# Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

> Place to go for families in the Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk area (VA / NC). Times are Eastern Time.

- When: Trails open sunrise to sunset; Lake Drummond Wildlife Drive hours vary seasonally…
- Where: Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 3100 Desert Rd, Suffolk, VA 23434
- Ages: All ages
- Price: No fee listed on the visit page
- Schedule: Trails open sunrise to sunset; Lake Drummond Wildlife Drive hours vary seasonally; visitor center hours limited by staff availability
- Organizer: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
- Official page: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/great-dismal-swamp
- Last checked: Sat, Oct 24

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/virginia-beach/activities/great-dismal-swamp-national-wildlife-refuge--listing-8177a268d9baefd1881fca4e

## About

A large swamp refuge on the Suffolk/Chesapeake edge with more than 40 miles of trails and boardwalks for hiking and biking, a self-guided driving tour, two lakefront piers and a boat ramp. There are four entrances: Portsmouth Ditch, Jericho Lane, Washington Ditch, and Railroad Ditch (Lake Drummond Wildlife Drive). At the Portsmouth Ditch trailhead, the refuge and Kids in Parks run a 1.5-mile TRACK Trails loop with activity guides for children. Some trails are accessible. The visitor center's hours depend on staff, so call ahead.

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