Waterford Oaks, located in Waterford Township, resides on the ancestral lands of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. Waterford Oaks is approximately 186 acres and offers diverse recreational opportunities, including a water park, BMX track, over 3 miles of hiking trails, an accessible playscape, platform tennis courts, sledding hill. The park is bisected by a large wetland that welcomes native flora and fauna habitats to flourish.
In 2015, Oakland County Parks invited landscape architectural design firms to enter a formal design competition to transform Waterford Oaks into a world-class four-season destination. The purpose of the Waterford Oaks Design Competition was to gather the expertise of multiple designers in the development of a master plan and business plan for Waterford Oaks County Park that was built on the Park Vision and Facility Concepts approved by the Parks Commission in 2012. PEA Group (Formerly Russell Design) was awarded first place after thoroughly addressing many important issues, including circulation, parking, universal design, diversity, stormwater BMPs, and public engagement.
The design concepts were derived from the goals and objectives of Oakland County Parks, the previous Waterford Oaks master plans, and the Park Vision and Facility Concepts study. Trends do not drive the design but by sound design principles that are rooted in history, timeless by its virtue, fiscally responsible, and sensitive to the existing natural systems.
Waterford Oaks Park Entrance