Let's get this part out of the way - The park itself? Amazing. It is modern, has plenty of options,…read moreis well maintained, and has some great nature paths outside of the playground area. In an area that features many great playgrounds and parks to take your family to, Innovation Hills has always stood out. There is a lack of options for younger children though (no infant swings?). The three stars? One of the new features of this park is the addition of Park Mobile being introduced for the main parking lot. Signs everywhere reminding you that you better have paid your $1.50 an hour! There is of course a free dirt lot across the busy road for your convenience. Or a parking 'annual pass' you can purchase from the Rochester Hills website. Our society struggles with the concept of 'the third place'. Parks and playgrounds are a haven for families and a community builder outside of work and home. What in the world is the motivation behind suddenly charging for parking? 1 - The City of Rochester Hills wants to prioritize park access for its citizens? Charging for parking doesn't keep out non-residents and in fact just causes Rochester Hills citizens to pay more for something they are already paying for. 2 - The park is often extremely crowded so charging for parking may reduce visitor count? If this was the motivation I am confident this strategy is not working. 3 - We want to encourage more families to park in the dirt lot across the street and attempt to cross a highway? I have more faith in humanity than that. Oh, I think I got it! To quote Tim Robinson's sketch 'The Driving Crooner' - "I gotta figure out how to make money on this thing..it's simply TOO GOOD!"

After a long school day, we took the kids to Innovation Hills Park, and they had a blast! The park…read morewasn't too busy, and the kids explored everything, from the playground to the jungle gym. I loved the artificial turf--it keeps the area looking nice year-round. This park has everything--playgrounds, walking trails, a serene area with ducks, and even bathrooms. I'd recommend it to any family looking for a fun day out. Definitely a great spot for outdoor fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed my wanderings at River Bends Park, lots of options for your activities while…read morevisiting. I was on a limited time crunch today, so I stuck mostly to the main, paved trails (happily many sections of this path still ran through the woods); but there are hiking and/or biking trails branching off in many directions all throughout the property. Make sure to watch the trail signs, as some are for bikers only. River Bends is also a dog friendly park, note that they must remain on a maximum of a 6ft leash at all times. While I visited today with only my pupperoni, River Bends park is great for kids of all ages. There are a multitude of play areas for children, great to help wear out their energy. There is also a disc golf course that winds throughout the park, supplying players with beautiful nature views. You could also enjoy a BBQ on one of their charcoal grills, relax at a picnic table, or pavilions if you have a large group; nature watch on a nearby bench, our even try out a game of horseshoe. The park appeared well maintained, for the most part; although a few signs could use some repair. They have restroom facilities, and port-a-pottys available for use (although I did not enter them to speak of their cleanliness). You can find trash receptacles around every bend, so there's no excuse for lazy littering, and there is a main sign available showing you all of the trails and their difficulties. You can find this sign posted off to the side of the parking lot; which itself, had plenty of available spots. Definitely a favorite park to stop and enjoy, highly recommend.

When the weather gets nicer out river bends is the place to go for a good walk. There are trails…read moreand spots for good pictures too. The main trail leads you to this tunnel w graffiti. It's another cool spot for pictures and i go often. On top of the tunnel there are train tracks, I'm not sure where they lead to though.

I've driven by this park quite a few times over the past year and always was impressed with how…read moreclean and cool looking it was. I finally had the time to stop in yesterday with my date and his kids to check the place out, and we both were pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was. For starters, the park is really well kept. Grass was cut, parking lot was clean and well maintained and all equipment was in good working order. After walking around for a bit, we both realized there was more to do then meets the eye from the road. There's plenty to do for both kids and adults. The one thing that drew my eye initially was the picture of the fire truck on the wall of the building they have right next to the parking lot. The park itself is named after a fire chief, thus, the fire truck theme going on here. They have tons of stuff to do here. They have a lovely covered pavilion with plenty of seating and well maintained picnic tables. They also have a play area for the kids, soccer fields, a horse shoe area, tennis courts and a sand volley ball area. They also had an area that appeared to be a Bocce Ball court, but no equipment to play the game. Also, there was a building with the fire truck painted on that I assume has bathrooms or a tribute area inside. I can't say for sure because the doors were locked and you couldn't see much through the doors. The only downfall to this park is no obvious place for bathrooms. I assume it's in the building but I cannot say for sure. I also saw a few adults walking with fishing poles and equipment. I guess you can go fishing around here as well. I believe there's hiking trails as well if your interested in that also. This park is a great addition to the community and everything about it was impressive. I am sure I will be back in the future!

The splash pad at Chief Gene Shepherd Park is beautiful. The park is beautiful and clean, updated,…read moreand filled with exciting water features for children. My family loves visiting the splash pad on hot days and I love taking them. This splash pad is perfect!

