W&M Featured Events
[PAST EVENT] Canoe & Camp at the Great Dismal Swamp
Location
Great Dismal Swamp: Suffolk, VA
The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is the largest intact remnant of a vast habitat that once covered more than one million acres of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Forbidding as its name may be, the Great Dismal Swamp is one of the few natural American gems remaining in the East. Despite its impressive size, it remains a mystery to most people. Join TAP as we explore its secrets. We?ll drive down Saturday morning, and then start paddling once we arrive. We?ll launch into the historic Dismal Swamp Canal, which is part of The Inter Coastal Water Way that George Washington built. From there, we follow the Feeder Ditch through the Refuge to the spillway that runs to the lake. From the spillway it is only a quarter mile to the lake. We?ll paddle north along the eastern shore of the lake where we?ll see hundreds of Cypress trees growing just off shore creating an obstacle course for those who want to search for dry land. We return along the same course and land at the campground where we?ll stay for the night. Overall, we will paddle 10 to 12 miles and go at a leisurely pace. On Sunday morning, we?ll breakdown camp, paddle out, and drive to the Visitor?s Center where we can do a short hike on one of the swamp?s trails. We?ll return home Sunday afternoon.
Essential gear and transportation is provided.
Register in advance online at http://campusrec.wm.edu
$20
Contact
[[mswhite, Michael White]], Assistant Director of Outdoor Recreation