PETTIGREW STATE PARK: by Ann Green Reprinted from Coastwatch, a bimonthly magazine of North Carolina Sea Grant. For more information, write Coastwatch, NCSU Box 8605, Raleigh, NC 27695-8605, or check the Sea Grant website: http://www.ncsu.edu/seagrant As Sid Shearin heads deep into the forest at Pettigrew State Park, he points to a majestic bald cypress tree that towers near the Lake Phelps shoreline. Several years ago, Shearin, the park's superintendent, nicknamed the 120-foot tree the ''Lake Phelps monster'' because of its bizarre shape and hollow spots that look like peering eyes. The tree's swollen buttress has a cavity large enough for children to hide in. '' This tree probably got started in the water 100 or 200 years ago,'' says Shearin. ''The shoreline has gradually caught up with it. We think this area on the northern rim of the lake is a virgin forest.'' The mighty trees are so unusual that Shearin has named several of them-- from the ''wishing well'' to ''the tunnel,'' a hollow sycamore tree that can be entered from the picnic area or parking lot. ''I'm the tree nut of the state park system,'' says Shearin. ''Trees are my bag. I started naming trees when I started having children.'' During a ''Paddle to the Sea'' workshop several years ago, Shearin shared his enthusiasm with North Carolina Sea Grant education specialist Lundie Spence and teachers across the state. ''By the end of the workshop, we were all hugging the trees and measuring their diameters,'' says Spence. Draped in Spanish moss, the cypress trees along the northern shore of Lake Phelps-- the state's second largest natural lake-- evoke an eerie, mystical feeling. They also give you a glimpse into an area in northeastern North Carolina that was once dominated by swamplands. Hike farther down a short trail covered with cypress needles and discover the 350-foot boardwalk on Moccasin Overlook that extends into Lake Phelps. ''This is the most scenic point in the park,'' says Fred Spear, Pettigrew Park's chief ranger for more than 40 years. ''In the winter, this is the best place to view waterfowl.'' Away from the water's edge, large sweetgum and tulip poplar trees dominate the forest, and vines as large as human thighs wind their way up some trees. Many of the mighty trees have been named state and national tree champions. In 1992, there were eight state champions. Five years after that, the swamp bay and coastal plain willow were named national champions based on their height, the spread of their branches and their trunk circumference or girth. Nature lovers are attracted to the park's wetlands, trees and wildflowers, which lend color and beauty to the forests. In the spring, white Atamasco lilies blanket almost one acre. The 1,144-acre park, tucked away in the fertile farmlands of Washington and Tyrrell counties, is home to Lake Phelps, known as an angler's paradise throughout the east because of its bass fishing. ''It is known for fishing more than the other lakes in the state park system,'' says Shearin. ''The big three are large-mouth bass, yellow perch, and pumpkinseed.'' For more than 35 years, recreational fisher Dick Davis has been reeling in bass at the crystal clear lake. ''I like it because you can wade in Lake Phelps and get bass,'' says Davis, who lives in Creswell. ''This lake is as good as you can get for bass fishing in northeastern North Carolina.'' Fishers also use the 300-foot fishing pier at Cypress Point. Occupying one of the highest sites in the area, Lake Phelps-- which stretches over 16,600 acres of water -- has an unusual ecology. It is shallow, with an average depth of 4.5 feet and maximum depth of 9 feet. The water is fresh but acidic due to tannic acid from the surrounding peat lands. When the water is clear, you can see down to the sandy bottom. ''Lake Phelps and White Lake are the only clear lakes in North Carolina,'' says Shearin. ''Since there is no city or agricultural runoff into the lake, it is one of North Carolina's least polluted bodies of water. Only rain feeds into the lake.'' The shallow water and wind conditions make the lake ideal for shallow-draft sailboats, canoeing and windsurfing. It is rarely crowded and great for kids, says Mike Noles, who runs a rental company and campground on Lake Phelps. ''We say it is one of the best-kept secrets in eastern North Carolina.'' Bikers can cycle the north and western shores of Lake Phelps. The trail runs over eight miles through the big-tree forest, near scenic overlooks, and to historic Somerset Plantation and other sites. ''Pettigrew is the only state park in the eastern part of the state with bike paths,'' says Shearin. Formed on a vast peninsula between the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, Lake Phelps is thought to be 38,000 years old. Scientists have long puzzled over its origin. ''One theory is that wind and wave action carved out the lake when the ocean covered eastern North Carolina,'' says Shearin. ''Another popular legend is that peat