Goose Creek State Park
Encyclopedia
Goose Creek State Park is a North Carolina state park near Washington
, Beaufort County
, North Carolina
in the United States
. It covers 1,327 acres (5.37 km²) just off of Pamlico Sound
, in North Carolina's Coastal Plain. Goose Creek State Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife that make their homes in the extensive salt water marshes, inlets and creeks on the northern side of the sound. Goose Creek State Park is open for year round recreation, east of Washington, two miles (3 km) south of U.S. Route 264
on Camp Leach Road.
, two Eastern Woodlands tribes
. They were victims of wide spread disease brought to colonial North Carolina
by settlers from Europe
during the 17th century. Most of the Indians that did not succumb to disease were killed or driven off during the Tuscarora War
(1711–1715). Goose Creek and Pamlico Sound also provided shelter for pirates such as Blackbeard
and Stede Bonnet
.
Since the end of the pirate era, the area in and surrounding Goose Creek State Park has been centered on timber
production, commercial fishing
and small scale, subsistence farming
. Lumber companies, such as the Eureka Lumber Company and later Weyerhauser Corporation, acquired extensive tracts of land along the creeks and harvested vasts stands of old growth bald cypress and Longleaf pine
. Much of the land that is now part of Goose Creek State Park was clear cut
. Evidence of the timber industry remains at the park today. Visitors to the park can see the remains of piers and loading docks up and down Goose Creek and an old railroad bed crosses the park.
After the lumber companies had cleared the forests and left the land, citizens of Beaufort County sought to have the land along Goose Creek protected under North Carolina state law. At this time the state was looking for land along the Pamlico River
on which to build a park. It was soon determined that Goose Creek would be an ideal setting for a state park
. Local citizens showed their support for the effort by sending a resolution to North Carolina governor
, James Holshouser
. The state purchased 1,208 (4.88 km²) acres of land, at a cost of $1,115,000 from Weyerhauser, for the park and Goose Creek State Park was opened to the public in September 1974.
, boating
, fishing
, hiking
, swimming, picnic
king, and environmental education
.
and windsurfing
are all permitted at the park. All boaters must follow the rules and regulations of the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission. Visitors that are interested in exploring the creeks of the park in canoe
s must bring their own. Access to the creeks is provided at Dinah's Landing and near the campground. The streams of the park offer opportunities for canoeists to view a wide variety of wading birds that make the park their home.
Fishing is permitted in the waters of Goose Creek State Park. The most popular species of game fish are white
and yellow perch
, largemouth bass
and bluegill
.
sites. The campground is in a grove of longleaf pines that are covered with Spanish moss
.
Goose Creek State Park is home to six hiking trails.
Flatty Creek Trail is a one mile (1.6 km) loop trail that begins and ends at the parking area near the campground. Much of the trail is on boardwalks over the fresh water and brackish water wetlands of the park.
Goose Creek Trail is a 1.9-mile (3.06-km) trail that passes through a cypress swamp.
Ivey Gut Trail runs from the main park road to the campground through two miles (3.22 km) of forest.
Live Oak Trail is a 0.4-mile (0.64-km) trail that passes an old cemetery
.
Palmetto Boardwalk Trail is a 0.7-mile (1.13-km) boardwalk trail that connects the Environmental Education Center with the Ivey Gut Parking area, passing through a hardwood swamp.
Mallard Creek Trail is a 1.26 (2.03 km) trail that follows Mallard Creek and an overlook that offers a view of the Pamlico River.
at Goose Creek State Park and several picnic tables in a pine and oak forest near the swimming area. The swimming area is on a sandy beach along the Pamlico River on the southern side of the park.
, sawgrass
and black needle rush can be found in the brackish marshes near the Pamlico River. These tall grasses provide cover and nesting sites for the many wading birds of the park, including, marsh wren
, rails
, heron
s and egret
s.
