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.

Right in the heart of downtown Rochester, and with free parking to boot! They do a really nice job…read morehere - the park is always clean and kept up. There are multiple playgrounds, restrooms, tennis courts, a concert stage, pavilion, pond + paint creek running through, and connection to the paint creek trail in the back. The paint creek trail is especially popular and good for bikers. There are picnic tables and benches galore, many of which are situated overlooking the creek. They allow dogs on leashes, and mine loves swimming after the ducks here. I have not been to any events here recently, but I've heard they have Thursday night concerts in the summer and a big apples & arts festival in the fall. This park is definitely a community staple.

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! :)

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!

Lots of things to do. There is a $10.00 entrance fee for the maintenance of the park.read more

Cutest little park with a nice meandering trail, but absolutely no parking lot and no parking on…read morethe side streets nearby. I guess if you could drop in via helicopter, you'd be OK. No bathroom as well. My guess is it's for the neighborhood.

In 2024, the Wonderful City of Troy agreed to add park benches, some placed along the walking…read moretrail, and at least 1 bench in the Children's play area. The above was a result of surrounding community involvement, organized by the Sweetapple family. Thank you City of Troy DPW!

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 .

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

What a nice park with ample parking in a paved lot, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a children's…read moreplayground, covered picnic pavilion, restrooms, a concession stand when the games are being played and a couple of beverage machines as well as a one mile paved trail. I liked looking at the sculptures at the front of the park. They add a nice touch as you're walking along. They're for sale too if anyone's interested in purchasing these cool looking works of art. A must visit whether you're a family looking for children's activities or wanting an area to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch or someone who wants to enjoy a walk on the trail. The park is well kept and clean which gets a high mark from me because I enjoy not only walking along nicely landscaped trails, but taking in the surrounding scenery. There weren't any games in play when we were walking, so it was a quiet and serene walk. But there's plenty to do and see for all ages including being a spectator in the stands for baseball games or sitting on chairs and watching soccer games. This I'm sure will become one of our favorite places to walk and enjoy for years to come. I won't take away any stars, but I will say, that I wish people would pick up their pet's waste along the trails, as we almost stepped in a couple of them. They supply the bags if you forget to bring your own, but please don't let your pets do this on the trail and leave it for others to step in. Also, this is the second park where the soccer teams or spectators are leaving their empty bottles and or trash behind on the grass instead of picking up after themselves when the games are over. So as a gentle reminder, whether you're a player, parent or coach--- keep our parks picked up and clean for everyone to enjoy. It only takes a minute to do your share.

All of the play structures are weather beaten and the climbing hill is disintegrating without being…read moreblocked off so the kids can get into the rotting structure. The playground could use some updating. Signs everywhere prohibiting large groups or picnics which is strange for a park. Bees are everywhere which is no fault of the park yet still annoying, we had to eat snack in the car due to not wanting to be stung. Not a whole lot of shade where the benches are.

Great park, the largest playground in Southfield. 42 acres of community space--farm themed play…read moreequipment, swings, trampoline/bouncer, climbing net, and more. Also a smaller area just for toddlers. Picnic tables, restrooms, walking trails, sports fields, and plenty of parking too. I ran cross county in high school and this park has one of our race courses. It was very nostalgic being back here. I've always felt very safe here.

This park is what you can see from the overpass in Oak Park, the seemingly mirage of lush trees on…read morean overpass seems unreal, it's quite real. You can see it on either side of the overpass. Heard it was created for the deer to be able to cross either side via the overpass, safely without becoming road kill. The best access to the park is by the Taubman apartments, blue signage. No street name. Parking lot to park and walk is behind the apartments and by the gate or entrance to the park. It's a nice, albeit noisy walk with the roar of the cars below.