 Ottawa County Parks Program and Events have been limited due to COVID-19, but we are adapting! Online and virtual nature programs are available, scroll down to learn more.
 In the Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order issued on March 23, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer identified outdoor spaces and Parks & Recreation employees as essential, which allowed our parks to remain open amidst closures: “Individuals may leave their home or place of residence, and travel as necessary: To engage in outdoor activity, including walking, hiking, running, cycling, or any other recreational activity consistent with remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual’s household.” Read the full EO here.
Local, state and federal officials have repeatedly emphasize the health benefits of physical activity while spending time in nature and the outdoors, especially while many are feeling anxious by the recent implications of the pandemic. Please use and enjoy our parks and open spaces, but do so responsibly and safely, whether on a beach, in a forest, on a trail or in a parking lot. Parks mustn’t be areas of congregation at this time. If it becomes evident that people continue to disregard effective social distancing while visiting the Ottawa County parks and open spaces, we will have no other choice but to close them to protect the health of our community.
Please note that all restrooms and facilities, including playgrounds, are closed and in-person programs have been cancelled. We are offering some online/virtual nature programs, check them out below!
Here are some guidelines to follow if you venture out to a park:
- Only visit parks on your own or with members of your household
- Stay 6-10’ from others who are not in your household, on trails and in parking lots; it is essential that visitors are not congregating
- If the park you normally visit is busy (lot more than half full), please considering visiting another location – you can find our full list of properties here
- Wash your hands before and after your visit
- Restrooms are not open, be sure to plan ahead
- Pack out what you pack in
As the weather warms, ticks will return. Be sure to always check for ticks on yourself, children, and pets after you visit a park, especially if you have been off-trail. We recommend keeping a lint roller in the car to roll off clothes immediately following a hike, but it does not replace a more thorough tick check upon arriving home.
Sign up for COVID-19 updates from the Ottawa County Department of Public Health
Ottawa Sands Master Plan
What does YOUR Ottawa Sands County Park look like?
Post photos to your Instagram account and describe what you like to do at the park, what could be improved at the park, or what you wish you could do at the park.
Submit your entry by following @miottawa_sands and tag us in your photo. DM us your picture and comment.
Photos will be reposted on the miOTTAWA_SANDS account to create a collective community gallery that directly influences future plans for the park.
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2020 Resident Survey
The Ottawa County Parks & Recreation Commission is preparing its five-year Parks, Recreation, & Open Space Plan that will be released in 2021. Ottawa county residents and park visitors can help build and guide this plan most effectively by participating in surveys being released by Ottawa County.
If you are an Ottawa County resident, please help improve your parks and plan for the future by taking the resident survey before May 1, 2020.
>> Take the survey
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Step it Up!
Registration for Step it Up! is now open, however the program will look a bit different than it has in the past. We are encouraging people to get outside and walk, run, and hike. It’s so good for physical and mental health, and can also help build a strong immune system!
- Step it Up! begins on April 20- get registered today!
- All fitness levels welcome
- Set goals and track your minutes of activity each week online
- Group walks are postponed… we will offer them over the summer, when it is safe to gather again
Every Monday morning of this 8-week challenge, we'll email you information to keep you motivated, reminders to track your activity, county parks to visit, physical and mental health tips, healthy eating ideas, information about incentive prizes, and more!
>> Sign up for Step it Up!
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 Bringing Nature to You
Our Nature Center is closed and programs have been cancelled for the time being, but we are doing our best to bring you some of our regularly scheduled nature programs online.
- Frog Calls of Ottawa County, Michigan
- Virtual Wood Frog Walk
- Virtual Bird Walk
- All About Woodcocks
- Virtual Woodcock Walk
- Lessons Learned from Five Seasons as a National Park Ranger
- Wildlife Encounters: The Wood Frog
You can find all of the Bringing Nature to You videos by clicking here. You can also watch them on our Facebook page. We featured a few of them below as well.
Backyard Birding
Parks Naturalist (and resident bird nerd), Curtis Dykstra, set up some of the feeders at home so he could share them with you! Tune in for updates from the feeders.
Interested in birding updates? Sign up for these special emails here.
More outdoor activity ideas are coming soon!
We are working to put together other materials and fun ideas for activities to help your children (and yourself!) stay engaged with nature during this time. We'll have an update for you on this soon!
mi EcoBUZZ Partner Videos
We are so excited to be working with Jessica Gregory, founder of mi EcoBUZZ to bring you information via video about our parks, as well as efforts in stewardship and education. The first video is live and ready for you to watch. Click here to learn about how forest thinning can help support local ecosystems, even if it seems counter intuitive.
Featured Programs
Frog Calls of Ottawa County, Michigan
Learn more about which species of frog live in Michigan and sing in the spring! This video will help you identify species by sound.
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Virtual Wood Frog Walk
Join us on a virtual walk to wood frog habitat!
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Lessons Learned from a National Park Ranger
In this program, Ottawa County Parks Naturalist and National Park Service Ranger, Kelly Morrissey, shares lessons learned from five seasons as a Park Ranger. Watch the program by clicking here.
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Virtual Bird Walk
Join us for a bird walk! A special thank you to Kestrel Imagery who created this video (as a volunteer!) for us to share with you.
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Oak Savanna Restoration at Stearns Creek Park
Sometimes conservation means removing something from the environment to make room for something else to grow. Ottawa County Parks & Recreation has partnered with mi Eco BUZZ to share more information about forest thinning and how it can improve local ecosystems. This year, we'll be removing trees at Stearns Creek Park in an effort to restore an oak savanna at the park. Learn more about the project by clicking here.
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 All About Wood Ducks
We'll be offering an All About Wood Ducks program in mid-April. Details to follow.
All About Woodpeckers
We'll be offering an All About Woodpeckers program near the end of April. Details to follow.
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