fires burned a hole big enough for a lake. Some even say Paul Bunyan made a footprint that formed a sinkhole.'' Artifacts reveal the presence of Native Americans as early as 8,000 B.C. The most fascinating discovery was a collection of dugout canoes-- 30 at last count-- found in the lake after an extensive forest fire in 1985. The lake level dropped when water was pumped for the fire. ''A park official discovered the canoes while checking on the tundra swans,'' says Spear. ''The water was so shallow that a swan's web feet brushed the sand off of a canoe.'' The Algonquin Indians made the dugout canoes by burning the interior of cypress logs and scraping away the charred wood until only a shell remained. Archaeologists believe the seasonal campers sank their canoes in the lake's shallow water to store them until the next hunting or fishing season. Some of the canoes are displayed at the boat ramp on the lake's northeastern side. One that extends 37 feet is thought to be the longest canoe in the Southeast. Another one, built more than 4,400 years ago, is the second-oldest canoe in the country. Because the canoes are so ancient, some are mere remnants. Others remain mostly intact. ''The restricted water movement and the acidity of the water at Lake Phelps contributed to their preservation, '' says Shearin. ''Most of the canoes are still in the lake.'' The canoes aren't the only historical attraction at the park. To get a glimpse into plantation life, you can tour Somerset Place, which occupies eight acres. With its formal gardens, expansive porches and expensive furnishings, the antebellum mansion reflects the lavish lifestyle of wealthy planter Josiah Collins III. The surrounding outbuildings served the slaves, who cultivated corn and rice. A mile east of Somerset, Civil War buffs can view the graves of three members of the Pettigrew family-- Confederate General James Johnson Pettigrew, the park's namesake; his father, Ebenezer Pettigrew, a prominent planter and congressman; and his grandfather, Charles Pettigrew, the first bishop-elect of the Episcopal Church in North Carolina. James Pettigrew led North Carolina's 26th Regiment in the famous high-water-mark charge at Gettysburg. ''Pettigrew was a brilliant general,'' says Shearin, who has dressed as General Pettigrew during park programs. ''The first day in battle he was seriously wounded and survived.'' The Pettigrews lived on a family farm, Bonarva, which was nationally recognized as a model of scientific farming and management in the 1830s. All that remains of the plantation is some rubble near the carriage road and several trees planted by the family. During the 1930s, the Federal Farm Security Administration purchased the Collins mansion and surrounding lands, which were incorporated into the Scuppernong Farms Resettlement Project. The state gained control of the park in 1939, and Pettigrew became the sixth state park. In the 1998, 82,000 visitors came to the park, according to Shearin. With its abundance of wildlife, the park has become a haven for bird-watchers. Ducks, geese and swans flock to the park in the winter. ''December is the best month to view the waterfowl,'' says Shearin. Osprey, owls and hawks also perch on the park's giant trees and feast on rodents from adjacent fields of corn and soybeans. The lakeshore provides a habitat for kingfishers, herons, egrets and other birds that seek food at the water's edge. It is not unusual to see white-tailed deer, raccoons, muskrats, possums and foxes roaming through the woods, particularly on the south side. Numerous black bears, which weigh up to 600 pounds, live in the park as well. ''We were out fishing one day and saw something black in the water,'' says Spear. ''It was a young bear swimming in the water. Sometimes the mothers on the south side of the lake bring their cubs to the north side to wean them.'' Endangered red wolves, reintroduced in northeastern North Carolina in 1987, roam along a 500-acre pocosin tract, an upland swamp. The tract, which borders the Pocosin Lake National Wildlife Refuge and is near an access to the lake, has never been bulldozed. It is filled with bay trees, pines, gallberry shrubs and sundew, a carnivorous plant that eats insects. With its abundant wildlife, colorful history and popular fishing spots, the park is a great discovery for North Carolina travelers. ''I think it is one of the most beautiful lakes that I have been on,'' says Davis. ''You can find lily pads, reeds, trees and different birds along the shore. If the lake is clear, the stumps and logs on the bottom make a pretty sight. When the trees turn in November, the forest is absolutely gorgeous. It's like going to the mountains.'' Pettigrew State Park is seven miles south of Creswell off U.S. 64 and S.R. 1168. Park hours vary by season.
Primitive youth tent camps are also available. To ensure availability, reservations are advised. Family campsites are available. For more information, call the park office at
|
797-4475