Bob Trail (Trap Pond State Park) Hiking Guide
The Bob Trail loops around Trap Pond in western Sussex County, through baldcypress wetlands and mixed forest, linking the park office, campground and Baldcypress Nature Center. Hiking Project describes it as flat, well marked and mostly shaded, and the park points to baldcypress trees growing in the pond's wetlands. Trap Pond is near Laurel, about 99 miles and two hours south of Wilmington.
Permit: Trap Pond's daily vehicle entrance fee, March 1 to November 30: $5 for Delaware-registered vehicles, $10 for out-of-state vehicles. Free on foot or bike and free December through February. Annual pass: $50 in-state, $100 out-of-state.
Distance and Surface
Delaware State Parks lists the Bob Trail at 4.6 miles and rates it easy; the park map shows it as two segments of 1.4 and 3.1 miles. Hiking Project maps a 5.0-mile loop with only about 34 feet of climbing. The park describes a crushed stone surface and an elevated bridge across a freshwater wetland. Hiking Project's contributor calls it clearly marked, mostly shaded and good for families.
Baldcypress and Birds
The trailhead is across from the Baldcypress Nature Center. The park says birders come for warblers, kingfishers and great blue herons, and the baldcypress trees grow right out of the pond. Horseback riding is allowed on the section that shares the Boundary Trail in the park's southwest, so check the trail-use markers there.
A Logged Swamp Turned Park
This was once a baldcypress wetland. In the late 1800s loggers dammed it to power a small sawmill, Trap Mills, that cut the rot-resistant cypress into timber; the mill closed after heavy harvesting. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps built pavilions, bathhouses and other structures on both sides of the pond, and they still stand.
Fees, Hours and Hunting
Inland-park pricing applies here: $5 a day for a car with Delaware plates, $10 for one from out of state, charged from March 1 to November 30, never for walkers or riders, and not at all in winter. Trap Pond welcomes visitors from 8 a.m. until sunset; the nature center is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from November through February. Leashed dogs are allowed on a 6-foot lead. Trap Pond has deer and small-game hunting zones, with 2026-27 gun dates of November 13-21, December 12-19 and January 16-23, but on the park's 2025-26 closure map the Bob Trail was not among the trails marked closed.
Hiking tips for Bob Trail (Trap Pond State Park)
- Start across from the Baldcypress Nature Center.
- Bring binoculars for herons and kingfishers along the pond.
- Watch for horses on the section shared with the Boundary Trail.
- Wear bright colors on weekday hikes during gun season.
- Combine it with a Cape Henlopen hike if you are making the drive from Wilmington.
Nearby trails to explore
- Gordons Pond Trail (Cape Henlopen State Park)
- Walking Dunes Trail (Cape Henlopen State Park)
- Swamp Forest Trail (Lums Pond State Park)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Trap Pond is a long drive from Wilmington, which is exactly why it is worth sharing. Post a Bob Trail day on TrailMates, line up carpools in the event's group chat, and meet at the nature center. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.