Waterford: Parks, Nature and History

Waterford brings together parks, nature viewing and local history. Several of the sites described here are located in the Charter Township of Waterford. They offer different experiences: Waterford Oaks combines trails with sports facilities, the Drayton Plains Nature Center focuses on habitats and wildlife viewing, and Waterford Historic Village presents local history. For your stay, you can start by choosing the recreational activities that interest you.

Parks and sports in the Charter Township

Waterford Oaks is a 199-acre Oakland County park in the Charter Township of Waterford. It has more than three miles of hiking trails and the Waterford Oaks Bicycle Motocross (BMX) Track. Other amenities include two platform tennis courts, pickleball courts open year-round, sand volleyball courts and outdoor fitness equipment. In winter, families can also enjoy a sledding hill. The park brings together trail activities and a BMX track alongside a variety of sports facilities. If you are planning an event, Lookout Lodge, the Waterford Oaks Event Center and picnic shelters are available to rent.

Hess-Hathaway Park offers a different mix of activities. The grounds include an animal exhibit area, the All Kids Playground, two pavilions, a gazebo, a community building and restrooms. There are also two sand volleyball courts, a gaga ball pit, horseshoe pits, a softball field, a community garden and scenic trails. Guided animal visits and tours are available by advance appointment only; the same applies to hayrides. Groups of children must have one chaperone for every ten children. Chaperones pay the per-person rate.

Nature trails and wildlife viewing

Drayton Plains Nature Center features a nature center with natural history interpretation, trails, and opportunities for wildlife and bird viewing. Its habitats include shoreline areas and prairies, and there is also a picnic shelter with two grills. The trails are about four miles long and pass through a variety of Michigan habitats, including a white pine forest, a woodland prairie and a southern wet meadow. More than 196 species have been recorded at the Nature Center. These include the regionally unusual Northern Shoveler, Philadelphia Vireo and Northern Harrier. Unlike Waterford Oaks, the focus here is on habitats and wildlife viewing alongside the trails, while Waterford Oaks also has BMX and sports facilities.

Local history and planning your visit

The history of Hess-Hathaway Park began with Lone Cedar Farm: Myrtle Hess, the farm’s owner, bequeathed the property to the Charter Township of Waterford in 1985. Today, it is Hess-Hathaway Park. Waterford Historic Village presents Waterford’s history through original buildings, accurate reproductions and depictions of what buildings would have looked like in the early 1900s. The tour of the Village is self-guided.

Waterford Historic Village is open every year from May through September, Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the current season’s information before your visit. Together with the animal visits and hayrides at Hess-Hathaway Park, which are available by appointment only, these sites have different planning requirements: for one, the day of the week matters; for the other, you need to make arrangements in advance. These differences can help you fit cultural and recreational activities into your stay.

For the broader travel overview: Oakland.