Dismal Swamp Canal

The Dismal Swamp Canal is a waterway between Virginia and North Carolina in the United States that runs roughly 22 miles (35 kilometers) from Chesapeake Bay to Albemarle Sound. The lock system allows smaller boats to pass through the shallow waters, and narrow wooded banks frame the straight course.

Work started in 1793 under the supervision of the Dismal Swamp Canal Company, and hundreds of laborers dug the waterway by hand through swamp soil and peat. The route opened for traffic in 1805 and served cargo transport between coastal towns for over two centuries.

The name comes from the neighboring swamp that was once considered impenetrable and now supports cypress and maple trees along the water. Recreational boaters use the waterway as a shortcut between coastal regions and often pause at small docks to watch herons and turtles.

The waterway remains open year-round, though low water levels in late summer sometimes limit passage for larger boats. Visitors can use small parking areas and rest spots along South Mills Lock to watch the lock operation.

The waterway is the oldest continuously operating artificial route of its kind in the United States since 1805. During construction, workers uncovered fossilized tree trunks deep beneath the swamp surface, remnants of a prehistoric forest that had sunk thousands of years earlier.

Location: Chesapeake

Location: Camden County

Official opening: 1805

Part of: Intracoastal Waterway

GPS coordinates: 36.55670,-76.38060

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:30