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The North Landing River may be one of Virginia’s hidden gems, but it’s no secret to Erik Moore.
An avid photographer and Certified Ecotour Guide, Moore of Virginia Beach is frequently out enjoying all this coastal river has to offer.
His image, “Rose Mallow Sunrise,” won the Rivers and Waterways category of the 2020 Virginia Vistas photo contest put on by nonprofit Scenic Virginia.
The category was devoted to state scenic rivers in honor of the Virginia Scenic Rivers Program 50th anniversary in 2020.
“The North Landing River is an amazing waterway and an environmental wonderland,” Moore said. “Not only is the entire length of the river in Virginia part of the designation as a scenic river, but it is the most biodiverse place in the state east of the Blue Ridge.”
“Rose Mallow Sunrise” by Erik Moore won the Rivers and Waterways category of the 2020 Virginia Vistas photo contest.
The North Landing River was designated a state scenic river in 1988. It begins in the urban setting of Hampton Roads and winds its way down through the wetlands of Currituck Sound in North Carolina.
Much of the area surrounding the river is protected and includes DCR’s 3,441-acre North Landing River Natural Area Preserve, which supports an array of rare natural communities and rare plant and animal species.
While the river may not be well known outside Hampton Roads, it is known to boaters up and down the East Coast who travel it as part of the Intracoastal Waterway.
“It is a place where North meets South, a transition zone,” Moore added. “Here you find hummingbirds and snow geese, tundra swans and Spanish moss. Sawgrass and snowy owls. Otters, bears, dolphins, minks, rattlesnakes, the Pungo mouse and the occasional manatee. The North Landing is a beautiful, wild river.”
Moore’s photos also are included in the Virginia Scenic Rivers Program 50th anniversary gallery exhibit on display at Richmond’s Main Street Station through February.
Moore also received an honorable mention for this photo of the North Landing River. He takes most photos from his boat.
Photographers submitted more than 750 entries in eight categories to the Virginia Vistas contest. To view all the winners, see Dec. 21, 2020, coverage in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Scenic Virginia is one of DCR’s partners in the Virginia Scenic Rivers Program. The organization was a sponsor of the 50th anniversary celebration.
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