Join Oakland County as we honor National Park and Recreation Month to shine a light on the essential role parks play in building strong, vibrant and resilient communities.
This month is also an opportunity to recognize the many dedicated parks and recreation employees who work hard every day to maintain our county and community parks and to provide excellent recreation programming and services for Oakland County residents and visitors.
In honor of this year’s theme – “Where Community Grows”- Oakland County Parks (OCP) will feature videos of Parks’ staff talking about how their departments contribute to supporting a sense of community in Oakland County. Residents can check these insights out on the OCP Facebook page.
Residents are also invited to celebrate National Park and Recreation Month by reflecting on how parks have improved their lives or communities on social media using the hashtags #OaklandCounty #OCParks and #WhereCommunityGrows. They are also encouraged to express their appreciation to the parks and recreation staff for providing recreation spaces and programming in their communities.
“Oakland County is blessed with an abundance of extraordinary outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resources, including more than 66,000 acres of state, regional, county and local parkland, and more inland lakes than any other county in Michigan,” said Gary R. McGillivray, Oakland County Commissioner and Chairman of the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission “We hope people will take some time to visit these amazing resources located in our own backyards and to share their experiences on social media.”
Another great way to honor National Park and Recreation Month is to get out and enjoy all that our beautiful Oakland County parks have to offer. Whether cooling off at the Red Oaks Waterpark or Waterford Oaks Wave Pool, hitting the golf course, hiking or biking OCP’s nearly 80 miles of natural and paved trails or taking your furry friend for a dip off the dock at Orion Oaks Dog Park, there is so much to do at the parks this summer! It is the perfect time to stop by the Oakland County Farmers Market, pop into the nature center, check out the Holly Oaks ORV Park or get together with family and friends to camp, fish or play a round of disc golf.
The Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission and Oakland County Board of Commissioners passed resolutions last month designating July as Park and Recreation Month in Oakland County. Co-sponsors of the resolution include commissioners Ajay Raman, Charlie Cavell, Penny Luebs, Michael J. Gingell, Angela Powell, Kristen Nelson, Marcia Gershenson, Bob Hoffman, Yolanda Smith Charles and Christine Long
The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) created Park and Recreation Month to raise awareness of the essential services that park and recreation professionals provide to communities across the United States.
For more information, visit Oakland County Parks website. Follow along with them for programs, events, and news on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Oakland County offers residents quality, affordable housing in welcoming neighborhoods with access to parks and recreation, public transportation, and healthy food as part of the Livable Neighborhoods goal in our five-year road map. Follow the Oakland County Executive Office on Facebook and Twitter for updates and visit our dashboard to see the progress being made to ensure Oakland County is All Ways, Moving Forward. Follow along with Oakland County on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube using #OaklandCounty, or visit our website for news and services year-round.