great dismal swamp national wildlife refuge

Fabulous birding despite the weather. Very interesting and different topography! Definitely take the drive to Lake Drummond.

I had heard the term or name Dismal Swamp in my lifetime but never knew where it was located. On last years vacation we stopped at the Dismal Swamp and I so enjoyed it. It was a Nice place to stop and use facilities and take photos. I would go back.

The Great Dismal Swamp is a unique ecosystem where abundant birds, snakes, bears,butterflies,and frogs live just to name a few.Great for photographers, birders, and nature lovers.Easy walking trails as well as biking.

Wonderful place for a day hike! No motor vehicles allowed, only hikers and bicyclists! Soon after the peak of fall foliage in the Va. mountains, the area soon becomes awash with color! Home to Lake Drummond, one of only two natural lakes in Va., with water the color of root beer due to the high tannic acid content. Have seen deer, bobcats, black bears and wood ducks. Best time to visit is late fall and winter, when the bugs are absent!

We really enjoyed the Natural ecosystem of the reserve. Though I wish the farms and cities above these water ways would be more eco smart. Take your time and enjoy the wildlife!

We very much enjoyed the Great Dismal Swamp. We started by parking off of old Rt. 17 near the Feeder Ditch to the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. This is a dead end road. There was plenty of parking off the road and some trash cans. (There are no bathroom facilities.) There is a small dock to put in your boat. There was about a 3 foot drop so if you have a heavy boat with supplies, it could get tricky. (There is a new park up the road with a boat launch, but will require extra paddling to get to Lake Drummond.) We put in around 4:30pm. The water was super warm and the sky was beautiful. Only issue was that the sun was completely in our eyes. We had to paddle on the sides of the feeder ditch to be able to see. It is about a 5 mile paddle to the camping spot. It took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there. We did stop and check things out, but we were cruising most of the time. Bring a good camera or some way to keep your phone from getting wet. You will take lots of pictures. Probably 30 minutes into our paddle, we saw a mamma black bear and her cub swimming across the feeder ditch. They just swam and hustled out on the other side, but they were pretty close.The campsite was great to see because we had been paddling for a long time. Go around to the left side of the island. There will be some docks that you can tie up to. You can also go a little further and just slide up onto the hill. The island had working mens/womens bathrooms, electricity, and screened in porches to get away from the bugs. There was no person on duty but I think maybe on the weekends there is someone. The bathrooms were simple, but clean. They have water but not for drinking. You must bring all of your water with you. They have lights all over the island that you can turn on or keep off. The island can support quite a few campers. It may get super busy at times. When we were there, there was only one other man with his 3 children. There is a giant field with a pit toilet on the other side of the feeder ditch for camping as well. The screened porches are simple huts with a picnic table inside. There was a line that we used to hang clothes. After getting our tent up, we hopped back in our boat/paddle board and paddled another 1/2 mile to Lake Drummond. We were chasing the setting sun. If we had been there 30 minutes earlier, it probably would have been even more spectacular. But what we got was very nice too. Paddling in, you are going west following the sun. The lake was super calm and made everything reflective. The color of the sky mixed with the water, made it magical. We stayed out in the lake until after dark, taking pictures. It was stunning. We had to use our headlamps to paddle back to camp. Be sure to keep an eye on where you are. It is very easy to not see the entrance to the feeder ditch. There is a yellow sign nailed to a tree as a marker. In the morning, we paddled back out to the lake to explore. The weather was beautiful again and the lake was glassy. The trees had a perfect reflection in the water. My husband paddle boarded across the lake and I played in the trees along the shore. The green colors everywhere were simply stunning. In the afternoon, the wind started to pick up and started to make small ripples on the water. You have to check the weather for the lake. If there are high winds, the lake can get really choppy.The paddle back out was long, but nice and quiet. The bugs were not bad. We did use bug spray. I never got bit but my husband who was paddle boarding, had to kill about 12 biting flies. He says they were manageable. But be aware that you are in a swamp and the insects are going to be there.We were not expecting the swamp to be as spectacular as it was. This is certainly a place to go and check out. Remember to bring all of your food, water, and bug spray.

If you are into the Great outdoors and want a piece of History to go along with it, Bring your camera and stay all day !..Be prepared to Walk, see nature and fall in love with this place. In the Summer months, bring your Bug Spray and plenty of cold bottled water.I loved this place and you will too!

My husband and I went on a nonhumid spring day and it was late spring with cottonwoods snowing and dragonflies everywhere. The boardwalk was nice to stroll on and then we hiked a bit long the Washington Ditch. Only saw one other person!

I was excited to walk through and learn about the swamp ecosystem and biodiversity and such, but this wildlife refuge didn't have much. There are a few trails and literature, but we burned through it pretty quick and then there wasn't much to do. Its still worth a visit you learn a few things, but don't plan on a full day unless you have a boat and plan to fish.

If you go, you have to be sure that the driving route to Lake Drummond is open (or be able to take watercraft or a really long hike) as that part of the park is stunning and unique. Good place for solitary walk, or biking along the dikes on any of the other entrances.

I love swamps and will stop at them whenever I can. If we come here again I would like to rent bikes instead of driving through it. If you go in the summer be sure to bring lots of bug spray. I've heard the mosquitoes are big enough to lift you up and carry your away. There is an entrance on the NC side that takes you to the welcome center on the canal. The entrance on the VA side will take you through the swamp to Drummond Lake. I don't know how often the roads through the swamp are in bad shape but when we were there it was after a very big rain and some holes were full of water and there were some wash overs.

Ideal bike and walking road. Much of its shady with a canal all along the way. Also ideal kayaking, canoeing and small boating. Lots if wildlife including birds, snakes and bears. Take water and food.

This is a little know National Treasure. If you have a small boat this is even more enjoyable. The location is just South of Norfolk, VA accessible from several different points and highways. We came in from the North East side and found lots of parking. We did not do any boating this visit because of the cool weather but in the past a Fall visit was perfect for boating. Lots of native wild life to see if you are quiet and patient. We saw an alligator on one of our several visits.I recommend this to any nature lover. Good place for a picnic. Bring bug repellent during the summer especially.

We didn't do any hiking, just the wildlife drive. It is about six miles and a beautiful drive. We didn't see much on the ride through, except one heron. Our December visit was still very enjoyable and the view at the lake is wonderful.

Thanks to the arrow-straight and nearly level walking paths originally surveyed by George Washington this is a historic stroll with nature and history. However late July is probably not the best choice of season to visit since mosquitoes are rampant. Plan on feeling isolated and at one with nature. The Visitor Center provides helpful information and updates on current sightings; bears were prevalent during our visit, but fortunately we missed that local drama. Bring bug spray and tick repellant and be sure you have appropriate footwear!