Once upon a time, the Great Dismal Swamp used to be 1.28 million acres. Over time the swamp shrank due to deforestation and agricultural development, and now the swamp is a third of its original size. Today, Virginia and North Carolina split the remaining portions of the Great Dismal Swamp. The federal government administers the Virginia side as a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), while the state government administers the North Carolina side as a State Park. Keep reading to see how the two Great Dismal Swamp Parks compare and which one I preferred.
History of the Great Dismal Swamp
Before the in-depth analysis of the two parks, we should look at their shared histories. The early settlers disparaged the swamps and did not explore the Great Dismal Swamp until the 18th century. The Dismal Swamp Canal, built by enslaved labor, is the oldest artificial waterway in the country. Many self-emancipated African Americas developed settlements deep within the swamps called maroon colonies. These maroons survived in the hot, buggy, densely forested land confident that no one would discover them. Later on, the Great Dismal Swamp became a center of illicit moonshine production during Prohibition.
Great Dismal Swamp NWR, Virginia
The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is massive, taking up much of the remaining Swamp. I only went to one section of the Park (Interior Ditch); besides trails, there’s a small pavilion discussing the Underground Railroad. I only scratched the surface of what you could see in the Park.
Lake Drummond, one of only two natural lakes in Virginia, is the highlight of the Great Dismal Swamp NWR. The waters of Lake Drummond are so black that on windless days it becomes a mirror. But even with choppy waters, the sight of trees growing in the vast expanse of blackness creates an otherworldly experience.
Dismal Swamp State Park, North Carolina
The Dismal Swamp State Park takes up a smaller portion of the remaining Swamp. The North Carolina State Parks main attraction (besides the Canal) is the Swamp Boardwalk, which lets visitors immerse themselves deep into the woods. The rest of the Park consists of trails in more conventional woods, but a replica flat-bottomed boat and moonshine distillery can be found.
The Dismal Swamp State Parks closes at 5:30 in the summer and they mean it. When I returned to the entrance at around 5:10, they had closed the gate allowing cars to go through the drawbridge. I noticed that by 5:27 the gates to the parking lot were already locked and the drawbridge pulled up for boats traversing the canal. Luckily, next door to the park is a North Carolina Visitor Center, where you can use the restroom and grab a drink from the vending machine.
Historical Village at the Dismal Swamp
The Historical Village at the Dismal Swamp is located in Chesapeake Virginia. The Historical Village acts a visitor center, with a small exhibit about the history and nature of the Great Dismal Swamp. Although geographically near Lake Drummond, the Historical Village is actually a closer drive to North Carolina’s State Park than to Virginia’s NWR. The Historical Village was brand new when I went there, so if you don’t see it on Google Maps, type this address instead: 5221 Glencoe Street Chesapeake, VA 23322.
Located at the Historical Village is the Cornland School, a one room schoolhouse built in 1902. It served as the school for the African American students of the area. The school had no electricity or running water, and the teacher was expected to make lunch for the students. The schoolhouse fell into disuse after the early 1950s, but was saved and restored to its original appearance.
Which Park Do I Recommend?
I much prefer the Great Dismal Swamp NWR in Virginia due primarily to Lake Drummond’s rare beauty. By contrast, the Dismal Swamp State Park in North Carolina lack any truly unique features would draw me back to the Park. Nevertheless, both parks had their pros and cons, which I will list below.
Go to Great Dismal Swamp NWR if…
- Visiting from Hampton Roads.
- Have (or need) more time to explore.
- Want to see more nature.
Go to Dismal Swamp State Park if…
- Visiting from the Outer Banks
- Have limited time.
- Want to see more history.
You could compare the two some more with my companion video about the two Great Dismal Swamp Parks. If you enjoyed it, please like and subscribe, and let me know if you like the video color corrected or if I should try to give my videos a more natural look.
BONUS: Great Dismal Swamp NWR in 2018
I previously went to the Great Dismal Swamp NWR back in 2018 and took some photos. Enjoy these never-before-seen images of the Park. You can see the mirror-like reflections of Lake Drummond more clearly in these images.
First Lake Drummond…
Now the wooded swamp…
And finally some animals…
