Paddle into the primeval at Trap Pond State Park

As your kayak slides into Trap Pond, the panorama is serene and familiar; pine and oak crowd the shore and there’s barely a cabin in sight.

But as you paddle around the bend, the scene starts to change. First, a few stands of trees emerge in the water, as if stranded by a flood. Come closer, and you’ll glide among a handful of these bald cypresses, adapted to thrive underwater.

Paddle farther, into the wetland forest itself, and the ambiance becomes primordial. The lake is actually artificial — it was created in the 1700s to move timber for a nearby sawmill, according to park naturalist Lindsey Robinson — but the stillness of the swamp and the low light conspire to make the place feel old.

There is animal life here, too. Painted turtles bask in patches of light, great blue herons stalk the shallows and water snakes curl among the bushes that cling to the bald cypress.

The bald cypress is the star of Trap Pond State Park, home to what Robinson said are the northernmost naturally occurring stands in the United States. Located about seven miles southeast of Laurel in southern Delaware, the 3,800-acre park opened in 1951, making it Delaware’s first state park.

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Here’s a basic breakdown for Trap Pond beginners

The park’s campground offers options all along the camping continuum. From rustic to pampered, the choices are two island walk-in sites, 10 walk-in tent sites, 130 sites with water and electric hookups and 10 cabins (including two yurts).  All sites are available through Nov. 30, and 35 of them are available year-round. Prices range from $15 per night, for weekday walk-in tent sites, to $65 a night, for cabins during the weekend.

Bicycles are available at the campground office for free hourlong rental. A jaunt around the pond on the five-mile Bob Trail takes about 45 minutes.

There are two modern bathrooms and showers, which on one recent visit were clean and well maintained. Campers who bring their own canoes or kayaks can launch them at any of four small docks in the campground. A nearby boat launch accommodates larger vessels.

Though they appear crowded on a map, the tent campsites are thick with towering loblolly pines and offer a fair degree of privacy.

The camp’s popular day-use beach, where entrance is free with a camping permit or park pass, is just a brief car ride around the bay. Without a pass or permit, admission is $4 for state residents and $8 for out-of-staters. Leave the swimsuit at home; the pond’s E. coli and blue-green algae make swimming unsafe and against the rules.

Beach visitors may notice a black, red-faced duck waddling around with the Canada geese. This is a Muscovy duck that’s been a resident since October, when its fellow ducks visited but left after a time.

“He thinks he’s a goose,” Robinson, the naturalist, said.

A beach concessioner rents rowboats, pedal boats, canoes and kayaks at reasonable prices (cash only). Two kayaks for two hours will set you back $18. Kayakers should plan on getting soggy and securing valuables ahead of time.

More ambitious canoers and kayakers should explore the dark, swampy canals that extend off the pond. During one recent morning, a barred owl watched a pair of kayakers pass in the Terrapin Branch Water Trail.

Just down the beach from the concessioner sits the Baldcypress Nature Center, which is open seven days a week and includes natural history exhibits (and modern bathrooms).

Dark nights, light swans

Though the bald cypress (so named because of how they look after shedding needles) are its biggest draw, Trap Pond attracts visitors for all sorts of reasons.

Stargazers come to avoid urban light pollution. Anglers come for the bass and catfish. The website Bassmaster.com included Trap Pond on a 2012 list of the country’s top 100 bass lakes.

Birders come in the winter to seek out the tundra swan and in the spring to find the prothonotary warbler, a small yellow songbird. Egrets, osprey and bald eagles can also be spotted at the park.

Hikers and bikers of all ages can use the trails, which are well groomed and flat. Robinson’s advice: Bring a full water bottle.

Reptiles and amphibians are also plentiful.  Examine the stumps at your campsite, and you may find skinks (small lizards) squirming about. Lift rotting wood along a trail, and you may find squirmy salamanders beneath.

While there are poisonous copperhead snakes at the park, bites are rare (fewer than one per year, typically). Northern water snakes, which resemble copperheads, are much more common. While non-venomous, water snakes will strike if approached.

IF YOU GO

What: Trap Pond State Park, 33587 Baldcypress Lane, Laurel. (302) 875-5153.

Hours:  Daily, 8 a.m. - sunset.

Amenities: Hiking trails surround the pond; rowboats, pedal boats, canoes and kayaks can be rented for use during the summer season; and the park interpreter hosts narrated pontoon boat tours on weekends and holidays, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. A boat launching ramp can accommodate small motorized boats for fishing or scenic excursions. Anglers on the water or shore may land largemouth bass, pickerel, crappie, and bluegills. One of the streams that flows into Trap Pond has been marked as a wilderness canoe trail for those who wish to explore the swamp's interior.

The Baldcypress Nature Center features a variety of displays and programs. Picnic areas overlook the pond and three pavilions may be reserved for group events. Volleyball courts and horseshoe pits encourage active competition among friends, and children will enjoy the playground complex.

Camping is available for all different types, from rustic sites to those with water and electric, to yurts and cabins. Prices per site per night range from $15 for a walk-in site on the off-season to $65 for a cabin in the summer.

To learn more about the park, go to http://www.destateparks.com/camping/index.asp