Dismal Swamp State Park, NC
North Carolina’s Dismal Swamp State Park is built into a little nook of Great Dismal swamp, the largest remaining swamp in the eastern United States.
The park abuts the Dismal Swamp Canal which is part of the intercoastal waterway and has its own paved trail. You’ll find the rest of Dismal Swam State Park surrounded by Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
The park is colorful and pretty in the fall and you can see more when the leaves fall making one of the best NC parks on the coast to visit in winter.
Great Dismal Swamp runs from North Carolina into Virginia and is noted as the northernmost location where you can find alligators living in the wild.
My advice when visiting Dismal Swamp State Park is to bring a bicycle. While you can hike, a bike is really the best way to enjoy the park. As of June 2024, the park no longer rents bicycles, so you’ll need to bring your own.
What to Know Before Visiting
The entrance can be a little tricky to find. When you follow GPS, it will take you to the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center. The parking lot for the State Park is on the far left of the Canal Visitor Center as you face the canal.
The park is wild. It’s probably the wildest (and by wild, I mean the closest you’ll get to wildlife) park in all of North Carolina. If you’re not comfortable seeing scat on the trail and hearing bears walk through the tall grass in the swamp, then I recommend sticking to the Boardwalk trail.
The park alternates between calling some trails “trails” and others “roads” which makes sense because they’re all dirt and grass roads but some are more grass and less gravel. You’ll also find the flora on either side or the trail high and plush. I found it difficult to see anything except the trail.
There was a lot of bear scat on the trails, and you’ll hear wildlife wandering through the other side. As someone put it, ‘it’s a great place to see signs of wildlife”.
A Bicycle is the Best Way to Explore the Park
If you want to see the entire park, you’ll need a bicycle which the park no longer rents so bring your own.
The reason is that you must take the Canal Road to reach the other trails and it’s 2.2 miles one way. That means your minimum hike to get into the swamp is 4.4 miles round trip.
While I couldn’t make it to the far end of the park, I heard that the intersection of Corapeake Road and Forest Line Road has the best views of the swamp due to an old fire.
Park Trail Layout
The Canal Road is one way, then it reaches the rest of the trails which form a grid. Kim Saunders and Corapeake Roads run perpendicular to Canal Road. They connect via the Martha Washington Trail, Laurel Trail, West Boundary Trail, and Forest Line Road.
Think of Kim Saunders and Corapeake roads as Avenues with Martha Washington, Laurel, and West Boundary Trails as streets.
The park advises most hikers to stick to the Canal Road and take it to the Martha Washington Trail to see the two weirs, then head back.
I pride myself on hiking every trail in every park but couldn’t do this at Dismal Swamp State Park. My plan relied on renting a bicycle and, when they weren’t available, I had to adjust to hiking. The route I took was just over 10 miles.
I took Canal Road to Kim Saunders Road, then found the Martha Washington Trial about 50 feet in and took that to Corapeake Road. I overshot the intersection with Laurel Trail to see the Myrtle Ditch, then hiked back to Laurel Trail until it ended at Kim Saunders Road and too that back to Canal Road.
This is about half the trails and I was already at 10 miles. I did enjoy the Supple-Jack Trail and Swamp Boardwalk on the way back.
Entrance to Dismal Swamp State Park
There’s one entrance in South Mills, North Carolina. You’ll enter the parking area for Great Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center. On the far side to the left (facing the canal) is a metal bridge with a gatehouse crossing the canal and a row of parking spots. This is the entrance to the park.
Once you park, you’ll walk to the small bridge and check in with the attendant. They are responsible for writing down anyone entering the park and mans the bridge, raising it for boats to pass through the canal.
Pro Tip: The park closes earlier than most State Parks. You need to be out by 5:30 pm most months. January and February, the park closes at 4:30 pm.
Things to do at Dismal Swamp State Park
Dismal Swamp State Park offers 20.5 miles of hiking and biking trails. It’s also great for bird watchers. I saw mostly people on bicycles when I was there.
There is no camping at the park. The closest campground is Merchant’s Millpond State Park about 30 minutes away.
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Trails at Dismal Swamp State Park
Most of the trails are similar. It’s easy hiking with flat ground and well mowed trails that are clearly driven on by park staff.
I passed a Ranger checking the trail on a side by side on my trip.
Due to the shortened park hours, it’s going to be tough to try and hike all 20.5 miles. Your best bet is to bring a bicycle.
Boardwalk Trail
Mileage: 0.5 mile loop
Blaze: Blue circle
Rated: Easy
Location: Behind the Visitor Center. There are two entrances about 20 feet apart. They both lead to the same loop.
This is a pretty way to see the swamp when the water level is high enough. It’s also the Kids in Park Track Trail. You can enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the tables just before the trailhead after your hike.
The entire trail is a boardwalk and there are two locations with wooden benches to sit.
Supple-Jack Trail
Mileage: 0.5 miles one way
Blaze: Blue triangles
Rated: Easy
Location: Behind the Visitor Center to the right. It also touches the Canal Road in a couple of locations.
Supple-Jack is the one trail that seems vastly different from the others. If you pick it up behind the Visitor Center, you’ll start in a rhododendron forest that’s equal parts creepy and fascinating. After a bit, it weaves through a pine forest where you have a lot of coverage, dipping to touch the Canal Road every now and then.
Canal Road
Mileage: 2.2 miles one way
Blaze: No blaze. There are wooden markers with “CR” that note the mileage every half mile.
Rated: Easy
Location: Behind and to the right of the Visitor Center. You’ll see a kiosk at the start.
This is the heart of the park. Along the way, you’ll see an example of a replica liquor still and a flat-bottomed barge known as a lighter boat.
