Great Dismal Swamp

One of the largest and most historically significant swamps on the East Coast. The Great Dismal Swamp spans approximately 111,000 acres across Virginia and North Carolina. A vast Atlantic white cedar and bald cypress wetland forest, it is home to an exceptional diversity of wildlife and served as a refuge for freedom seekers via the Underground Railroad. Lake Drummond sits at its center — a rare, naturally occurring lake in the mid-Atlantic region. Photo By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region - Photo of the Week - Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (VA)Uploaded by AlbertHerring, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30924548

Home to over 200 bird species. Black bear, bobcat, otter, and white-tailed deer. Cottonmouth, copperhead, and numerous non-venomous snake species. Breeding habitat for prothonotary warbler and Wayne's black-throated green warbler subspecies.

George Washington surveyed the swamp in 1763 and invested in a timber company here. Maroon communities of escaped enslaved people, known as 'maroons,' lived in the swamp for generations. Harriet Beecher Stowe referenced the swamp in her writing.

Primary access via Desert Rd (SR-642) off US-17. Washington Ditch Rd provides a long linear trail into the interior. Multiple USFWS trailheads with parking. Boardwalk trail at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center in Chesapeake, VA.