Grand Traverse County parks span 1,600 acres, 20 miles of trails

Grand Traverse County’s park system is bigger than a patchwork of picnic stops. It covers more than 1,600 acres and about 20 miles of trails across nine park properties, giving the county a public network that reaches river corridors, trailheads, natural areas, beaches and event spaces.

A countywide system built for more than passive recreation

The Parks and Recreation Department says its mission is to “enhance community and quality of life through people, parks and programs.” That language matters because it describes a system built for everyday use, not just land preservation. The county’s own materials make the same point another way: facilities are available for “nearly every type of event or activity.”

That breadth shows up in the reservation system. Grand Traverse County lists reservable facilities at Civic Center, Power Island, Medalie Park, Vasa Trailhead and Meadows Pavilion at the Natural Education Reserve. Some reservations require approval, and the county uses CivicRec, an online reservation platform, to handle requests, visibility, registration and online payment options. A family picnic, trail event, wedding or community gathering may all move through the same county system even when the setting looks completely different.

The county also publishes staff photos and bios, a history page, plans and goals, current and planned projects, and statistics. That is a sign of a parks department that is managing a public asset in the open, not just maintaining green space behind the scenes.

Where the parks fit into daily life

A few park names explain how the system works on the ground. Beitner Park sits along the Boardman-Ottaway River, which gives the county river-adjacent open space that is useful for short outings and scenic access. Maple Bay Park & Natural Area points in a different direction, toward a more naturalized setting where the land itself is the main attraction.

County park materials identify the Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve as 505 acres and about three miles from downtown Traverse City. That size and location make it one of the county’s clearest anchor sites, especially for residents looking for a larger public landscape without leaving the immediate Traverse City area. It also helps explain why Meadows Pavilion there appears on the reservations list, since the reserve serves both natural-area use and organized gatherings.

Camp Greilick is another property changing the map. A 2025 report said it consists of 196 acres and was being prepared to open to the public as a park. In January 2024, county commissioners directed staff to explore possible acquisition of the 200-acre Camp Greilick/GO-REC property, showing that the county still sees room to expand its public land base.

How the county’s parks grew over time

The current system has deep roots in county history. The Park History page says Grand Traverse County took ownership of the Fairgrounds property from Howard and Isabelle Whiting in 1912. It also says Judge Parm Gilbert donated 73 acres to the county in 1941, a key addition to the land base that helped shape the modern parks system.

That mix of inherited property and donated acreage helps explain why the county’s parks include both legacy sites and newer recreational uses. The Fairgrounds property remains part of the county’s story, while later additions broadened the system into a countywide network rather than a single central park.

The county is still investing in the system

The parks department’s improvement page says its mission is served by delivering “an outstanding park experience consisting of beautiful facilities and well-maintained and accessible infrastructure.” Current projects listed there include Civic Center campus-wide updates and Camp Greilick-related work, which indicates that the county is still building out its core sites while preparing for future park use.

That planning approach became more formal in January 2024, when county commissioners approved a new five-year Parks and Recreation plan. Around the same time, commissioners asked staff to explore acquisition of the Camp Greilick/GO-REC property, tying long-range planning to a specific piece of land rather than leaving growth abstract.

The county also moved to modernize the way residents use its facilities. In a Dec. 21, 2022 press release, Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation said it had partnered with CivicPlus to implement CivicRec recreation management software. The rollout was described as giving residents greater visibility and registration for community facilities, along with online payment options.

A network shaped by partners as well as parks

The parks system also reaches beyond county staff. The Park Partners page lists outside partners including American Legion Baseball and Bayfront Scooters, showing that the properties support both organized sports and other forms of public recreation. That matters in a county where one park may host a trailhead, another may host a ball program and another may serve a formal event venue.

Taken together, the county’s 1,600 acres and 20 miles of trails function less like a scattered set of amenities and more like a public land system with multiple jobs. It is a place to walk, gather, reserve, organize and expand, and the county is still adding to it.