The trail is open with no shade. There’s a picnic table in a little cove almost a mile in. It parallels the canal which you can see every now and then before heading further inland.
The trail ends at the intersection with Kim Saunders Road.
S. Martha Washington Trail
Mileage: 1.2 miles one way
Blaze: None
Rated: Easy
Location: You’ll turn onto Kim Saunders Road from Canal Road. About 50 feet to your right is the entrance. There’s a small trail sign close to the ground, but the intersection is obvious.
S. Martha Washington Trail connects Kim Saunders and Corapeake Roads. You’ll find the two weirs on this trail. The first weir is a bridge you walk over and the trail continues to the right on the other side. The second weir is closed, but you can see it as you walk by. It’s right at the intersection of Martha Washington and Corapeake.
Kim Saunders Road
Mileage: 5.4 miles one way
Blaze: None. There are little brown trail signs with “KS” and the mileage noted every mile.
Rated: Easy
Location: You’ll hike Canal Road until it ends at Kim Saunders Road.
The park notes that black bears, turkeys, and bobcats can be seen on this trail. I didn’t see any due to the tall grasses and bushes lining the trail, but I did hear what sounded like a bear walk by on two occasions.
It’s a large grass and dirt road with plenty of room.
Corapeake Road
Mileage: 4.8 miles one way
Blaze: None
Rated: Easy
Location: You’ll hike Canal Road and then turn on Kim Saunders Road and take any of the trails that connect (Martha Washington, Laurel, Western Boundary, Forest Line).
Corapeake is the northernmost trail in the park. It parallels Kim Saunders Road. It’s a wide dirt and grass road. I saw some deer cross the trail, otherwise this was the quietest part of my hike with regards to wildlife.
When you reach the Myrtle Ditch, you’ll find it’s a waterway, not a trail. I thought it would be a great cut through to Kim Saunders. At Myrtle Ditch there is a road to your right which leads outside the park boundary. I’m not sure where it goes.
Laurel Trail
Mileage: 1 mile one way
Blaze: None
Rated: Easy
Location: Hike Canal Road to Kim Saunders Road and hike until you see the large wooden trail sign for Kim Saunders Road. This sign is at the intersection with Laurel Road.
The grass on this trail was a little higher than the rest and it seems it’s not driven on as much as the other trails. It’s a pretty hike with a lot of color in the fall.
Tall grasses line either side of the trail and I heard the most wildlife here including a wild turkey.
Forest Line Road
Mileage: 2.3 miles one way
Blaze: None
Rated: Easy
Location: This is the western most trail in the park. You’ll take Canal Road to Kim Saunders Road until it dead ends at Forest Line Road.
The intersection of Forest Line and Corapeake Roads is where you’ll find the Fire Scar. Your best chance of viewing wildlife will be here.
According to the park, otters are often seen in this trail. It’s the furthest you can go into the swamp while still in park.
Western Boundary Trail
Mileage: 1 mile one way
Blaze: None
Rated: Easy
Location: Can be reached from the Kim Saunders or Corapeake Roads.
The Western Boundary takes you straight through the Myrtle Ditch which is a series of ditches built to help collect water. It’s about 6 miles from the Visitor Center so 12 miles round trip if you take Canal Road to Kim Saunders Road.
Bull Boulevard
Mileage: 2.25 miles one way
Blaze: None
Rated: Easy
Location: Head south on Forest Line Road to the Cross Canal.
This is mainly for cyclists due to how far it is from the park entrance. The trail is a quiet, grassy road. It’s deep in the swamp and ends near Insurance Ditch. You’ll have to go down and back because it doesn’t connect with anything other than Fire Line Rd.
Camping at Dismal Swamp State Park
There are no camping facilities and staying overnight is not permitted in the park. The closest campground is Merchants Millpond State Park about 30 minutes away.
Tips for Visiting Dismal Swamp State Park
You don’t really need a map, but it helps. I found Verizon had good signal throughout the entire park and I was able to use online apps to verify my location.
There are signs of animals throughout the park, and you’ll hear them, but I didn’t see anything other than birds and deer. Be prepared to see bear scat on the trails. Although, the scariest part for me was encountering the wild turkey.
Bring a bike. It’s the best way to reach the westernmost trails which are the deepest in the swamp.
Most of the trails are exposed to direct sun. Make sure you have plenty of water and some food.
Arrive early because the park closes early and there’s a lot of mileage you’ll want to get through.
Dress Accordingly
Sunscreen is a must here due to the exposure on the trails. There are also signs everywhere warning you to check for ticks. I treat my clothes with permethrin and used DEET, but I also checked myself over when I got back.
I had a hat and that really helped with the sun. The trails are either due North/South, or due East/West. If you’re on the shorter trails you’ll be heading into the sun at some point.
Ask for Help
It’s unlikely you’ll run into anyone else at Dismal Swamp State Park. You’ll check in with the attendant at the gate, but I would also stop at the Visitor Center to say hi and let them know what you’re doing.
The Rangers do drive around to check most of the trails, but you will be on your own a lot.
The trails are roads and it’s difficult to get lost, but be aware of your surroundings and pay attention.
Dismal Swamp State Park – Wrap Up
This is a unique park that feels like an adventure. Even if you don’t see animals, you’ll encounter signs they’re around and you may hear them in the woods.
When I visited, the water levels were almost nonexistent due to a shortage of rainfall. It was worrisome to the park staff, and they were hoping for rain soon. This may be why I didn’t see as much as other visitors in the past.
If you’re not comfortable being in the middle of a wild area, stick to the Boardwalk Trail and Canal Trail. You’ll still see a lot while feeling a little safer.
Pro Tip: For a great trip, you can continue to the Outer Banks which is just 1.5 hours away to enjoy the beach and climb on the dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
