Normandy Oaks Park is nature sanctuary inside the urban Royal Oak…read more Inside the park, there is wide paved path loop (around 1 mile) great for walking, running, biking, and skating. Along the path were plenty of wildflowers, which made for the perfect nature walk. However, I prefer to walk in the evenings since there aren't many shaded areas along the path. Lots of green infrastructure is embedded into this park like bioswales, an underground drainage system, and a retention pond to help manage stormwater. These naturally attract lots of wildlife. During my walks, I've seen turtles, frogs, ducks, and deer. To top it all off, Normandy Oaks Park has plenty of areas for play like a fenced in splash pad, soccer fields, and climbing play structure. The splash pad is open from 9 am - 9 pm Memorial Day to Labor Day. A bonus for parents: There are plenty of picnic tables and pavilion with a drinking fountain and restrooms near by. I can't wait to come back soon!

Disappointed in Normandy Oaks. I thought we were getting a 40 acre park but we got 20 acres of park…read moreand 20 acres of vacant field. The turf around the picnic shelter & splash pad is OK, the soccer fields started out good but are now disaster due to lack of maintenance. The rest of the mowed grass areas are very poor. The rest of the park they basically just stopped mowing the golf course. I was expecting a large elaborate playlot but didn't get one. One of the smallest playlots in the city. At the bottom of the sled hill is a tree which in good sledding conditions would be close enough for kids to hit. It should be removed.

Used to play softball here on an intramural team; park is still in great shape! We took a quick…read more walk this past weekend when it was chilly, and loved tucking in out of the wind, under this giant pine tree. What a beautiful tree! Definitely look forward to having a family gathering here this summer!

Our Real Estate Investors Group has met here a couple of times since the shutdown happened. We can…read moreget together outside and be safer than in an enclosed meeting room. As other reviewers have noted, Boulan Park offers a number of amenities such as tennis courts, baseball diamonds, volleyball, running tracks, along with facilities for gatherings like our group. There is plenty of parking for whatever you plan to do here. We were set up at one of the gazebos with pizza, subs, water, and soft drinks. Attendance was a bit light with 30-40 people but it was easy to spread out. We were busy and arrived late and the subs were gone but there still was enough pepperoni pizza left so we didn't leave hungry! Our group consists of real estate investors so naturally the discussions were focused on buying and selling properties. The facilities that we used was a nice covered gazebo on a concrete floor big enough to spread out with 15-20 picnic tables. Restrooms are located a short walk away but I didn't use them and can't comment on them. Even the weather was pleasant with a light breeze and sunshine, not sure if the park provided that for us. Overall a great and popular city park!

Spencer Park is a hidden gem in Rochester Hills! It's my favorite park to spend a summer day with…read morefriends/family or by myself to a walk on the hiking path. It's open for swimming Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day with Lifeguards on duty from 8am to dusk. Last year they installed a new paved walking trail that goes around the lake. It's so much nicer than the old gravel pathway! It's approximately 1 mile around Carter Lake and it's perfect for getting your steps in. However, dogs are not allowed in the park even if they are on a leash during Memorial Day to Labor Day. During off season you can bring your dog on a leash to walk if you choose. Another strict rule to note is that no floatation devices are allowed in the water for swimming. It's a popular spot to go shoreline fishing and there's a fishing dock along with canoe, Kayak and paddle board rental. In addition, there are sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, barbecue grills, a concession stand, and a play structure. You could easily spend the whole day here and never get bored. It basically has all the same amenities that Stoney Creek offers but smaller. It cost $5 per day if you're a Rochester Hills resident or $10 for a non resident Monday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday a few dollars more $8 for resident and $15 for a non resident). You also can buy a season pass which i do every year. The season pass gets you into Bloomer Park as well. I highly recommend this local park to anyone who loves nature and the outdoors. Great for all ages and especially families!

I've always loved this park. Great memories through the years with my kids. It's a great day with…read morethe family when you bring a picnic basket.

Nice family park near the business district in Royal Oak. several large play structures for…read moresmaller children , a large sand box with many play toys, tables with grilles and a couple of tennis courts to boot. Best of all the park is for the most part shaded by big mature trees making it a nice place to hang out on a hot summer day providing much needed relief from the mid day sun. Overall, a very nice park for the kids to burn some energy off .

This is probably one of my absolute favorite parks! It's so large and winding, there are so many…read morepathways and things you can do here, and best of all, you can access it to and from downtown Rochester! I first started going to this park back when Pokemon Go came out all those years ago. I had no idea what this park was all about until that first day I was playing Pokemon Go and just kept following the path on the game's map and then suddenly I looked up and realized I had walked through all of the park and into downtown...all a stone's throw away from my apartment! That started my long-term love affair with this park. I have so many fond memories in here catching Pokemon, but also coming back here with friends and with my dog for walks, playing on the play structures, glancing at the tennis courts and wondering if I should play a bit, hammocking because there are so many great hammocking trees scattered throughout the park, shopping through ARTS & APPLES, ones of the greatest festivals in metro Detroit, and so much more. This park has something for everyone and is also very accessible right off of Paint Creek Trail as well. Parking around here can be interesting, but now that I no longer live at the apartments directly across the street from this park, I find that parking at the Rochester Hills Public Library in downtown Rochester is my favorite option. There is a path that leads all the way behind the library, along the creek, to Paint Creek Trail, with an offshoot to the Rochester Municipal Park, all just a 5 minute walk from the library! This is truly a wonderful park, for fun with your friends, family, and furry ones, in all four Michigan seasons, and I'll never stop enjoying it! :)

Peaceful, beautiful park with lots of trails and great restaurants in the area. Love going here…read morewith my family.

My son and I always have a blast at this park! It isn't open to the public but if you know someone…read moreor live in GPF you can get a pass. My son and I hit the pool and splash pad. He loves and baby pool! We then went for a walk in the sand on the beach. He wanted to go to the playground and play so that was next. It's nice they have a playground for the older kids and one for the younger kids that's gated in. After he was worn out enough we hit up the concession stand for a quick lunch. Love the fact they had gluten free options and a little bit of everything you can think of snack food wise. We got a cheeseburger and fries and a lemonade. We then ate lunch by the clubhouse and took a walk on the boat docks and up to the tower view area to see the lake better. During our walk we saw a mama duck with 4 babies and a turtle sunbathing! We had a wonderful time and highly recommend taking the kids there if possible!

This is the park I grew up with through high school and beyond. It's not as big as the park park in…read moreGrosse pointe Park, but it's still a decent size. Have a small beach area and a nice harbor. The pool is also a good size and they have a kitty pool area as well. Lots of picnic tables and places together with friends and family on the weekends or in the afternoon or whenever. I still come here every summer with my brother and his family. The kids still enjoy playing in the pool and adventuring around the park. There's lots to see and do. I wish they had the kiddie area when I was a little kid. At least I get to enjoy it with my niece.

Great park and love that it is so close to home! A reminder…read moreto dog owners, always leash your pets.

Firefighter's Park is a great place to enjoy a leisurely walk. The weather was perfect when we were…read morehere so that only added to our enjoyable afternoon. There were other people throughout the park, but I never felt it was congested or too crowded. This is one of my top parks in the area to enjoy a relaxing day.

Beaver Trail Park is a small neighborhood park in Troy…read more This 7-acre park offers a paved walking loop as well as both wooded and open space areas. Visitors can enjoy a sand volleyball court, play structure, swings, picnic tables, benches, and a little free library. The swings include traditional swings, baby bucket swing, as well as one ADA swing. However, there is no restrooms, water fountain, or parking at this park. You'd have to street park in the neighborhood and walk in.