After me and the wife asked around this place was recommended. The play ground area for kids wasn't…read morehuge but has what you need. They do have a big soccer field and very nice tennis courts. Also it is very clean and well maintained. Worth checking it out. It was a nice hidden gem.

Great place for kids to play and perfect nature trail for a September walk . Myself and my three…read moreboys really enjoyed the park . It was clean well kept and many people enjoyed the day with us

This park is huge and the play ground is really nice. Definitely recommend. We like to travel…read morearound and visit as many parks as we can. This one is definitely on top of the list. They also have a concession stand! Plan on returning again soon!!

Two nice additions have been added to the park..... A Little Library to take or leave a book and a…read morefood pantry to contribute to or take something you may need. They're both located in the front near the park map, restrooms and basketball courts. There's also a tree near the playground where you can paint a rock at home and set it around the tree. This park is bustling at times during soccer and baseball seasons. With 2 play areas, a couple of covered pavilions offering shelter and shade and indoor restrooms in the front of the park, this is a perfect spot for small gatherings. There are two large grassy areas near the baseball diamond and in the soccer field where you can fly kites, or run with your pet or play any other activity. This is a park the whole family can enjoy with plenty to see as far as plants and trees and animals such as squirrels and birds and rabbits and we've even seen a couple of ducks. When you're in the wooded area walking the path, you forget for a few moments that you're in the middle of the township because it's so peaceful. Come and enjoy whether you want to take a few moments for yourself or have some quality family time. Hope to see you there!

Very small park with two tiny trails. Was not enough for myself and my 4 yo on his bikeread more

Love this place!…read more Finding fun and entertaining parks for my 1 year old is so much fun. I love this one. Not only is there three plays capes, there are swings, walking trails with a big pond to watch wildlife, basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and a gazebo area you can rent for parties if you please. Little guy never gets bored here! This will always be one of our top parks!

This park is absolutely beautiful. Honestly that's an understatement. There's so much nature,…read morepretty colors and animals to be seen! This park has been my weekly staple in my walking routine. I love walking around the pond and seeing all the ducks, geese, and squirrels. There's plenty of benches to sit and just enjoy life. No matter the time of the day or how hot or cold the weather is, there's always people here and plenty to do. A couple play grounds, basketball court, tennis courts, and baseball courts makes it a very popular place to bring the family. You can also fish in the pond. Bring your camera and take plenty of breath taking photos. Heritage Garden is a perfect spot for senior pictures, family photos and even prom photos. The park is dog friendly. Please clean up after your pet. There is literally trash cans everywhere, so also don't litter.

I absolutely love Dodge Park for the facility and for the events they hold. In the summer they…read morehave free concerts in the park on Thursdays at 7:00 and they have really good bands. Also on Thursdays while the concerts are going on, They have food trucks and a farmers market in their pavilion area so there's plenty to eat, drink and buy. They usually have police directing traffic and they have plenty of parking in their lot and in nearby lots. There is also a nice splash pad area that is very popular and wonderful trails for walking and biking. There are plenty of restrooms in the immediate area too.

We love this park! Not only do they have an amazing splash pad and farmers market on Thursdays…read more They have so many cool events and concerts in the summer. We love the trails and pond to feed the ducks. It's our go to place for the summer and we never miss a farmer's market! Check it out!

This has been such a fun spot to meet friends and have playdates in the past. I love how there is…read moreso much for the kids to do in such a small space. I also love how walkable it is, very close to not only parking, but stores and good restaurants. This is a place where we will do lunch then play in the park, especially with friends. This is a spot we have taken people who are not from the area when we want to share a great park idea with them.

Great park. Just hard to get around to the other side with littles running through the tunnelread more

We do a lot of walking in our local parks. This one definitely is right up there with all it has…read moreto offer. Swimming, playing, picnicking, picnic tables, benches, barbecue grills aplenty, tennis, boats/paddleboats with docks, shelter rental, tent rentals, walking trail, bike trails, concessions, first aid station, changing areas, nature, ducks, geese, swans- oh my! Although there are fees to enter, it's worth it if you plan on spending the day here. In the 'off season' we were able to get into the park without any attendants at the collection booth. There's plenty of parking and from the lot it's an easy walk to the picnic and beach area. All amenities are in close proximity, yet there's plenty of room to stretch out and relax whether you want to bring the entire family or enjoy a day to yourself. The playground offers areas for both the littles and the older kids and is located just steps away from the beach, which by the way has a couple of lifeguard chairs. If you're looking to spend a nice day at a nice park, this is definitely worth a visit because it's fun for all ages.

Compact park in the city but filled with options! Hike the wooded trails or the lakeside trail…read more Fish the water, take a boat out, or swim out from the beach. Play on the playground and grill up some food with charcoal grills. Ample trash cans across the park to keep it clean. The indoor shelter is open as a warming shelter in the winter or available for private party reservations if you need more space than you have at home. Great for exercise or leisure! A little gem of nature in the city!