Oakland Township, Michigan

Bear Creek Nature Park was the first acquisition of the Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission. It has since become the flagship facility of the Oakland Township Park system.

During a two-day visioning workshop led by the Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio, Oakland Township residents identified Bear Creek Nature Park as the most appropriate park for additional recreation development. With a centralized location and interesting ecology, Bear Creek was uniquely positioned for additional recreation programming and development. JHLE carefully studied this beautiful landscape to develop a conceptual plan that balanced a variety of active and passive recreational uses, while minimizing impacts to the natural features on site. The park includes an active zone with a new parking lot, athletic fields, and restrooms; a transition zone with a playground, picnic area, and council ring; and a passive zone, featuring hiking trails, boardwalks, and overlooks. JHLE was responsible for construction documents, construction observation, and administration to ensure the design was built as originally intended.