Parks and Recreation

Regional Destination

• Clayton is centrally located to many regional destinations:
• Less than an hour to Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley destinations
• The Delaware beaches are little more than an hour away.
• Philadelphia and Baltimore are within 90 minutes
• The Pocono Mountains, New York, and Washington, D.C. are all about two hours away

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge stretches about eight miles along Delaware Bay and covers nearly 16,000 acres. Bombay Hook NWR was established in 1937 as a refuge for migratory and resident birds. Today, the Refuge provides habitat for a diversity of wildlife. The Refuge consists of 13,000 acres of tidal salt and brackish marsh while the remaining acres provide a mix of upland fields, forests, and fresh water habitats.

Bombay Hook offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy wildlife observation along a 12-mile wildlife drive with five walking trails, three observation towers, and a visitor center with interpretative displays. Calendar of Events.

For additional information see the calendar of events or call (302) 653-6872.

Blackbird State Forest & Blackiston Wildlife Area

To the north and west of Clayton lies the Blackbird State Forest and the Blackiston Wildlife areas.

The Blackbird State Forest offers camping, horseback riding, hunting, and other activities. Please call (302) 653-6505 for more information about activities permitted in certain areas. More than 10,000 acres of public wildlife area are within minutes of Clayton.

Local Outdoor Activities & Events

Many outdoor activities happen at the Smyrna Municipal Park, the Smyrna-Clayton Little League and Little Lass Fields, and at the Kent County Big Oak County Park east of Route 1 in Smyrna.

In addition to Little League, local associations offer Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading, as well as soccer through the Central Delaware Soccer Association. The Police Athletic League offers basketball at local schools. The Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Smyrna, additionally, provides many other programs at their East Commerce Street facility.

Lakes

Lake Como in Smyrna offers picnicking, fishing, and boating opportunities (for boating regulations, check with the Town of Smyrna).

Garrison’s Lake, south of Smyrna, offers these activities and golf as a State of Delaware park.

Public Parks & Facilities

The Stephen Robert Rebar Park on Smyrna Avenue, just a block from the railroad station, offers playground equipment for children and benches for adults in the Town of Clayton.

The grounds of St. Joseph’s at Providence Creek Academy in Clayton are also available for walking and bicycling when school is not in session.

The Kent County Department of Parks and Recreation offers many free and fee-based activities for all ages that are hosted throughout the county. A semi-annual guide is published. Please contact the county directly at:

555 Bay Road
Dover, DE 19901