Lime green water, bright blue skies and Alligators in the SWAMPS! Merchants Millpond is a haven for the outdoorsman in your life. Hiking, paddling, biking and fishing. Plus, you may not see a single person until you get home. Worth the drive!
Right Next to Wild
If you have never heard of Gatesville NC then you are not alone. Merchants Millpond state park is tucked away in a northeastern town not far from the Virginia boarder. Traffic through the area is very low aside from traffic to and from the Virginia Beach area.
This is also not far away from the Great Dismal Swamp. I only recently learned that there is both a North Carolina side of the Great Dismal Swamp and a Virginia side. We visited near by Sylvan Height Aviary not long ago also and highly recommend it too if you are in the area.
Parking is generally fit for the low traffic to the park. We came on an absolutely gorgeous Saturday in September and had no trouble find places to park. That being said, if the park was to fill up, there are no available parking alternatives unless you want to park on the side of the road. Like many of our favorite places, seclusion comes with the trade-off of accessibly.
Take a Hike!
Madilyn and I came to Merchant Millponds State Park with one thing on our minds, HIKING! From what I could find online there were some nice water views but I was not prepared for the striking shots we found.
The water views were covered with this vibrant green pollen and surrounded by mature cypress trees. The day was overcast much of the day but we were lucky enough to get a vibrant blue sky for a few hours while we were near the water.
Hurricane Ian had come through not long before our visit so many spots on the trails were inundated with mud or partially blocked. We were able to get around fairly easily but it was a little treacherous with the mud at one point. Madilyn just thought it was funny that my foot was stuck.
We tried the Bennet’s Creek Trail and Cypress Point Trail. We ended up having to redirect from Cypress Point trail to the Coleman Trail because the Cypress Point Trail was closed. I was really excited to see if there was some fun views on the Cypress Point Trail but we were equally happy in the massively tall pines on the Coleman Trail
All of the great water shots you see here were taken on the Bennet’s Creek Trail. Do be warned, the Bennet’s Creek trail crosses a road and cars do not slow down much through this curve. Be careful.
Take A…. Paddle?
On top of the extensive hiking trails throughout the park, there are some other great ways to get in touch with nature. You will find 3 different paddle trails that each have their own paddle camping site. One of the more extensive ones goes up the Bennett’s Creek several miles to a relatively remote camping area.
Naturally there are also canoe rentals at the visitor center. They had closed up for the season so I cannot speak much on this. We did see a few people who brought their own boats to fish in the pond. The park is nicely set up for a day trip or a long weekend of outdoor adventure.
Madilyn was very interested by the docks near the launch points. She had never see water that was so green before so I was worried she might try to jump in. Thank goodness that did not happen.
Watch For Gators!
I was really surprised to see signs for Alligators when I got to the park and thought it might have been a back joke. Turns out, Merchant Millponds is the northern most habitat for the American Alligator and can commonly be seen in the park. Who would have thought?!
Overall
Merchant Millponds state park offered a fun way to see the coastal wetland that make up so much of Eastern NC’s natural habitats. When I get the chance, I would love to take Madilyn on a few of the paddle trails to introduce her to some water basics. Great place to explore!
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