News

Sound Rivers staff took to the water last week with a mission: to check out Sound Rivers’ camping platforms on the Tar-Pamlico.

Executive Director Heather Deck, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman, Program Director Clay Barber and Business Manager Lauren Rowe took advantage of a sunny, warm early-April day to take Sound Rivers’ Bay Rider for a test run.

“I’d never been on our new boat, and I wanted Katey to show me the ropes,” Clay said. “Lauren decided to join in to take photos, and we picked up Heather about halfway through.”

The purpose was to check on Sound Rivers’ camping platforms in the Washington area, but a stiff wind and low water prevented the crew from getting to two of the three platforms.

“Cypress Hideaway was the only one we managed to nudge up to,” Clay said. “The other two were probably sitting in about a foot of water. It was already low, and the wind was blowing water out of the creeks.”

The two that were inaccessible by boat, but not by people-powered vessels, were the Hindsley platform on Broad Creek and the McMullen platform, located just west of Washington.

Clay said he’ll be making another trip out to the Cypress Hideaway platform soon.

“There is a tree that needs trimming — it’s laying on top of the platform,” Clay said. “The time to get our chainsaw out there is now while the swamp is really low and dry.”

Interested in a stay at Tar-Pamlico Water Trail Camping platforms? Check them out here!