Trap Pond State Park near Laurel preserves a major remnant of Delaware’s former wetland landscape, including extensive stands of bald cypress unusual for the state and the northernmost park in North America with cypress and bald cypress. Its pond and marsh were reshaped by human activity beginning in the 18th century, when cypress logging and a dam built to power a sawmill created Trap Pond, later enlarged by farm drainage. The wetland supports diverse birdlife and American hollies. Chosen for recreation in the 1930s and designated Delaware’s first state park on June 22, 1951, it now offers boating, fishing, camping, and nature programs.