The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is famous for its nature and history – you could even say it puts the “Great” in Chesapeake’s “Great Outdoors.” The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge contains some of the most important wildlife habitat in the mid-Atlantic region. At near 113,000 acres, the refuge is the largest intact remnant of a vast swamp that once covered more than one million acres. In modern day, a third of the Refuge is located in Chesapeake, and Black Bear Trail is one of several access points in Chesapeake to explore the Refuge.
The Black Bear Trail is named after wildlife you can find in the Refuge. In fact, the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge has the largest population of Black Bear on the East Coast. The area is obviously safe to explore, but part of what attracts visitors to the Trail, and the Refuge in general, is how abundant the wilderness is while still being the in middle of everything Chesapeake has to offer. Black Bear Trail is a loop trail, and is 3.5-miles round trip including crossing two foot bridges. As you walk the trail look for a diverse array of plant and animal life.
Part of the Black Bear Trail is the Kids in Parks TRACK Trail. This program works with partners throughout the country to engage youth, children, and families in outdoor recreation to foster lifelong wellness and meaningful connections to public lands. The Kids in Parks Program accomplishes this mission through the installation of TRACK Trails, a series of hiking trails that provide self-guided, brochure-led adventures designed to turn an ordinary hike into a fun-filled adventure. This TRACK Trail teaches about the traditional hunting grounds of several groups of Indigenous people, including the Nansemond Tribe. The landscape is different, but equally important for wildlife. The TRACK Trail at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is a 1.5-mile portion of the trail that follows the Black Bear Trail to Wood Duck Loop, and back. This is an easy hike and great for families to explore.
The lands of the Refuge were the traditional hunting grounds of several groups of Indigenous people, including the Nansemond Tribe. It was also home to Maroon communities, and part of the Underground Railroad. Today, the refuge protects the unique pocosin forest ecosystem of the Great Dismal Swamp. As you walk the trail, you will see a landscape different than the one Indigenous people walked through, but equally important for wildlife. Look for pond pines, black bear, switch cane, and a diverse array of other plant and animal life. Black Bear Trail is particularly good for birding during the spring and fall migration, as well as enjoying the change of colors on a crisp fall day.
Chesapeake is the place to hit the trails and enjoy time in the great outdoors.
