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Guest
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We had a quickly planned family trip to one of our favorite bald cypress swamp venues, Trap Pond State Park in Delaware. Too late reserve to get one of the best State Park campsites in the mid-Atlantic, we took a spacious walk in site and the nearest adjacent drive-in site, both at the no-neighbor ends of the loops, but far from the pond and paddling.
When I arrived at the park the always friendly staff chatted me up
“Have you ever stayed here before?”
“Many, many times, but usually on the Island sites, with paddling friends. Those may be the best State Park site in the mid-Atlantic”
“Oh, someone just called to cancel their island reservations”
heck yeah. “One of the best State Park campsites in the mid-Atlantic?” You can transfer our reservations? Yes please.
Tour de Trap Pond Island sites 1 and 2 (take both for private solitude)
Private parking
P5100008 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Walk in (the park provides carts, portage cart with canoes & gear works just as well)
P5100010 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Keep walking in over the footbridge.
P5100012 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Across a bit of swamp
P5100031 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
And suddenly the trail opens up onto a spacious double campsite, set apart from the rest of the park, with 270 degrees of water view, and breeze.
P5100014 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
A State Park no-neighbors heaven, with an easy launch into the lake, and room for canoes left safely secured on the site.
P5100022 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Island site launch viewed from the pond, thickly wood fringed everywhere else in the surrounding forest fringe.
P5100023 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Paddling up the pond the cypress become thicker
P5100025 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
And thickerer
P5100029 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Until it’s time to have a solo muckle-up among the astounding warbler migration birdsong and wedge the bow between some cypress knees for a sit and listen spell.
P5100028 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Time to head back to camp. It’s a nice view up overhead from camp, if somewhat unkempt.
P5100017 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
The quiet site calls for some hammock time, with yesterday’s unread newspaper
P5100033 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
G-away dammit, I’m reading
P5100032 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
One slight complication; I did not bring a tent, expecting to truck camp. I won’t make that mistake again - always bring a tent – but I can’t complain. Drive-in site electric site truck glamping at night, with 110V reading lamp , a high velocity fan (it was predicted muggy warm) and a Nu-edge reflective tarp for heat protection and coverage beyond the cap’s screen windows for ventilation. It rained one night and having the screened side windows wide open and dry made the night comfortable.
P5100018 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Having a dry, rain protected entryway to the abode was equally convenient
P5100019 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
If the feeder stream from Trap Pond up to Raccoon Pond is a serpentine swamp delight the five miles downstream from the Trap Pond dam, along Hitch Pond Branch and James Branch to Records Pond, is by far the best small run stream in Delaware; a fairy land of dense cypress swamp, at times barely 3 feet wide between serpentine banks.
Also note Trussum Pond a couple miles from the park on Rte 72; smaller, thicker cypressed and shoreline unblemished; Trussum is an even more special place for a day paddle explore, up to a mile+ above the dang on James Branch, provided you continually choose the correct bifurcation.
Reserving the island sites at Trap Pond is truly a special experience.
When I arrived at the park the always friendly staff chatted me up
“Have you ever stayed here before?”
“Many, many times, but usually on the Island sites, with paddling friends. Those may be the best State Park site in the mid-Atlantic”
“Oh, someone just called to cancel their island reservations”
heck yeah. “One of the best State Park campsites in the mid-Atlantic?” You can transfer our reservations? Yes please.
Tour de Trap Pond Island sites 1 and 2 (take both for private solitude)
Private parking
P5100008 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrWalk in (the park provides carts, portage cart with canoes & gear works just as well)
P5100010 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrKeep walking in over the footbridge.
P5100012 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrAcross a bit of swamp
P5100031 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrAnd suddenly the trail opens up onto a spacious double campsite, set apart from the rest of the park, with 270 degrees of water view, and breeze.
P5100014 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrA State Park no-neighbors heaven, with an easy launch into the lake, and room for canoes left safely secured on the site.
P5100022 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrIsland site launch viewed from the pond, thickly wood fringed everywhere else in the surrounding forest fringe.
P5100023 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrPaddling up the pond the cypress become thicker
P5100025 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrAnd thickerer
P5100029 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrUntil it’s time to have a solo muckle-up among the astounding warbler migration birdsong and wedge the bow between some cypress knees for a sit and listen spell.
P5100028 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrTime to head back to camp. It’s a nice view up overhead from camp, if somewhat unkempt.
P5100017 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrThe quiet site calls for some hammock time, with yesterday’s unread newspaper
P5100033 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrG-away dammit, I’m reading
P5100032 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrOne slight complication; I did not bring a tent, expecting to truck camp. I won’t make that mistake again - always bring a tent – but I can’t complain. Drive-in site electric site truck glamping at night, with 110V reading lamp , a high velocity fan (it was predicted muggy warm) and a Nu-edge reflective tarp for heat protection and coverage beyond the cap’s screen windows for ventilation. It rained one night and having the screened side windows wide open and dry made the night comfortable.
P5100018 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrHaving a dry, rain protected entryway to the abode was equally convenient
P5100019 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrIf the feeder stream from Trap Pond up to Raccoon Pond is a serpentine swamp delight the five miles downstream from the Trap Pond dam, along Hitch Pond Branch and James Branch to Records Pond, is by far the best small run stream in Delaware; a fairy land of dense cypress swamp, at times barely 3 feet wide between serpentine banks.
Also note Trussum Pond a couple miles from the park on Rte 72; smaller, thicker cypressed and shoreline unblemished; Trussum is an even more special place for a day paddle explore, up to a mile+ above the dang on James Branch, provided you continually choose the correct bifurcation.
Reserving the island sites at Trap Pond is truly a special experience.
