, commercial traffic had sub- sided except for passenger vessels. The By this time, plans were underway for a infrequent use and poor maintenance of the canal that would allow trade between Vir- canal resulted in its sale in 1929 to the fed- ginia and the relatively isolated region of eral government for $500,000. The canal northeastern North Carolina. In 1784, was then and is today operated and main- Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia pro- tained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- posed a canal, and in 1784, the Dismal neers. Swamp Canal Company was created. Dig- ging by hired slave labor began in 1793 and pro- by purchasing 600 shares of Dismal Swamp Canal Com- Though once a vital commercial link from Virginia to gressed slowly. A road running parallel to the canal pany stock, which made needed improvements possible. North Carolina, the canal is quieter now and plays was completed in 1804 and by 1805 flat-bottomed Prior to 1829, the canal was limited to flat-bottomed ves- host to pleasure boaters on the Atlantic Intracoastal vessels could be admitted into the 22-mile long ca- sels, but with improvements, enough water could be re- Waterway. Its designation as a National Historic nal. Tolls were charged for road and canal traffic to leased to accommodate deeper drafts. Landmark serves to remind canal visitors of its contri- allay the continual expense of improvements and butions to the economic and social development of maintenance. Before the advent of the steam en- The canal and nearby towns saw a period of prosperity northeastern North Carolina. It’s inclusion into the gine, the shortage of laborers to dig the canal was a from 1830 -1860. The 1860s and the onset of the Civil National Register of Historic Places, designation as a persistent problem; it was backbreaking work under War put the canal in an important strategic position for National Civil Engineering Landmark, and recognition highly unfavorable conditions. Union and Confederate forces. For Confederates caught as part of the National Underground Railroad Net- in the Union blockade of coastal North Carolina in 1862, work to Freedom Program, are honors worthy of it’s The first Dismal Swamp roadhouse was established the canal offered a convenient supply route to Confeder- colorful past. Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center In April 1989, the NC Dept. of Transportation be- DISMAL SWAMP CANAL TRAIL PADDLING ON THE CANAL came pioneers in the travel industry with the open- ing of the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center. It Located at the south end of the site, the 4.5 mile long Access is provided for both canoes and kayaks be- is the first Visitor/Welcome Center built off an In- trail is about 10’ wide with a hard surface. It meanders side the pedestrian bridge adjacent to the southern terstate in our state and the only such facility in the along the canal for approximately three miles before parking lot. The site is located 5 miles north of the country greeting visitors by both a major highway becoming a 5’ extension of Hwy. 343 and Mullen Road, South Mills locks and 17 miles south of the Deep and historic waterway. Over 600,000 travelers visit to the South Mills bridge. It is handicapped accessible Creek locks. The 3-mile long Feeder Ditch into the Center each year by highway, while nearly 2,000 and birder friendly, offering picnic tables and benches. Lake Drummond is 7 miles north of the Center. boats transit the waterway annually. EDUCATION ON NORTH CAROLINA The trail is a great place for hik- ing, biking, photography and Maps and publications are available for assistance in birding. It is a part of the North planning trips or vacations in the state. A knowl- Carolina Birding Trail, East edgeable staff is ready and willing to be of assistance. Coast Greenway and National Recreation Trail. EDUCATION ON REGION Several brochures are available on the Dismal Trail Do’s DISMAL SWAMP STATE PARK Swamp environs, along with two videotapes. Staff Hiking, biking, birding, photogra- will make special presentations to groups when noti- phy, picnicking, fishing (NC fish- Adjacent to the Welcome Center to the south, the fied in advance. ing license), rollerblading, and NC Division of Parks & Recreation has developed dogs on leash, are permitted. the Dismal Swamp State Park, ac- NATURE TRAIL cessed by a pedestrian swing bridge across the Dismal Swamp Canal.