dismal swamp canal

Rainy Days & the Dismal Swamp Canal

After spending the morning in Hampton, VA (free bikes to ride!) we made our way through Norfolk, past the war ships and bridges, into the Dismal Swamp.  We anchored in the Dismal Swamp Basin just before Deep Creek Lock.  It was beautiful and the narrow entrance boasted 8-12 ft.

The next morning, we got up for the first lock at 0830 and started our journey through the canal.

Deep Creek Lock was a small and gentle lock.  It was a slow rise of about 8 ft and no strong currents in the lock.

The lockmaster Robert played a conch for us and treated us with orange juice and cookies.  He has quite a large collection of conch shells and asked us to bring him one back for him too!

The canal was like a hike through the woods.  We watched the endless overhanging trees with their fall colors turning, breathed in a woodsy smell and felt a light misting of rain all day.

The fresh water looked like over-brewed tea.

There were a few homes along the way. This one was the most interesting.

After we went through the second lock, South Mills, we saw more swampy moss and trees growing up from the water.

As our day ended, this very healthy bald eagle was perched above the water just near our anchorage in Goat Island.