Shared by Julie Slater, Park Interpreter, as Guest Blogger.

A new program at Grayson Highlands State Park lets visitors explore a rare mountain bog on on June 14, July 12, and August 9, 2014.

I remember when I first heard of Sullivan Swamp. It was one of my first days as a volunteer at Grayson Highlands State Park, and Chris, a park interpreter, was showing me the ropes. We ate our peanut butter and jelly lunches while enjoying the view from some of the park’s rock outcrops. When Chris told me that a bog was hidden somewhere in the sea of green leaves, I was fascinated.

If you associate wetlands with flatlands and the marine coast rather than the rugged slopes of the highlands, you aren’t entirely incorrect. It takes a special combination of terrain and seepage to form a southern Appalachian mountain bog, making them one of the rarest ecosystems in North America. They usually are less than 10 acres in size, but are nonetheless quite useful in mitigating floods, filtering water, and hosting many rare species of plants.

Every hike holds a new adventure

Few people ever get to see the beauty of a high-elevation bog for themselves. Wetlands have historically been considered undesirable land, and are often drained or filled to be made more “productive”, to the point where southern Appalachian mountain bogs have decreased to one-sixth of their original area. Ones that are protected are usually too remote to visit, or else restricted to visitors due to their sensitive nature. At Grayson Highlands, the best protection for Sullivan Swamp has been to keep its location somewhat secret.

However, this year we will be sharing the bog by offering guided walks to small groups of people. By offering these programs only once a month during the summer, and by limiting them to 6 participants, we hope to impact the area as little as possible while giving people the chance to experience, love, and learn about these amazing little landscapes.

You are never too young to explore

For me, Sullivan Swamp did not lose its mystery when I finally saw it. Shining surface water, deep mats of maroon sphagnum moss, and swaying tufts of tawny cotton grass skirted a nearly impassable labyrinth of rhododendron. It was fun gingerly wading through in muck boots, and even working my way into the thickets was an exciting challenge. I was richly rewarded, with surprise clearings and ruby-red trillium seed pods. The knowledge that other mountain bogs exist, though hidden to my eyes, has cast a spell over the mountains for me. I hope that whether or not you join us, some of that magic has touched you, too.

This year’s Swamp Tromps will be held on June 14, July 12, and August 9, all second Saturdays. To sign up, please contact the park at (276) 579-7092 or email. Directions here.

The Blue Ridge Discovery Center, a local environmental education group, has also completed some detailed site studies of Sullivan Swamp, which are available on their blog here.

Overnight reservations at any Virginia State Park can be made online or by calling 1-800-933-7275.