Welcome to the official Web site of Camden County, North Carolina. Camden is a growing rural community in Northeastern North Carolina that hasn't lost its serene atmosphere.The quiet neighborhoods, outstanding schools, beautiful rivers and sounds, diverse flora and fauna make Camden County a very attractive place to live and work for families as well as retirees. Camden has a quality of life and relaxed, laid-back lifestyle you will certainly want to experience.Only a 35-45 minute drive from the Outer Banks Beaches and Hampton Roads, Virginia metropolitan area, Camden County is gradually becoming a bedroom community for these neighboring areas.
The County is home to the Dismal Swamp State Park covering 14,433 acres in the northern South Mills Township. Visitors to the Park are amazed at the natural beauty and opportunity to explore a vast area of trails and other activities. This area is adjacent to the Great Dismal Swamp Refuge administered by US Fish & Wildlife which covers over 112,000 acres.
While in the northern end you must explore the Dismal Swamp Canal which is one of the oldest man-made waterways in the country. The first President of the United States, George Washington, was one of the original stockholders in the canal which was built as a commercial venture connecting the Albemarle Sound to the Chesapeake Bay. Today the Canal is a part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and is traversed by hundreds of boaters traveling up and down the east coast. The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center is the only facility of its type that is accessible for the traveling public by highway or waterway. If you are into canoeing or kayaking you must venture to Camden in late April or early May for the annual Paddle for the Border Event. Participants come from all over the mid-Atlantic to make the seven mile trip on the Canal.
You can't talk about Camden County without mentioning the proud heritage of agri-business. Some of the largest farming operations in the state are located here. In fact the largest potato growing operation in the entire state covering over five thousand acres is in Camden. Another large farming business has been in continuous operation for seven generations. The farming families have an unmistakable love for the land and for the beauty of Camden County.
Just down the Camden Causeway and across the Pasquotank River you find the "Harbor of Hospitality," the City of Elizabeth City, with its charming downtown waterfront area with numerous restaurants, shops and the Museum of the Albemarle. The Museum highlights the history and culture of the entire thirteen county Albemarle Region of Northeastern North Carolina.
If you are interested in visiting or learning more about Camden County, please feel free to call my office at 252-338-6363, ext. 102 or the staff at the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center will be glad to assist you with travel information on the County or the region at 252-771-8333.
Thanks for visiting our Web site and we hope to see you soon in Camden, where "An Opportunity Awaits You!"