Dismal Swamp State Park: A Bicycle Tour
This video follows a bicycle tour of Dismal Swamp State Park in North Carolina. During the bicycle tour, narration recounts the history of the swamp.
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Dismal Swamp State Park
An Excellent Ride at Dismal Swamp State Park
I knew it would be an excellent day as I pedaled my Surly Long Haul Trucker bicycle through gravel, grass and sand along Canal Trail at Dismal Swamp State Park, North Carolina, on June 17, 2024.
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Black Bears in dismal Swamp
An estimated 350 American Black Bears live in the Great Dismal Swamp, which is protected by Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (113,000 acres) and Dismal Swamp State Park (14,432 acres). I have been riding my Surly bicycle at both. During eight rides, seven of them at the State Park, I encountered bears three times.
All three encounters happened within about a quarter mile of one another. It is possible that I have seen the same bear more than once.
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Excellent Trails for Bikes at Dismal Swamp State Park
During the ruthless times of slavery, thousands escaped captivity in Dismal Swamp. Escaped slaves formed communities, called maroons, on dry ground within the swamp. The Underground Railroad used the swamp to move escaped slaves. The harsh geography of the area, with its insects, snakes, and bears, deterred slavers from finding their runaways. Apart from the maroons, slaves worked within the swamp for heartless men.
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Cycling and Wildlife Viewing at Dismal Swamp State Park
I started this blog to focus on cycling, hiking and wildlife viewing in the Rio Grande Valley, but today will write about cycling and wildlife viewing at Dismal Swamp State Park. I live in Elizabeth City now, in northeastern North Carolina. I will continue posting from here about nearby sites.
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