Dismal Swamp Canal Trail

This out and back trail for walking, jogging, cycling, etc.  You will occasionally see people on horseback as well.  It is 8.3 miles of paved road and is actually a section of  the former Rt. 17 before the new Route 17 was built.  The trail is quiet, tree-lined, and parallels the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina, this trail is such a pleasure to use. You can't even see the nearby Rt. 17 most of the time because the woods makes you feel secluded and away from suburbia.
Enter the trail on the Virginia side where there is plenty of parking, park information, and a tall wood carving of a Black Bear to greet you at the start of the trail.

 There are still some buildings along the trail which give you a feel for the history of the era when this was an important community for people employed on the canal, in logging, peat harvesting, and other jobs associated with this area.

The Great Dismal Swamp National Refuge is just west of the trail and well worth a visit as well.

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