For those who want to consider the Dismal Swamp Canal when transiting the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River at mile 7.1 of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the sign just past the 65-foot vertical clearance I-64 Bridge at Deep Creek, and on the west side at the entrance to the Dismal Swamp Canal, provides the lock schedule, the controlling depth and whether the canal is open or closed. Information about the status of the Dismal Swamp Canal is also available from the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center by calling 252-771-8333.

You can inquire about the status of operations of the canal, whether there are any impediments to navigation, or special events that may be scheduled. Be advised that sometimes duckweed grows in the canal and can clog engine intakes. And you should always remain diligent for floating logs or tree branches. Rarely are vessels damaged, but keep an eye out and confirm the status of the canal for peace of mind. The canal is a quiet and remote stretch of water that is enchanting and historically significant. 

About The Dismal Swamp Canal

In 1763, George Washington first proposed draining the swamp, harvesting the timber (cypress for shipbuilding and cedar for shingles) and then farming the land. He and other prominent businessmen purchased 40,000 acres of swampland. Washington first supervised the digging for the ditch from the swamp to Lake Drummond, today known as Washington Ditch. In 1909, a lumbering company purchased the swamp and continued to harvest virgin timber until they cut the last tree down in the 1950s. In 1973, the Union Camp Company donated its swamp holding to create the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Today, recreational boaters cruise past a number of historical sites on the Dismal Swamp Canal. The Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, Dismal Swamp State Park and Dismal Swamp Canal are all recognized with the distinction as being a designated site on the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Boats today follow the same course as James Adams' Floating Theatre, which inspired Edna Ferber to write "Showboat." It is a beautiful, unspoiled waterway and one of the prettiest on the whole ICW, while also offering the considerable benefit of being easier to transit compared to the narrow, busy, and frequently wind-driven Virginia Cut. The canal is fed primarily by freshwater drainage from Lake Drummond and its feeder system.

Navigation

From the sign at ICW Mile 7.3, the Dismal Swamp route heads off west of the ICW. The Deep Creek land cut leads to Deep Creek itself and the Deep Creek Lock, which introduces you to the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. The distance is approximately 51 miles from Norfolk to Elizabeth City, but the distance does not have to be covered in one day. Birds, reptiles, winged insects and bears inhabit this unique primeval forest. (Use screens and cover up before entering the canal during the summer months.)

Deep Creek Lock (Mile 10.4) raises you 8 feet in elevation, while South Mills Lock (at Mile 32.8) lowers you the same amount. At both locks, boats must furnish and tend their own lines. Be sure to have plenty of line and watch your stern, which may want to swing toward the center during the locking process. When the locks are open, the tenders will ask the draft of each vessel and warn those with drafts of more than 5 feet that they may proceed only at their own risk. Openings at Deep Creek Bridge at Mile 11.1 (4-foot closed vertical clearance) are coordinated with the Deep Creek Lock. Vessels are allowed to moor overnight in the canal. If you plan to stay on the newly rebuilt dock between the bridge and the lock, it is courteous to notify the lockmaster on VHF Channel 13 and let him know your intentions.

The locks at Deep Creek opens four times daily (unless low water levels cause restricted openings) at 8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Boats entering the canal are locked first, meaning at Deep Creek Lock, southbound boats are locked first; at the South Mills Lock, northbound boats are locked first. For boats leaving the canal, the lock openings may be delayed while the entering boats are locked through. Prepare to wait before the bridge, in that case. The lockmasters do double duty as bridgetenders and open the adjacent bridges so you will have to wait for them to drive from the lock to the bridge.

While narrow and unmarked, Deep Creek presents no unusual problems, unless there is an extremely low water, in which case there may be a little over 5-foot depth. Travel at a reasonable speed and do not be misled by the nice-looking side waters; they are extremely shallow. Keep to the center of the main stream and give points a good berth, as shoaling is chronic. The Army Corps of Engineers has placed small pipe markers, white with a red top, along every mile of the Dismal Swamp Canal, indicating statute mileage from Norfolk. At about Mile 23, there is a sign marking the beginning of a measured nautical mile.

From Deep Creek, the Dismal Swamp Canal reaches south in two arrow-straight stretches. The feeder ditch from Lake Drummond intersects the canal toward the end of the first of these at Mile 21.5. The Dismal Swamp Canal has minimum 6-foot depths as long as there is adequate water in Lake Drummond. This route no longer carries commercial traffic except from below South Mills (Mile 32) to Elizabeth City (Mile 50), so the stretch north of this is not as carefully maintained as it once was.

For more navigation notes on the Dismal Swamp Canal, purchase a Print Waterway Guide Atlantic ICW Edition or a Waterway Guide Atlantic ICW Subscription.