The marshes of the park recede in swamps. These swamps are home to bald cypress, loblolly pine
and red cedar
trees. Many of the trees are covered in Spanish moss. The swamps are home to a wide variety of wildlife including Barred Owl
s, frogs, turtles, snakes, minks, muskrats and raccoons. Larger animals include White-tailed deer
, bobcat
s, black bear
and gray fox
es.
The waters of Goose Creek and the Pamlico River are visited by a wide variety of migratory birds. Tundra swans and Canada geese winter at the park as do bufflehead
, mallard
and Wood Duck
s.
Washington, North Carolina
Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,744 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beaufort County. The closest major city is Greenville, approximately 20 miles to the west....
, Beaufort County
Beaufort County, North Carolina
- Law and government :Beaufort County is a member of the Mid-East Commission regional council of governments.Beaufort County is one of the proposed sites for a Navy outlying landing field. This practice airfield would allow pilots to simulate landings on an aircraft carrier...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It covers 1,327 acres (5.37 km²) just off of Pamlico Sound
Pamlico Sound
Pamlico Sound in North Carolina, is the largest lagoon along the U.S. East Coast, being long and 24 to 48 km wide. It is a body of water separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a row of low, sandy barrier islands, including Cape Hatteras. The Neuse and Pamlico rivers flow in...
, in North Carolina's Coastal Plain. Goose Creek State Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife that make their homes in the extensive salt water marshes, inlets and creeks on the northern side of the sound. Goose Creek State Park is open for year round recreation, east of Washington, two miles (3 km) south of U.S. Route 264
U.S. Route 264
U.S. Route 264 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Raleigh to Manns Harbor, entirely in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-Route description:...
on Camp Leach Road.
History
The land in and surrounding Goose Creek State Park has long provided an abundance of natural resources for the people of the area. The first recorded inhabitants of the area were members of the Secota and the PamlicoPamlico
The Pamlico were a Native American people of North Carolina. They spoke an Algonquian language also known as Pamlico or Carolina Algonquian.- Geography :...
, two Eastern Woodlands tribes
Eastern Woodlands tribes
The Eastern Woodlands was a cultural area of the indigenous people of North America. The Eastern Woodlands extended roughly from the Atlantic Ocean to the eastern Great Plains, and from the Great Lakes region to the Gulf of Mexico, which is now the eastern United States and Canada...
. They were victims of wide spread disease brought to colonial North Carolina
Province of North Carolina
The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina in British America, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietor. The province later became the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee....
by settlers from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during the 17th century. Most of the Indians that did not succumb to disease were killed or driven off during the Tuscarora War
Tuscarora War
The Tuscarora War was fought in North Carolina during the autumn of 1711 until 11 February 1715 between the British, Dutch, and German settlers and the Tuscarora Native Americans. A treaty was signed in 1715....
(1711–1715). Goose Creek and Pamlico Sound also provided shelter for pirates such as Blackbeard
Blackbeard
Edward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....
and Stede Bonnet
Stede Bonnet
Stede Bonnet was an early 18th-century Barbadian pirate, sometimes called "the gentleman pirate" because he was a moderately wealthy landowner before turning to a life of crime. Bonnet was born into a wealthy English family on the island of Barbados, and inherited the family estate after his...
.
Since the end of the pirate era, the area in and surrounding Goose Creek State Park has been centered on timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
production, commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
and small scale, subsistence farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Lumber companies, such as the Eureka Lumber Company and later Weyerhauser Corporation, acquired extensive tracts of land along the creeks and harvested vasts stands of old growth bald cypress and Longleaf pine
Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
. Much of the land that is now part of Goose Creek State Park was clear cut
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
. Evidence of the timber industry remains at the park today. Visitors to the park can see the remains of piers and loading docks up and down Goose Creek and an old railroad bed crosses the park.
