Trap Pond State Park in Delaware is a great place to enjoy the fall weather on the water. The park is located in the middle of the Delmarva Peninsula, about a 2-hour drive away from the DC metro area.
My family scheduled a fall camping trip to Trap Pond in order to put to use our newly acquired canoe. The campground has easy access to the pond (lake) and canoeing there made us feel as if we had been transported to the bayous of Louisiana.
Trap Pond has one of the northernmost 
stands of Bald Cypress trees in the US and this is a major draw for the park. You can view the trees from land at Cypress Point but to really experience them it is best to get out on the water.
We found the campground at Trap Pond to have amazing water access if you have your own canoe, kayak or stand-up paddle board to bring with you. Each of the 5 loops of the campground has their own dock for launching non-motorized watercraft. Cabins, yurts and “island camping sites” at the park all have access to the water directly from their sites.
Across the lake from the campground is a boathouse, playground and Nature Center. You can boat across or drive around to access these points of interest. The boathouse offers public boat rentals daily during the summer and on weekends through October 17th at very reasonable prices.
- Stand-up Paddle Boards $8/hour
- Single Kayaks $9/hour
- Double Kayaks $11/hour
- Canoes $8/hour
- Rowboats
- Hour long pontoon tours of the lake are also available for $6 per person.
Paddling on Trap Pond is easy and as you go further from the boathouse end of the lake you come upon more stands of Bald Cypress trees. You can paddle directly through a few “forests of trees” which my kids loved. The water is very shallow and murky as you wind through the trees. The highlight of paddling at this park though is the Terrapin Trail.
This water trail winds through a heavily forested area with lots of twists, turns and narrow passage ways. The trail was shady, cool and amazingly free of mosquitoes. The beginning of the trail was marked with one small sign so it can be easy to miss but once you are on the trail arrows will guide you from bend to bend. This trail was the high point of our time at Trap Pond and should not be missed!
Trap Pond has 5 loops of camping sites as well as waterfront cabins and yurts. The cabins have heat and air conditioning but do not have private bathrooms. Yurts are canvas tent structures on a wooden platform. Four camping loops allow pets and have hookups for water and electric.
All campsites share one main bathhouse which has flush toilets and showers. One loop of the campground is for walk in tent sites. These wooded sites have a lot of privacy but are far from the bathhouse. Vault toilets are located in this loop for closer bathroom access.
The prize sites for tents at Trap Pond are those listed as “Island Sites”. Camping at Trap Pond is available year round at 35 of the campground sites and in the heated cabins. Yurts are available for rent through November 30th. Pets are not allowed in yurts or cabins. All sites can be reserved online through Reserve America.
The campground at Trap Pond has a well stocked camp store where you can buy ice, wood, toiletry and food items. The park is also just a short drive from Route 13 with many options for food and supplies nearby.
We had a great family adventure at Trap Pond. We are looking forward to returning next year and hope to reserve a waterfront campsite or cabin for great water views and access on our next visit.
