Merchants Millpond State Park

While visiting family in the small town of Gates, NC, we learned of a location to go hiking. Little did I know that I would spend more time taking photos than hiking.

Merchant’s Millpond, previously known as Norfleets Millpond, was built in 1811 and connected to Bennetts Creek. The pond became a center of trade in Gates County as a result of their gristmills, sawmills, and other businesses. As a result, the name was ultimately changed to Merchant’s Millpond.

Unfortunately, this prospering trade center came to an end in the late 1930s and the land was subsequently sold to developers. A.B. Coleman purchased the property in 1960 and later donated the pond and additional acreage to the state. Its beauty, in his eyes, was something that should never be developed. I must say, I agree!

Although the pond is actually a swamplike, our first site was mesmerizing. It made me think of the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz. We headed down the mossy trail to discover more of this beautiful land of oz.

Along the way we noticed trees that seemed to have been burnt. We later learned the state performs controlled burns in their forests, much like the Native Americans did centuries ago. The concept involves burning the brush that grows around the trees in a controlled fashion, so if an unexpected forest fire did occur, there would be minimal damage because there is not a lot of brush to spread a fire. The trees that we saw with burn marks were from those controlled fires and the damage to the tree was minimal.

The hike continued with endless photo opportunities, including beautiful Cypress trees surrounded by the swampy waters. We even spotted a place where Alice in Wonderland might live but didn’t see a white rabbit with a stopwatch, so continued on our journey.

It was such a welcoming park. We even passed a ranger who offered us water. At one point we came upon a sign that inspired us to just smile. Actually, it was telling us we had .5 miles left on the hike, but I chose to believe the perceived message was intended just for us at that moment in time.

Our hike brought a renewed sense that God’s creation can leave you speechless, even in a swamplike setting. If we focus our thoughts on the murkiness of life, we miss the beauty that is right in front of us – if only we look for it.

And so, we continue our journey south with a renewed sense that God is working in our mission; and even though the journey has brought difficulties, God’s plan is greater than our challenging moments, and that plan is beautiful!

I will leave you with some photos from this glorious pond and the words of A. B. Coleman.

“If your causes are not worth the sacrifice, then they aren’t causes.” ~A.B. Coleman