Field Note: Trap Pond State Park

A visit to nearby family brought us to Trap Pond State Park recently.

I was pleasantly surprised by the well-maintained play spaces and trails, the wealth of park resources, and the quiet impact of the water at its center.

I’m not sure if playgrounds and a paved path count as getting closer to nature, but I appreciated their existence all the same. Sometimes something pretty mundane can morph into magic in the right setting.

My son threw sticks in the water and was delighted when they made a splash. He collected rocks by the boat launch and spent far too much time exploring the volleyball sand.

I resisted the urge to usher him out as quickly as possible in the name of staying clean. And at the visitor center, I stood calmly with him as he observed the corn snake snoozing beneath its glass.

On the drive home I wondered if there’s such a thing as the right kind of nature. Ultimately, I decided on no. We showed up as we were. We experienced what we could.

That has to be enough.