The Great Dismal Swamp Canal or When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!

FREEDOM on the Swamp

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it"..... Yogi Berra

We have always wanted to take the fork in the ICW that leads you north, not through the Virginia Cut, but through the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.  Water depth, bridge closings, and time constraints have held us back before, but this year we were determined to give it a go.  First though, a little history and etymology.

"Dismal" was originally another word for 'swamp.'  In essence, then, The Great Dismal Swamp is The Great Swamp Swamp. Not sure when the meaning changed or why 'Dismal' continues to be used in the name of the region, and while some swamps may be dismal ( in the new sense of the word) this one was anything but during our passage.

Spanning the North Carolina/Virginia border along the ICW, 40,000 acres of the Great Dismal Swamp were once partly owned by George Washington. In 1763 he proposed draining the swamp, harvesting the valuable cypress and cedar trees for use in shipbuilding and shingles and using the cleared area as farm land.  Washington supervised the digging of the ditch. 30 years later Washington attempted to sell his share to "Lighthorse" Harry E Lee, father of Robert E Lee.  The deal fell through and Washington and his heirs owned the land until 1909. The, the Union Camp Company purchased the swamp and harvested virgin timber until 1950 when the last tree was cut down. In 1973 the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was created when the company donated its swamp holding.

The Halfway House Hotel (circa 1820) once stood along the canal. It was known to be a favorite spot for " marriages, duels and those escaping the law." {Dozier's Waterway Guide}. It is said Edgar Allan Poe wrote The Raven while a guest at the hotel. Another piece of history echoing along the canal: Jane Adams' Floating Theatre. Although her musical Showboat is set along the Mississippi, Edna Ferber gained her inspiration from Ms. Adams traveling troupe.

After catching the 7:30 AM opening of the Elizabeth City bridge last Wednesday morning we traveled along the Elizabeth river in company with two other power boats and one sailing vessel.  Just past the bridge it was another world: a serene waterway, flat calm and quiet.  Our lead boats would come and go from view as we twisted and turned along tree lined banks.We motored at just under 5 knots, as much to limit our wake as to limit sudden encounters with logs and other debris floating along the bottom.  As we drifted silently along a call came on the radio," Freedom, this is Seneca 2, we have an eagle above us, keep an eye out."  Soon, there it was: spreading its substantial wings as it drifted across the waterway and into the trees.  Turtle sighting were plenty, sunning themselves on logs. Some alone, some in pairs. Our favorite was a red-bellied turtle who ducked below the surface before I could capture a photo. This pair was in less of a hurry......

We arrived at South Mills with just a few minutes to spare before the 11AM locking.  It had been a while since we "locked up" but it all went well.  All  in all we rose 8 feet from the Elizabeth River to the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.

Technical problems captioning each photo -- so from top to bottom:

• Last in the Lock -- we just fit!
• Doors Closing ( note water height)
• Locking Up -- see the black lines crossing the passage way? The Cap'n was doing double duty holding the bow line and keeping FREEDOM in place by operating the thrusters from the pilot house
• 8 feet up!
• Where we were and Where we were going

 Just before arriving we changed spots in our mini boat parade to allow our fellow travelers a quick departure from the lock allowing them the next chance to arrive at the next lock in a timely fashion.  All three boats ahead of us were planning to traverse the canal in one day. We decided to take our time and stop at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center about mid-way through the canal. Although I had read all about the center and the nearby walking trails and swamp museum I somehow missed the point that it was not just a Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, but a North Carolina Welcome Center. Translation: we were docking just south of the state line at a NC Highway 17 rest stop -- complete with rest rooms, vending machines and a gift shop chock full of brochures and tchotchkes. So, look to the right: a parking lot Look to the left: Mother Nature in her glory.  After about 30 minutes and numerous faces peering into our windows while we tried to eat lunch we lowered the blinds and had a laugh.  By late afternoon the car traffic subsided and we had a restful evening.

The following day we were off the dock by 7:30 to once again catch the 11AM locking at the other end of the swamp.  It was there, at the Deep Creek Lock that we met lock tender extraordinaire: Robert.  His personality, extensive knowledge of the swamp, Norfolk and Portsmouth, and large collection of conch shells made for a quick and delightful passage through the lock. At 20 years he is still the newest employee in Great Dismal Swamp Refuge. Robert simultaneously operates the bridge south of the lock and the lock. At each of the four lock openings each day he opens the lock for southbound traffic,then once that is completed he gets in his car, drives the 1/4 mile to the Deep Creek Bascule bridge, and lifts the bridge allowing the southbound and then northbound boats to pass. Promptly, he gets back into his car drives back to the lock and  locks up the northbound traffic.  And, in our case, even plays a tune on a conch shell.  He is full service and quite memorable.

Conch Shell Garden outside Lock Tender's Cottage

Before long we were entering the chaos of the Norfolk Harbor, and wondering when we can go through the Dismal Swamp Canal again.  More scenes from the Swamp: