PO Box 696
Laurel, DE
302-875-9319

Delaware's first state park, Trap Pond State Park encompasses nearly 3,000 acres of virgin forest and is home to the northernmost natural stand of bald-cypress trees in the United States. An unspoiled paradise for fishing, bird watching (over 100 species), and nature trails, Trap Pond offers 142 wooded campsites plus canoe, paddle, and rowboat rentals. Groups can reserve any of four shaded pavilions. The park staff offers a full schedule of recreational and informative programs. Open 8:00 a.m. to sunset, year-round, Trap Pond is located off Rt. 24, five miles east of Laurel. For further information, call 302-875-5153 (office) or 302-875-2392 (campground).
If you still haven't found it, paradise awaits you at Trussum Pond, one of Delaware's most photographed and painted natural wonders. A ten-minute drive from busy U.S. Rt. 13, Trussum's transports you miles away from the Mid-Atlantic to the great cypress swamps of America's coastal South. A canoe paddle (check with the folks at Trap Pond for schedules) down nearby James Branch offers a rare look at ancient forests untouched by and miles away from man. Towering at 127 feet, measuring 24.9 feet in girth, and with a branch spread of 62 feet, it is here that you'll find Delaware's champion bald-cypress tree, estimated to be over 200 years old.
Other facilities for boating, fishing, and picnicking are to be found at Record's, Chipman's, Horsey's, Raccoon, Tussock, and Portsville Ponds. Phillip's Landing, where Broad Creek empties into the Nanticoke, is particularly popular for water-skiing. Not to be forgotten here is Bass fishing. After all, Laurel was the site of the 1994 National Bass Tournament.
Not thrilled yet? Well then, how about skydiving at the Laurel Airport (on Rt. 24, southwest of town), where jumpers take on a whole new perspective of our pastoral countryside. The airport phone is 302-875-3560.
Perhaps a bit tamer would be cycling... and on flat roads, at that. Laurel is a featured town on the Southern Delaware Heritage Trail, a new adventure for history lovers and cyclists. The trail is an auto and companion cycling loop which connects six nearby towns with the common theme of freshwater rivers, antiquing, history, and the great outdoors. The cycling trail meanders along back country roads with minimal traffic, but with plenty to do and see. To obtain a free map and brochure, contact Southern Delaware Tourism at 800-357-1818. Your stay is made easier by Biking Inn-to-Inn, a consortium of country inns and B&Bs which not only provides meals and lodging, but also transport your luggage day-to-day from one destination to another. Contact 800-845-9939 for details.
No vacation trip is complete without something to take back home. Laurel just happens to have two of the largest indoor/outdoor flea markets around. One covers twelve acres and is a destination point for bus tours up and down the East Coast. It was recently cited by Good Housekeeping magazine as one of the top fifty flea markets in the country. Almost cities unto themselves, these places sell everything imaginable from begonias to bubble gum. We're also the hub of furniture shopping on the Delmarva Peninsula, offering the region's three largest retailers within but a few minutes ride on Rt. 13. The Home Furnishings Representatives Association awarded one of our merchants with its Outstanding Retailer Award in 1991-1992.

With antique shops galore (so many that they've got their own brochure), Laurel harbors yet another institution: country auctions... community-wide celebrations of good home cooking, old friends, and the latest news - not to mention table after table of antiques and other goodies for sale. Local newspapers advertise the when and whereabouts here.

A burst of activity is the auction held daily during the summer months at The Block, formerly the Southwestern Delaware Truck Growers Association and definitely not to be confused with the Baltimore "institution" of the same name. It is here where the local farmers sell over three million watermelons each year to metropolitan wholesalers. With these numbers, it's no wonder folks refer to Laurel as "a slice of the good life."