Parks and Recreation

Grand Rapids Parks recently announced the expansion of Free Wi-Fi from 10 parks to 35! Here is the list of all parks that now have free wifi open to the public:

Ottawa Hills Park

Ottawa Hills Park is the first universally accessible playground in Grand Rapids. The park reopened in 2018 after improvements were made thanks to the voter-approved 2013 Parks Millage. The park has two playgrounds designed for older and younger children, sensory play objects, picnic areas, and rubber surfacing for soft landings and accessibility.

Rosa Parks Circle

Rosa Parks Circle is a public art space in the heart of downtown. It was designed by the world-renowned artist, Maya Lin. In the winter months, the space transforms into an outdoor ice skating rink. Numerous concerts, events, and festivals are also held here throughout the year.

Roberto Clemente Park

This Roosevelt Park neighborhood park received transformative upgrades in 2019, including stormwater management infrastructure, new restroom and picnic shelter, outdoor classroom, and natural play elements.

Looking to escape the city bustle? Visit one of our trails and explore the natural beauty of Grand Rapids.

Aman Park

• Park acres: 339
• Miles of trails: 6.4
• Features: natural hiking and cross country skiing trails, bridges, interpretive trails, natural wooded areas
• Trail map

Ball Perkins Park

• Park acres: 80
• Miles of trails: 0.65
• Features: natural pathway, wooded areas, wetland overlook, rest areas
• Trail map

Burton Woods

• Park acres: 6
• Miles of trails: 0.4
• Features: natural pathway, wooded areas

Huff Park

• Park acres: 90
• Miles of trails: 1
• Features: boardwalk loop through wetlands, observation deck, bird watching opportunities
• Trail Map(PDF, 576KB)

Oxford Trail

• Miles of trails: 3
• Features: paved pathway for non-motorized recreation, neighborhood and park connections views of the Grand River.
• Trail map(PDF, 2MB)

Plaster Creek Trail

• Park acres: 141
• Miles of trails: 2.7
• Features: paved pathway for non-motorized recreation, interpretive trails, views of Plaster Creek

Riverside Park

• Park acres: 187
• Miles of trails: 2.3
• Features: paved pathway for non-motorized recreation, river overlooks, bridges

Our park system is made up of over 2,000 acres of parkland spread across 75 parks. Our maintenance team works to keep these important community spaces safe, clean and vibrant for everyone to enjoy year-round.

Visit the Park Maintenance Homepage

Park Improvement Projects

We're improving our parks all the time! Grand Rapids voters approved a 7 year Parks Millage on November 5, 2013. We use these funds to make improvements, repairs and rehabilitate parks, pools and playgrounds.

Park Improvement Projects

Strategic Master Plan

Our 5-year Master Plan outlines long-term development, programming, and sustainability of parks, public spaces, and recreation facilities.

See Our Strategic Plan

FY25-FY27 Department Operating Plan

This document goes into the details of how we're reaching our objectives.

See Our Operating Plan(PDF, 4MB)