Abstract:
Merchants Millpond State Park in Gates County is a 3,200-acre wildlife refuge that includes almost 200 bird species, beavers, otters, and 12 species of turtles. It is also home to some of the oldest trees on the east coast. Bald cypress and water tupelo between 700 and 1,000 years old tower over 100 feet on trunks 20 feet in diameter.