Once again Ted Jones regales us with his colorful descriptions of the waters of the AICW. The Great Dismal Swamp Canal route southbound departs the primary AICW – North Carolina, Virginia Cut, south of Norfolk at Statute Mile 7.2 and begins officially at Deep Creek Lock at Mile 10.6. The Dismal Swamp Canal Visitors Center is at approximately Mile 28.

Log October 20, 2010 ~ Portsmouth, VA to the Great Dismal Swamp welcome center:
Jim had never done the Dismal Swamp Canal route, so this was a refreshing experience for him. The impressive thing to me is that here we were on an ocean capable vessel on a canal lined with trees. The feeling is one of strange remoteness from the sea, akin to being in a foreign element which we were.
Once through the Deep Creek Lock in Virginia, the canal stretches for 11 miles in a dead straight line. Portions of the former route 17 (now a four lane highway in Virginia, relocated away from the canal) have been converted into a hiking and bicycle path which parallels the canal. Benches and picnic tables have been provided, even trash cans which we wondered were emptied how often and by whom. It is a significant improvement to not have the peace and tranquility of the canal interrupted by the blatting exhaust notes of 18 wheelers.
The canal bends 20 degrees to the left soon after it passes the feeder canal to Lake Drummond. Then the VA/NC state line is crossed, and U.S 17 reappears adjacent to the canal. Our plan was to spend the night at the Welcome Center, and when we got there the only space available was to raft up with fellow cruisers aboard a spiffy Caliber, and there we spent the night, not going ashore until morning.
Captain Ted Jones, former owner of Coastal Cruising magazine

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dismal Swamp Canal