After the lumber companies had cleared the forests and left the land, citizens of Beaufort County sought to have the land along Goose Creek protected under North Carolina state law. At this time the state was looking for land along the Pamlico River
Pamlico River
The Pamlico River is a tidal river that flows into Pamlico Sound, in North Carolina in the United States of America. It is formed by the confluence of the Tar River and Tranters Creek....
on which to build a park. It was soon determined that Goose Creek would be an ideal setting for a state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
. Local citizens showed their support for the effort by sending a resolution to North Carolina governor
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
, James Holshouser
James Holshouser
James Eubert Holshouser, Jr. was the 68th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977. He was born in Boone, North Carolina....
. The state purchased 1,208 (4.88 km²) acres of land, at a cost of $1,115,000 from Weyerhauser, for the park and Goose Creek State Park was opened to the public in September 1974.
Recreation
Goose Creek State Park is open for year round recreation offering campingCamping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, swimming, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
king, and environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
.
Boating and fishing
A boat ramp is on the west shore of Goose Creek at Dinah's Landing. Motorboating, sailingSailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
are all permitted at the park. All boaters must follow the rules and regulations of the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission. Visitors that are interested in exploring the creeks of the park in canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s must bring their own. Access to the creeks is provided at Dinah's Landing and near the campground. The streams of the park offer opportunities for canoeists to view a wide variety of wading birds that make the park their home.
Fishing is permitted in the waters of Goose Creek State Park. The most popular species of game fish are white
White perch
The white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is, rather, a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie....
and yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
.
Camping and hiking
The campground at Goose Creek State Park is located on a stretch of land between Goose Creek and Flatty Creek. It is a primitive campground with twelve tentTent
A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...
sites. The campground is in a grove of longleaf pines that are covered with Spanish moss
Spanish Moss
Spanish moss is a flowering plant that grows upon larger trees, commonly the Southern Live Oak or Bald Cypress in the southeastern United States....
.
Goose Creek State Park is home to six hiking trails.
Flatty Creek Trail is a one mile (1.6 km) loop trail that begins and ends at the parking area near the campground. Much of the trail is on boardwalks over the fresh water and brackish water wetlands of the park.
Goose Creek Trail is a 1.9-mile (3.06-km) trail that passes through a cypress swamp.
Ivey Gut Trail runs from the main park road to the campground through two miles (3.22 km) of forest.
Live Oak Trail is a 0.4-mile (0.64-km) trail that passes an old cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
.
Palmetto Boardwalk Trail is a 0.7-mile (1.13-km) boardwalk trail that connects the Environmental Education Center with the Ivey Gut Parking area, passing through a hardwood swamp.
Mallard Creek Trail is a 1.26 (2.03 km) trail that follows Mallard Creek and an overlook that offers a view of the Pamlico River.
Picnicking and swimming
There are two pavilionsPavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
at Goose Creek State Park and several picnic tables in a pine and oak forest near the swimming area. The swimming area is on a sandy beach along the Pamlico River on the southern side of the park.
Ecology
Goose Creek State Park is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species that thrive in the various habitats in place at the park. SedgesCyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
, sawgrass
Cladium
Cladium is a genus of large sedges, with a worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions...
and black needle rush can be found in the brackish marshes near the Pamlico River. These tall grasses provide cover and nesting sites for the many wading birds of the park, including, marsh wren
Marsh Wren
The Marsh Wren is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren....
, rails
Rallidae
The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s and egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s.
The marshes of the park recede in swamps. These swamps are home to bald cypress, loblolly pine
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from central Texas east to Florida, and north to Delaware. It is particularly dominant in the eastern half of North Carolina, where there are huge expanses consisting solely of Loblolly Pine trees...
and red cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...
trees. Many of the trees are covered in Spanish moss. The swamps are home to a wide variety of wildlife including Barred Owl
Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is a large typical owl. It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably best known as the hoot owl.-Description:...
s, frogs, turtles, snakes, minks, muskrats and raccoons. Larger animals include White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
and gray fox
Gray Fox
The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...
es.
The waters of Goose Creek and the Pamlico River are visited by a wide variety of migratory birds. Tundra swans and Canada geese winter at the park as do bufflehead
Bufflehead
The Bufflehead is a small American sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Anas albeola.-Description:...
, mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
and Wood Duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
s.