Dismal Swamp Canal, North Carolina 3

DISMAL SWAMP CANAL, N.C. -- More than 325 people participated in the City of Chesapeake’s 9th Annual Paddle for the Border event Saturday, May 5, 2012. And what better place to celebrate the spirit of America’s great outdoors then at the nation’s oldest continually operating canal - the dismal swamp. Paddlers began gathering as early as7 a.m. and launched at 8:30 a.m. from the Dismal Swamp State Park in South Mills, N.C. After paddling 7.5 miles participants gathered for a picnic lunch at the Dismal Swamp boat ramp on Ballahack Road. The flow of kayakers was steady throughout the morning and mid-day, a few motorized boaters shared the “road”, making their way to the Intracoastal Waterway. Law enforcement and public safety officials from North Carolina and Virginia were on site during the event—both on the water and observing from the shore— to assist with any emergency situations that may arise. Paddle for the Border is sponsored by the Dismal Swamp State Park, Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and City of Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Department. (U.S. Army photo/Pamela Spaugy)