Right in the center of Laurel, the Granville Gude Park and Lake House is a place for relaxation, recreation, and community events for everyone. Spanning 29 acres, the park is perfect for a hike or jog around Laurel Lake. The lake is beautiful and available during the summer months for boating fun. You can also rent a paddle boat for a small fee. There’s plenty of open space for different sports and there’s also a few barbeque pits for public use. Check out some of the fun events during the year, like the Easter Egg Hunt, Movies in the Park and the annual July 4th celebration, complete with music and fireworks! The Granville Gude Park and Lake House is open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is free!

Granville Gude Park and Lake House
8300 Mulberry Street
Laurel, MD 20707
(301) 490-3530
http://www.yelp.com/biz/granville-gude-park-and-lakehouse-laurel

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Tim Evanson

The National Wildlife Visitor Center is a terrific place for families to explore and learn about how researching wildlife is essential toward the goal of preserving our natural resources. Located just south of Laurel and north of Bowie, the National Wildlife Visitor Center is the largest science and environmental education center operated by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior. Come into the visitor’s center and learn about global environmental issues and endangered species Bring your binoculars to the viewing pod. There you can view acres of landscape and wildlife habitats. Check out the art gallery and the interactive kiosk. Take your choice – a tram ride through the facility, or take a hike! The half-hour tram tour is available on weekends, and during the week in the summer. Either way, be prepared to enjoy the wonders of nature, and maybe learn something, too!

National Wildlife Visitor Center
10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop
Laurel, MD 20708
(301) 497-5760
http://www.yelp.com/biz/national-wildlife-visitor-center-laurel

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr ((brian))

To enter the Sweepstakes, visit our Facebook Page and then look for the Sweepstakes tab (image shown below) located on our Facebook Page to enter. Sweepstakes ends October 31, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

For mobile users, click here to enter.