Cruising the Harlow Canal

The Harlow Canal was originally built by native Americans connecting Clubfoot Creek on the Neuse River with Harlow Creek on the Newport River at Morehead City. Originally built by native Americans, it has been said to be one of the oldest canals in the Western Hemisphere. 

In the early 1800's the canal was widened and improved for use by larger vessels.  When the Intracostal Waterway was built, the Harlow Canal became obsolete and no longer used for commercial traffic. 

The canal can still be navigated by small boats. The water is shallow in places, so high tide is the best time for the trip. 

Today was a good day to make the trip. This photograph was taken at the mouth of Harlow Creek where it is wide and winding. 

You can make pretty good speed until you get in the part that had to be dug by hand. 

The canal becomes straight and narrow in this part.  You can still see some of the boards along the sides that were presumably used for horses to pull boats along the canal.  

It is a pleasant trip if you like nature. You may see osprey or other sea birds.  We saw shrimp jumping out of the water as we slowly cruised the canal.  Today we also got a quick glance at an otter. 

We usually take this trip once or twice a year. It is a fun and relaxing thing to do with a group of friends. Sometimes we take a picnic lunch. 

We were not able to make the complete trip since our boat would pass under only two of several bridges that cross the canal.