Oakland County Parks and Rec keeps a full schedule in winter months

OAKLAND COUNTY — The holiday season is over, but Oakland County Parks and Recreation is still offering a full schedule of events and activities for metro Detroiters this winter.

Not only are there a handful of planned events for residents to attend over the next two months, there are also parks, lakes and trails that are open for anyone to enjoy.

“I’m a parks and rec nerd. I love being out here,” Parks Supervisor Jeremy Brown said. “I love the fact that we’re able to provide these recreational opportunities for people.”

Brown is a certified parks and recreation professional and is the supervisor of Independence Oaks County Park and Orion Oaks County Park. 

There are sledding hills, hiking trails, ice fishing spots, snowshoeing trails and cross country skiing trails all locally available.

“At Independence Oaks we have groomed cross-country skiing trails — 10 miles’ worth,” Brown said. “We also have a cross-country ski program that’s a two-hour program where somebody can come out and get their skis, poles and boots, and some instruction. Then they use the skis for a couple hours.”

Ice fishing has always been a staple in Michigan, but it has become more popular in Oakland County in recent years. There are plenty of lakes where you can ice fish, weather permitting. The lakes contain pike, bass, sunfish, bluegill and more.

“Some people may not know it … but we have Upper Bushman Lake and that is the only designated catch-and-release lake in southeastern Michigan,” Brown said. “We bought the property … and the DNR did a creel census and found that the hatchery and size were larger than average. That’s why it’s that way.”

One of the many upcoming events planned in the county is Fireworks and Flannels, where residents will run a 5K on Feb. 13 and bundle up to watch fireworks on Feb. 14 at Waterford Oaks County Park.

“There will be food trucks, games, activities and they even roll up with a beer tent and music,” Brown said. “It’s cool. They finish it off with a fireworks display.”

If you’re looking for activities to do indoors in the winter, Oakland County Parks and Recreation offers plenty of opportunities as well. One of the big draws in the cold months is the nature centers around the county, such as Wint, Red Oaks and Johnson nature centers.

“I’m really proud of the schedule that my staff was able to put together, because it does have something for everyone,” said Mary Blumka, recreation program supervisor for nature education at Oakland County Parks. “I think a lot of people think the nature centers are geared towards little kids, and we have tons of stuff for families with young children, but we also offer a series of wellness programs that are geared towards adults.”

Wellness in the Woods is one of the more popular adult-centered activities. It usually involves crafts for participants and a chance to relax in nature.

Of course, there are still plenty of activities for children and families to attend. Nature at Night is an event that Wint (at Independence Oaks) and Red Oaks nature centers both offer, which allows participants to be guided by a naturalist after the park closes for the evening. There are also monthly programs made for children who are homeschooled, which gives the families a chance to be hands-on with nature.

One of the most popular programs is the Early Childhood Hour Out program. ECHO takes place at Wint Nature Center every Thursday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and is free for Oakland County residents.

“It’s a caregiver-guided activity … with tea, coffee and snacks for the adults,” Blumka said. “It’s for anyone who is caregiving for young children… They get to see other adults while the kids have a good time. I’ve seen as many as 37 people attend that program.”

Other activities this winter include Winter Foods for Hungry Lil’ Dudes on Feb. 22 at Wint Nature Center, Ice Age Giants on Jan. 24 at Red Oaks Nature Center, Snowshoes and Stamps on Feb. 21 at Red Oaks Nature Center and Maple (syrup) Magic on Feb. 28 at Red Oaks Nature Center, among many others. Let’s Be a Geologist Minicamp is also open to children on March 7 at Independence Oaks County Park.

The county is doing work all year to make sure that the residents in the area have places to go and events to attend even when the weather gets frigid. Using these resources will not only benefit you, but the community as a whole.

“There’s a healing aspect to it. I think the more you can get out and feel that, the better off mentally and physically you’re going to be,” Brown said. “All you have to do is come out and look and you’re going to find so many different things to do.”

The cost per person for these programs, except ECHO, ranges from $5 to $15 per person. For more information on cost, registration and scheduling, go to oakgov.com.