Lums Pond State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lums Pond State Park
A view of a picnic area along the edge of Lums Pond
Lums Pond State Park Location in Delaware
Location	New Castle, Delaware, United States
Area	1,790 acres (7.2 km2)
Established	1963
Named for	Lums Pond
Governing body	Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Website	Lums Pond State Park

Lums Pond State Park is a super cool place in Delaware! It's a huge park, covering about 1,790 acres, which is like having over 1,300 football fields all in one spot. You can find it near Bear, in New Castle County.

The park is named after and built around Lums Pond. This big pond was created a long time ago, in the early 1800s, by the people who built the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. They needed a lot of water to fill the canal's locks, which are like water elevators for boats. Lums Pond helped supply that water from St. Georges Creek. Today, Lums Pond State Park is open all year round for tons of fun activities!

Park History: How Lums Pond Was Made

Lums Pond is the biggest freshwater pond in Delaware. It covers about 200 acres in the middle of New Castle County. As we mentioned, it was built in the early 1800s for the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.

The pond was important because it gave water to fill the canal's locks. It also provided water power for a local mill that ground grain. Over time, the pond became a popular spot for people in Delaware to relax and have fun. In the mid-1900s, the state of Delaware took over the pond. Then, in 1963, Lums Pond State Park officially opened to the public!

The historic Lum's Mill House is also part of the park's history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Fun Things to Do at Lums Pond

Lums Pond is the main attraction at the park, offering lots of ways to have fun! Even though you can't swim in the pond, you can still enjoy boating and fishing.

Boating and Fishing Adventures

You can rent different kinds of boats, like rowboats, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, and even pedalos (paddle boats). If you love fishing, Lums Pond is a great spot! You might catch fish like carp, pickerel, crappie, catfish, and largemouth bass. The park also adds hybrid striped bass to the pond for even more fishing fun.

Camping and Nature Exploration

Many visitors love to camp at Lums Pond State Park. There are many different camping options:

• 62 campsites without electricity.
• Six sites with electricity.
• Two yurts, which are cool round tents with bunk beds, a futon, electricity, and an outdoor deck with water and a grill.
• Four sites where you can stable your horses if you bring them!

All campsites are open for RVs or tents. The Whale Wallow Nature Center is also open during certain times of the year, where you can learn more about nature.

Trails and Sports

Lums Pond State Park has a great network of trails for hiking. In the winter, you can even go cross-country skiing and snowmobiling!

If you like sports, you're in luck! The park has many different fields and courts for games:

• Fields for football, cricket, soccer, baseball, and softball.
• Courts for basketball, volleyball, and tennis.
• You can also play Horseshoes or try out the disc golf course.

There's even a Go Ape tree-top adventure course that was added in 2013. It's a super exciting way to climb and swing through the trees!

Hunting Information

Hunting is allowed in some areas of the park. You need a hunting license from the Division of Fish and Wildlife. You also need a special permit from the park office, since the park is managed by the Division of Parks and Recreation.

Nearby Parks to Explore

There are many other cool state parks within 30 miles (about 48 kilometers) of Lums Pond State Park. Here are a few:

• Alapocas Run State Park (New Castle County)
• Auburn Valley State Park (New Castle County)
• Bellevue State Park (New Castle County)
• Brandywine Creek State Park (New Castle County)
• Elk Neck State Park (Maryland)
• Fort Delaware State Park (New Castle County)
• Fort DuPont State Park (New Castle County)
• Fort Mott State Park (New Jersey)
• Fox Point State Park (New Castle County)
• First State Heritage Park at Dover (Kent County)
• Parvin State Park (New Jersey)
• Ridley Creek State Park (Pennsylvania)
• Susquehanna State Park (Maryland)
• Wilmington State Parks (New Castle County)
• White Clay Creek Preserve (Pennsylvania)
• White Clay Creek State Park (New Castle County)

Images for kids

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  A view of a picnic area along the edge of Lums Pond