Parks & Trails
The Lake Orion Downtown Lake Orion is home to several parks and trails for residents and visitors to enjoy. We have one waterfront park, and three other downtown parks for picnics, letting children play, hosting special events, and much more. Children’s Park is home to our Lake Orion Live! concert series, as well as other live events for Christmas and Halloween. The Paint Creek and Polly Ann Trails are also located in Lake Orion and allow for those to enjoy biking, walking and running in the great outdoors!
Parks
Atwater Park
Atwater Park is a 3.14-acre neighborhood park located in the eastern portion of the Village at the corner of Perry Street and Atwater Street. This park generally is comprised of two distinct areas. The larger portion of the park is devoted to two ballfields. The two fields are situated in a square setting with the two infields opposite each other. Several bleachers and player benches are also found in this area. The baseball fields are maintained in part by the ball leagues that schedule games and practices here. The smaller section of the park, closest to AtwaterStreet, contains a mix of playgrounds and other recreation facilities.
Children’s Park
This community park comprises 1.54 acres and is located in downtown Lake Orion. In 2011, the Lake Orion DDA invested $175,000 in the park to create a new entrance, additional sidewalk, new landscaping, and terrace seating. The DDA was able to make this investment with the help of a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Paint Creek, a tributary of the Clinton River runs through the park. The park contains picnic tables, swings, playground equipment, and a gazebo. Children’s Park is home the DDA’s Annual Gazebo Concert Series that takes place throughout the summer. The gazebo can be rented for private events through the Village office.
In 2022 the Lake Orion DDA invested another $78,400 for brand new playground equipment. The DDA along with Orion Township Parks & Rec hosted a community build day to assemble the new playscape.
Green’s Park
Downtown Lake Orion’s Only Park on the Water
Green’s Park is a highly visible community park located off of M-24. Home to the Dragon on the Lake Dragon Boat races, this 2-acre park is the Village’s only park on Lake Orion, with about 560 feet of frontage. The use of Green’s Park is mostly restricted those who purchase a Park Pass from the Village Office although there are times throughout the year that a park pass is not required. The entrance to Green’s Park features two structures, a restroom facility, and a concession/storage facility. Within the main park area, facilities include a basketball hoop, playground area, swings, picnic tables, water fountains, grills, benches, and bike racks. The DDA financed a $250,000 lighting and fencing project along M-24, including the area in front of Green’s Park. The M-24 project was completed in 2009.
In 2022 Orion Township Parks & Recreation was awarded the T-Mobile grant toward a new playscape. They hosted a community build day to assemble the new equipment.
Meek’s Park
Meek’s Park is a 1.62-acre community park located along the Paint Creek, in the eastern portion of the Village. Meek’s Park is a linear park with approximately 600 feet along the banks of Paint Creek. The park is accessed by a variety of methods. There are walkways leading to Meek’s Park from Glenn Street (east side), Broadway Street (west side), a pedestrian bridge from Washington Street (north side), and a pedestrian bridge from the Orion Art Center. Residents enjoy the opportunity to walk through this natural area, to stop and watch the ducks in the Creek, or simply to sit and visit with friends. The Park is used by people of all ages.
Trails
Paint Creek Trail
The Paint Creek Trail was the first Rail-to-Trail in the State of Michigan, as it was converted to a trail from the former Penn Central Railroad. The trail is an 8.9-mile linear park, that opened to the public in 1983. The non-motorized trail is 8 feet wide and receives over 100,000 visitors annually. The Paint Creek Trail was extended in 2018. The trail runs from Rochester to Lake Orion. http://www.paintcreektrail.org/
Polly Ann Trail
The Polly Ann Trail is a 14.2 mile long, non-motorized trail that connects the communities of Orion Township, Oxford Township, the Village of Oxford, Addison Township, and the Village of Leonard. Our popular linear park utilizes the abandoned P.O. & N. railroad corridor and transverses through some of the most beautiful untouched landscape in northern Oakland County. The trail surface is crushed aggregate and some asphalt surface in densely populated areas. http://www.pollyanntrailway.org/