2022 Paddle for the Border - Dismal Swamp Canal

17th Annual Paddle for the Border
Saturday May 7th, 2022
Dismal Swamp State Park - South Mills, North Carolina (launch)
Great Dismal Swamp Boat Ramp - Ballahack Rd., Chesapeake, VA (finish)
* Registration Closed *

Dismal Swamp Canal

The 2022 Dismal Swamp Canal Paddle for the Border is expected to attract paddlers from all over Virginia. In February, due to popularity, registration closed for the annual 7.5-mile paddling excursion to the North Carolina/Virginia border. The event is sponsored by the City of Chesapeake Parks and Recreation.

After enjoying a traditional pre-launch breakfast at the Dismal Swamp State Park, in South Mills, North Carolina, paddlers will embark on the leisurely three-hour journey to cross the state line.

Paddlers finish the day out with a picnic lunch on grounds of the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail at the Great Dismal Swamp Boat Ramp at Ballahack Rd. in Chesapeake, VA.

The 2022 Paddle for the Border in Dismal Swamp Canal will begin on May 7, 2022 at 7:30 a.m. and end around 2:30 p.m. Mariners are requested to use caution when transiting the area.

More information about the event can be found at www.dismalswampwelcomecenter.com or www.cityofchesapeake.net.

Related Information

Best Areas for Kayaking in Hampton Roads Virginia

Highland Park Veterans Kayak Launch - Norfolk VA

In October, members of the Highland Park Civic League honored military veterans and their dedication to service with a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Highland Park Veterans Kayak Launch.

The launch is located at the corner of 44th Street and Colley Avenue in Norfolk. The new launch site features a floating pier and launch ramp which extends into Knitting Mill Creek, a tributary of the Lafayette River.

The Highland Park Civic League consists of residents and business owners in the Highland Park neighborhood in Norfolk, VA. The organization works to encourage and promote civic improvements in the local community of Highland Park.

Best Areas for Kayaking in Hampton Roads Virginia

Hampton Roads Virginia is one of the best areas in the Mid Atlantic for kayaking. Paddlesports enthusiasts can explore the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, local rivers, creeks, canals, lakes, ponds, salt marshes, and other areas.

Ocean kayakers launch along beaches or inlets from Virginia Beach to Sandbridge. To reach the Chesapeake Bay, kayakers depart from Hampton, Norfolk, or Virginia Beach. All three cities provide parks and ramps where kayakers can launch their craft.

Virginia's Hampton Roads region is a maze of rivers, creeks, and tidal lagoons. Kayakers explore the James, Nanesemond, Elizabeth, Lafayette, Back, and Lynnhaven Rivers. Some estuaries, such as the Elizabeth River, contain designated water trails.

Dismal Swamp Canal

Canals are another option for kayakers. In the heart of Hampton Roads, numerous canals interconnect between the Elizabeth River, Lake Drummond, and Albemarle Sound.

Once part of the Intercoastal Waterway, the canals sustain a variety of wildlife, fish, wild plants, and other inhabitants.

Hampton Roads is home to two National Wildlife Refuges, Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Both facilities contain areas for recreational kayaking, kayak fishing, wildlife watching, and other activities.

Areas suitable for kayaking can also be found at First Landing State Park and False Cape State Park. Both parks contain sheltered areas as well as open water for more experienced paddlers.

Chesapeake Bay Public Access

A recent National Park Service study highlights the demand for public access to the Chesapeake Bay for kayak launching and other uses.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan, the following areas received the highest numbers of site suggestions:

1. Dundalk/Edgemere area (Baltimore County, Maryland)

2. Annapolis (Maryland)

3. Sassafras River and main stem of the Chesapeake Bay south of the Sassafras River (Maryland)

4. Nanticoke River (Delaware and Maryland)

5. Anacostia and Potomac Rivers (Washington DC, and Arlington, Virginia)

6. Fort Monroe (Hampton, Virginia)

7. Colonial National Historic Park (Virginia)

8. Nansemond River (Virginia)

9. Harrisburg (Pennsylvania)

10. Raystown Branch of the Juniata River (Pennsylvania)

11. Altoona (Pennsylvania)

source: National Park Service

2011 Lynnhaven River Western Branch Kayak Tour

Paddle into History with Lynnhaven River NOW and Wild River Outfitters on August 21, 2011 at 2:00 PM.

This special tour will showcase the waters of the ducking of Grace Sherwood, Virginia’s only convicted witch. This year marks the 305th anniversary of the famous witch trial. A historian will accompany the trip as will skilled kayak guides. Solo and tandem kayaks are furnished, but participants must be able to paddle.

This trip will depart from Crab Creek at 2pm. Along the way we will discuss the sites of the first church and courthouse, hear about the old riverside plantations, and visit the site of the famous ducking of Grace Sherwood, view the former ferry site for which Ferry Plantation House was named, and other points of historic interest. Kayaks will take out at Ferry Plantation House, 4136 Cheswick Lane.

Limited to 30 participants, advanced reservation is required. Cost is $50 per person, all paddling equipment provided. If you have your own boat, pfd & paddle, you can join us for a $25 fee for solo kayaks or $35 fee for tandem kayaks which will be donated back to Lynnhaven River NOW.

Participants should bring plenty of water for the trip. Snacks and drinks will be provided at the Ferry Plantation House at take out. After the paddling trip, paddlers will be welcomed to the historic Ferry Plantation House for a complementary guided tour with costumed docents. Rides back to the launch site will be provided.

Important things to know:

1:30 pm be at Crab Creek launch site near Lesner Bridge & Lynnhaven Boat Ramp

2:00 pm depart for paddling trip

5:30 pm take out at Ferry

Please bring your own water

Free tour of Ferry Plantation House after trip. Snacks and drinks provided at take out.

Registration cut-off is Thursday, August 18 at 5 pm

Contact Wild River Outfitters to register: 757-431-8566

For more information, contact Karen Forget with Lynnhaven River NOW @ 757-962-5398.

Virginia Hunting-Fishing Mobile App

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) is now offering a free Hunt Fish VA mobile application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The Hunt Fish VA app allows users to search for a wide variety of Virginia hunting and fishing related information on their smart phones. Having the new app will allow anglers and hunters to:

*get the latest news from DGIF

*look up hunting regulations, seasons, and bag limits while in the field

*view freshwater fishing regulations and state record fish

*identify the fish just caught

*get the sunrise and sunset times for their location

*record trophy harvests

*find nearby boat ramps, Wildlife Management Areas, and lakes

Kayak fishermen and other anglers can download the FREE DGIF Hunt Fish VA iPhone®; App on the Apple Store(SM) at HuntFishVA.com/app