Halloween in the Great Dismal Swamp The trick is not to go aground, the treat is the Great Dismal Swamp. We had travelled a mere 3 miles into the Great Dismal Swamp before we found ourselves aground. Since this was not (by any means) our first time in this perdicament, Barry soon had us afloat again. The Great Dismal Swamp is anything by dismal. The fall colour was in abundance. We locked through Deep Creek lock and spent Halloween night docked on it's southern side. We enjoyed drinks there with fellow Canadians, out of Cobourg, Ontario, Frank Farago and Dianne MacDonald on board their beautiful 34' PDQ power-cat "Kama Kat".