Millpond Trail

The Millpond Trail circles the historic 760-acre Merchant Millpond, following the shore of one of North Carolina most significant cultural and ecological landscapes through forest and swamp edge habitat rich in wildlife. The trail passes the historic 1811 milldam that created the pond, a low earthen and timber structure now maintained as a heritage feature of the park and an important piece of the agricultural history of the Chowan County coastal plain. River otters are frequently observed along the pond margins throughout the year, their playful behavior and sleek forms making them among the most rewarding wildlife encounters in any North Carolina state park. Wood ducks nest in boxes installed by park staff around the pond perimeter and are visible year-round, the brilliantly plumaged males especially striking in the soft light filtering through the cypress canopy. Pileated woodpeckers excavate large rectangular holes in dead cypress snags, their spectacular red-crested heads visible as they work on the wood. The trail also passes through stands of loblolly pine and mixed hardwood forest on the higher ground away from the pond shore, providing botanical diversity and habitat transition zones that increase overall wildlife diversity. Great blue herons stand sentinel along the shore at regular intervals, and large largemouth bass are visible cruising the clear shallows near the dam structure during calm weather.