Dismal Swamp State Park, North Carolina
When I visit my daughter and fam, one of my favorite places to visit is Dismal Swamp State Park. It is very close to where the fam lives and a great place to get back to nature. I briefly shared about my first visit to this park here.
“Located in Camden County abutting the state’s northeast border with Virginia, Dismal Swamp State Park provides access to the Great Dismal Swamp, the largest remaining swamp in the eastern United States. This area features unique and abundant plant life and wildlife, as well as a rich cultural history that intertwines with George Washington, the Underground Railroad, and Prohibition.”
*Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!
The one-of-a-kind swing bridge is the only access to the park and is staffed during park hours. Boating traffic has the right-of-way. The canal is an alternate route of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Boat traffic from all over the world use this canal.
In the late 1600’s, the swamp was a wetland, covering over a million acres, stretching from the James River in Virginia to the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. Native Americans hunted and fished here.
During the 1800’s, the swamp was a refuge for escaping slaves. The slaves who chose to live here lived in permanent settlements called maroon colonies. The Great Dismal Swamp is a designated site of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Over time, attempts at draining to convert for agriculture, and harvesting the timber, took their toll.
There is a very nice visitor’s center where you can learn all about the canal and the swamp.
In 1974, over 14,000 acres was purchased from timber companies by the State of North Carolina creating the Dismal Swamp State Park.
On my first visit, the ranger enlightened me as to what these mysterious stumps are. This Bald Cypress does not grow where I live.
Turkey Tail fungi are a fun find and, through the wonders of the internet, I learned that, among other benefits, they are good for gut health. Don’t eat them raw, these fungi are apparently tough to chew!
Also edible, but not raw, is the American Beautyberry. This pretty plant does not grow in my part of the world. I wish it did, because I learned that the leaves are a mosquitoes, ticks, and fire ant repellent!
The delicate Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is missing part of a wing, but she knows how to make do. I admire her spirit!
To help pay the debt from the Revolutionary War, a whiskey tax was enforced, and later the Prohibition movement, became factors in the making of moonshine in secluded places such as the Dismal Swamp.
This beautiful family hosted my hike!
Love them!
See the world around you!
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