Duration: 2 hours
Distance (six trails): 9.7 miles
Address: 33587 Baldcypress Lane, Laurel DE 19956
Coordinates: 38.526024, -75.481483
Link to county page: https://destateparks.com/TrapPond
Difficulty: Easy
Trap Pond State Park offers six different trails, as well as a host of amenities, including camping. At Trap Pond, six different trails are well-marked, evenly paved, and well-maintained. The trail paths are also wheelchair-accessible. Additionally, there is parking available in two large lots. Some trails are multi-use and permit pedestrians, bikers, and even horseback riding on the same trail. The park costs $4 in-state and $8 out of state for a daily pass. Delaware State Parks also offers an annual pass for regular visitors. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control manages the park.
In the 18th century, the Trap Pond area was used primarily for log transportation and then later for milling operations. Lumbermen had extensively altered the form of the wetland to dam outflow for a small sawmill. The dam would be instrumental in creating Trap Pond. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps listed Trap Pond as a designated place for recreational development. Finally, in 1951, the Delaware legislature established Trap Pond as its first state park.
Given the size of Trap Pond, there are many different things that you can expect. The most popular trail is the Bob Trail. The Bob Trail is named after former State Senator Robert Venables Sr., an advocate of Delaware State Parks and frequent Trap Pond visitor. It is 4.5 miles long and loops around the pond. Amenities at Trap Pond include bathrooms, benches, a camping store, picnic areas, and more. There are also porta-potties along the trails. Additionally, there are often bikers on the trails, so be careful while walking.
The five other trails at Trap Pond are:
- American Holly (0.7 miles)
- Cypress Point (0.6 miles)
- Huckleberry Trail (1.6 miles)
- Island Trail (0.6 miles)
- Racoon Pond Trail (1.7 miles)
