Albemarle Sound
The Underground Railroad was a vast network of people, black and
white, who helped runaway slaves from the Southern states escape to
the North and into Canada between 1780 and 1862. On this three-day
pilgrimage, you’ll find out about the people and places in North
Carolina that helped thousands of people gain their freedom. Many of
these places have been designated part of the National Underground
Railroad Network to Freedom Program by the National Park Service.
Please see our recommendations for the best places to stay and eat at the bottom of this page!
3-Day Itinerary (Brief)
Day 1
Walk along the Dismal Swamp and Pasquotank River, which became
waterways to liberty for many.
Day 2
Learn about one of the Underground Railroad’s more famous escapees
from North Carolina, and experience the history of the area with a visit
to an antebellum plantation in Creswell.
Day 3
Visit Roanoke Island, the site of a Freedman’s Colony established by
Union troops occupying the area during the Civil War.
With so much to see and do in the area, we recommend the following
3-day itinerary. Enjoy your visit by mixing and matching events to
your particular interest. Be sure to check days and hours of operation
for each venue.
Please see our recommendations for the best places to stay and eat at the bottom of this page!
3-Day Itinerary (Detailed)
Day One
Begin your Freedom Trail in Elizabeth City, where you’ll get scenic
views of the Pasquotank River at Waterfront Park. During the
1800s, many freedom seekers stowed away on ships and steamers
using this waterway or did manual labor for boat owners in exchange
for passage north.
Once in Elizabeth City, many runaway slaves sought refuge in the
Great Dismal Swamp, an enormous tract of forested wetlands that
straddles the North Carolina/Virginia state line. Many used the swamp
as a stopping place before continuing on the journey north. Some even
made a home in the wilderness, living off the land and bartering with
local farmers for food and supplies.
Today, you can visit the swamp by car or boat at the Dismal Swamp
Canal Welcome Center in South Mills, and walk the 4.5 mile
Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, which extends from the Welcome Center
to the village of South Mills.
Afterwards, return to Elizabeth City and enjoy the picturesque
downtown waterfront, stroll through the city’s six historic districts, and
dine at one of the many local eateries. Before you leave, be sure to
visit The Museum Of The Albemarle, which interprets the history of
thirteen counties in northeastern North Carolina.
Day Two
Today, head south on US 17 to the historic town of Edenton, where
one of North Carolina’s most noted Underground Railroad escapes took
place. In 1842, Harriet Jacobs, after seven years in hiding, fled the
area with the assistance of local black watermen. Jacobs hid in a
vessel bound for Philadelphia and then traveled to New York and
Boston. She later described her harrowing enslavement and escape in
a book, Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl (1858). Check in at the
Edenton Visitor’s Center for a self-guided tour brochure on Jacobs’
life.
Now, cross over Albemarle Sound and head east on Highway 64 to the
town of Creswell. Here you can visit Somerset Place, a
representative antebellum plantation offering an insightful view of life
during the period before the Civil War. During its 80-year existence as
an active plantation (1786-1865), it encompassed as many as 100,000
acres and became one of North Carolina’s most prosperous rice, corn,
and wheat plantations. It was home to more than three hundred
enslaved men, women and children of African descent – 80 of whom
were brought directly to Somerset from their West African homeland in
1786. Today, visitors can see a realistic view of plantation life by
touring the Greek Revival mansion, reproduction slave community,
plantation hospital and other buildings.
Day Three
Continue east on US Highway 64 until you reach Roanoke Island and
the town of Manteo. The island has a unique place on the road to
freedom. After Confederate forces were defeated here in 1862,
hundreds of freed and runaway slaves flocked to the island. It was well
known that if a slave crossed the creek to Roanoke Island they would
find ‘safe haven’. Federal troops soon set up a Freedman’s Colony to
accommodate all of the refugees, and at one point, four thousand
people lived here. Today, that history is commemorated along the
Freedom Trail at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. The
1.25-mile trail winds through the woods to a marker by the shores of
the Roanoke Sound.
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