Turtle Woods County Park is a 70-acre property in Troy that became Oakland County Parks’ 20^th park in August 2026. A $2.175 million grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund provided the funding needed to purchase the property and an additional 1.67-acre residential parcel on Square Lake Road adjacent to the park.

Turtle Woods will remain a nature discovery park with very limited development. Planned improvements include a small parking lot, restrooms, trails, boardwalks and wildlife viewing areas. The goal is to keep the property as natural as possible while creating access to allow people to enjoy and learn from the land.

The park is home to several important natural areas, including a wet lakeplain prairie ecosystem and wetlands that feed into the Clinton River Watershed, as well as rare species such as Blanding’s Turtle and native plants like Wahoo and Seedbox. Preserving Turtle Woods will provide significant ecological benefits including stormwater capture, water quality, climate resilience and continued cooling and shade.

It is anticipated that Turtle Woods will open in Fall 2027.

Turtle Woods history

The Troy School District purchased the land in the 1950s as a potential site for a new high school that was never needed. Since then, visitors created informal trails and Troy schools used the property for nature education and ecology lessons.

In 2024, the Troy School District Board of Education donated half of the property’s value ($1,875,000), helping OCP secure a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant for $2,175,000. Six Rivers Land Conservancy, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to preserve and manage lands to sustain the natural assets and agricultural heritage of the northern Metro Detroit region, secured and held both properties throughout the MNRTF process. Once funding was in place and sale agreements were in order, the conservancy transferred ownership to OCP.

Next steps

Accessible trails and boardwalks will offer stunning views of rare native lakeplain species, winding wooded areas and a dynamic vernal landscape that adapts seasonally. Path topography will allow for short, relaxed walks or moderate cardio workouts.

The residential property adjacent to Turtle Woods is slated to become the park’s main entrance and parking area. Restrooms, educational components, interactive elements, wayfinding signage, boardwalks and trails are also planned. Total investment is estimated to be nearly $2.9 million.

The Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission approved the park’s concept designs at its July 15 meeting. Next steps are to bid the project for construction approval.

Trails, boardwalks and trailhead construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in spring 2027 with parking lot and restroom construction following that summer.

• Turtle Woods news release

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