The Roanoke River drains the largest
bottomland swamp forest east of the Mississippi River.
The timeless Roanoke River
silently rushes by Plymouth, indifferent to the human activities on
shore, as it drains the largest bottomland swamp forest east of its
larger cousin, the Mississippi River. Beginning in the Blue Ridge
Mountains of southwestern Virginia, it steadfastly carries its
wealth of fresh water toward the fertile coastal plain depositing
rich nutrients and providing valuable habitat for an abundance of
flora and fauna along its 410 mile journey. The Roanoke received its
name from the Algonquin Indians. It is said to mean "River of
Death", presumably due to once dangerous sporadic flooding before
water control devices impeded its path toward the sea. The mighty
Roanoke drains 9,580 square miles or about 5,000,000 acres of
Virginia and North Carolina.
As the Roanoke leaves the North Carolina Piedmont and enters the
flat rock-less fertile Coastal Plain it forms an increasingly wide
and dispersed basin, ultimately culminating in a delta before
resigning its fate to the expansive Albemarle Sound, five miles east
of Plymouth. As the waters enter the wide timbered basin of the
Plain, it spreads out and slows down taking on the tannin from the
trees and swamps giving it a tea-colored patina. Only through the
miracle of flight can the size and significance of the Roanoke Basin
and Delta be fully appreciated. One is reminded of explorer David
Livingstone's words when he first discovered Victoria Falls in
Africa, "scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in
their flight." But only in the silence of a drifting boat, canoe, or
kayak can its secrets be truly experienced and revealed.
Each season provides its own cacophony of sounds for the attentive
visitor. The Roanoke River Basin is home to more breeding pairs of
birds than any other part of the Coastal Plain, including more than
214 species. Within the Lower Roanoke Basin is the largest heron
rookery in North Carolina. Cagey whitetail deer and wild turkey live
enigmatic lives within its lush swampy reaches, where they are
rarely disturbed by man. Black Bear amble along feeding
opportunistically on gum berries, roots, and whatever the river
offers up to fill their cavernous bellies. A cautious and careful
exploration of the immense swamps of the Roanoke River Basin rewards
the intrepid explorer with seldom seen sites of extraordinary trees,
vast groves of cypress knees, and deep sloughs.
No matter the season, no matter the pursuit, Plymouth provides the
perfect place to begin or end your journey through the lush
labyrinth of the Roanoke River Basin. There are two public boat
ramps on the Plymouth Waterfront. There are two more boat ramps
located east of Plymouth on Highway 45, one of which is on the
Roanoke River, and one on Conaby Creek, a tributary of the Roanoke.
"Nature is but another name for health, and the seasons are but
different states of health."...Henry David Thoreau 1853