Dismal Swamp State Park
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed, with restrictions6-ft leash
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- ncparks.gov(252) 771-6593
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Dismal Swamp State Park is a park in Camden County, about 13 miles southwest of Chesapeake.
Popular activities here are canoeing and kayaking, boating, biking, fishing, and hiking. Water access includes boat or kayak rentals.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other — January | Daily | 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Other — March | Daily | 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | — |
| Visitor center | Mon, Fri | 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Sat–Sun | 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | — |
Official wording
Park Hours: Trails close at the posted gate hours below.
January: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
February: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
March: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
April: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
May: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
June: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
July: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
August: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
September: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
October: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
November: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
December: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The park is closed on Christmas Day. The park is open during all other holidays.
Visitor Center: Open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Fees and passes
Free entry at most parks ('Most state parks are free to enter'); per-vehicle day-use fees at the reservoir SRAs (Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, Kerr Lake) and fees for swimming, boat launches, rentals, ferries and camping.
Statewide fee rule from North Carolina's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
North Carolina park passes
- Annual Pass for Reservoirs — $70 Details
- Annual Pass — $100 Details
- Annual Pass with 4WD Beach Access — $200. Annual Pass benefits plus four-wheel-drive beach access Details
From the North Carolina state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveAmerica (northcarolinastateparks.reserveamerica.com)
- Phone
- 1-877-722-6762
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed, with restrictions · leash up to 6 feet
Not allowed in or on: buildings.
Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Camping There are no camping facilities at Dismal Swamp. The closest state park with camping is Merchants Millpond State Park.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
HikingBikingCanoeing and kayakingFishingPicnickingBoating
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corapeake Road | 4.8 mi | Easy | 4.8-mile one way; Blaze: noneBikingHiking |
| Kim Saunders Road | 5.4 mi | Easy | 5.4-mile one way; Blaze: brown "KS" markers every mileBikingHiking |
| Forest Line Road | 2.3 mi | Easy | 2.3-mile one way; Blaze: noneBikingHiking |
| Bull Boulevard | 2.25 mi | Easy | 2.25-mile one way; Blaze: noneBikingHiking |
| Western Boundary Trail | 1 mi | Easy | 1-mile one way; Blaze: noneBikingHiking |
| Laurel Trail | 1 mi | Easy | 1-mile one way; Blaze: noneBikingHiking |
| S. Martha Washington Trail | 1.2 mi | Easy | 1.2-mile one way; Blaze: noneBikingHiking |
| Canal Road | 2.2 mi | Easy | 2.2-mile one way; Blaze: brown "CR" markers every half mileBikingHiking |
| Supple-Jack Trail | 0.5 mi | Easy | 0.5-mile one way; Blaze: blue trianglesHiking only |
| Swamp Boardwalk / K.I.P. Track Trail | 0.5 mi | Easy | 0.5-mile loop; Blaze: blue circleHiking onlyAccessible |
Trail descriptions from the park
Hiking Trails: Open Bike Trails: Open Corapeake Road (4.8-mile one way; Blaze: none), Easy, Biking/hiking Kim Saunders Road (5.4-mile one way; Blaze: brown "KS" markers every mile), Easy, Biking/hiking Forest Line Road (2.3-mile one way; Blaze: none), Easy, Biking/hiking Bull Boulevard (2.25-mile one way; Blaze: none), Easy, Biking/hiking Western Boundary Trail (1-mile one way; Blaze: none), Easy, Biking/hiking Laurel Trail (1-mile one way; Blaze: none), Easy, Biking/hiking S. Martha Washington Trail (1.2-mile one way; Blaze: none), Easy, Biking/hiking Canal Road (2.2-mile one way; Blaze: brown "CR" markers every half mile), Easy, Biking/hiking Supple-Jack Trail (0.5-mile one way; Blaze: blue triangles), Easy, Hiking only Swamp Boardwalk / K.I.P. Track Trail (0.5-mile loop; Blaze: blue circle), Easy, Hiking only
Boating and paddling
Paddling
Fishing
Fishing
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Visitor center
- Nature center or museum
Water
- Boat, canoe or kayak rentals
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- 2294 U.S. 17 N.
South Mills, NC 27976 - Nearest town
- Chesapeake — about 13 mi southwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 36.5128, -76.4164 (from Wikidata)
- Phone
- (252) 771-6593
- dismal.swamp@ncparks.gov
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- North Carolina State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- NC State Parks 'Catalog: Find a State Park Access' (paged Drupal view, ?page=0..6)
- Wikidata
- Photo: 9th Paddle for the Border on Dismal Swamp Canal.jpg — Public domain (US federal government work), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District from United States
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology