Dedication will Mark Opening of Dismal Swamp State Park

RALEIGH -- A dedication ceremony March 21 will formally mark the opening of Dismal Swamp State Park in Camden County, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. The 14,344-acre swath of conservation land becomes North Carolina's 32nd state park to open to the public.

A 7,050-square-foot visitor center at the park's entrance and support facilities will be dedicated. Those facilities include a swing-span, pedestrian bridge across the Dismal Swamp Canal, a parking area, an exhibit hall and a system of boardwalks, decks and gazebos that will allow park visitors to experience the Great Dismal Swamp and learn about the area's rich cultural and natural heritage.

The initial facilities necessary to open Dismal Swamp State Park to the public represent an investment of $3.5 million from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the principal funding source for state parks capital projects and land acquisition.

'Our system of state parks represents the variety and richness of North Carolina's trove of natural resources, and Dismal Swamp State Park takes its place among those jewels,' said Lewis Ledford, director of the state Division of Parks and Recreation. 'The park and its facilities are well-suited to further our mission of conservation, environmental education and recreation, and along with northeastern North Carolina, we take pride in its success.'

The property was acquired by the state in 1974 with the help of The Nature Conservancy and was managed as a state natural area without public access until 2007 when the N.C. General Assembly authorized it as Dismal Swamp State Park. It is adjacent to the 111,000-acre Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Dismal Swamp State Park began developing its staff, a citizen's park advisory committee and its management policies one year ago under the guidance of Superintendent Joy Greenwood.

The park is rich in natural resources including native stands of Atlantic white cedar and populations of black bear, bobcat and deer. It supports a large variety of migratory, neo-tropical birds and a significant number of butterfly species. Nature observation likely will be one of the principal activities at the state park along with hiking, picnicking, paddling and primitive camping.

The visitor center's exhibit hall will explore these natural resources as well as the rich cultural history of the swamp through museum-quality exhibits. The center also offers a classroom and a teaching auditorium designed for environmental education programming.

Since 1994, the state parks system has opened 19 visitor centers. All have similar components, though each has a distinctive architectural style that commemorates the cultural history of the area.

The lead designer for the Dismal Swamp State Park visitor center was Alpha and Omega Group of Raleigh, and the general contractor was SEVAC Corporation of Portsmouth, Va.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. with access from the park's entrance at 2294 U.S. 17 North in South Mills.