If you’re looking for a great way to get outdoors this summer, look no further than your own backyard. Centerville-Washington Park District (CWPD) offers 51 parks encompassing 1,000 acres, with options available for kids, pets, and adults. Each park offers its own amenities and activities.
The park district includes eight community parks, nine nature parks, and 34 neighborhood parks, all geared to different interests and activities. For example, Activity Center Park offers a sprayground for kids (and maybe a few adults) to play in the water and cool off. Oak Creek South Park includes a skate park with challenges for skateboarders. Oak Grove Park includes a fishing pond, an archery range, and a dog park. All community parks also have picnic areas and shelters and are home to special events and athletic leagues.
Nature parks are minimally developed and offer a variety of natural areas (like forests, wetlands, and meadows) that serve as homes for indigenous wildlife. These parks allow the community to learn more about the environment and the conditions that the original inhabitants of the area may have encountered.
Kristen Marks, executive director of CWPD, says that she is proud of the way the park district has adapted to the changing needs of the people of Centerville and Washington Township. An increase in community interest in hiking has led to all of the community parks having hiking and multi-use trails. “Every few years, we do a needs assessment and survey,” she explains. In the last survey, community members indicated that they wanted more shade, so CWPD is adding additional shelters and planting trees to increase the number of cool oases.
Accessibility is another issue that is important to CWPD. It has a transition plan to make sure facilities and amenities are accessible to all community members, and it is working on making this a reality.
All told, Kristen is proud of the diversity of facilities and experiences available at the wide variety of parks in Centerville and Washington Township. “There’s something for everyone,” she says.
Centerville-Washington Park District
CWPD.org/Parks