More information about the Great Dismal Swamp:
What: A 107,000-acre refuge consisting of forested wetlands and Lake Drummond, a 3,100-acre natural lake.
Where: Southeastern corner of Virginia and three northeastern counties of North Carolina. Most of the Virginia portion lies in Chesapeake, Va., with a small western section that includes the refuge headquarters maintained in Suffolk, Va.
History: Believed by some to have been formed by a large population of beavers, Great Dismal Swamp was first inhabited by humans an estimated 13,000 years ago. It was ”discovered” by North Carolina governor William Drummond in 1665 during a hunting trip. Its early visitors included William Byrd II and George Washington, who organized the Dismal Swamp Land Co. that began draining and logging portions of the swamp. Logging remained the swamp`s chief commercial activity until regular operations ceased altogether in 1976. The Dismal Swamp Act of 1974 officially established the refuge.
Features: Dismal Swamp is a gently sloping hillside, not saucer-shaped. Lake Drummond is located in the center along one of the highest parts of the swamp, not the lowest. Of the seven streams draining the swamp, six flow out of, rather than into, the swamp.
Summer: Black bears are active in early June as the breeding season peaks. White-tailed bucks are in velvet. Kingfishers and great blue herons are active along ditches. Trumpet and passion vines bloom. Swamp is dry, with fire danger high from June to October.
Recreation: Hiking, biking, photography, wildlife observation, fishing
(license required), and boating.
Hours: Refuge is open daily from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. No overnight use is permitted.
Information: Call the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge at 804-986-3705. The Refuge and Wild River Outfitters occasionally offer organized trips.
