By David Fleet
Editor
Groveland Twp.-On July 24 the new Holly Oaks ORV Park will open as Michigan’s latest state park.
“The weather is already getting warmer and we’re getting some calls regarding the new park,” said Melissa Prowse, Oakland County Parks, supervisor- planning & resource development. “We are all excited to get going and the final outcome will be outstanding for all involved.”
The ORV park incorporates 235 acres on property once mined for gravel. The MDNR reported in December 2014 a grant for $2.9 million was approved from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to purchase the property, however, only a portion of the grant was used so far.
Currently, about 145 acres of the 235 will be included in the first phase of the ORV park. Some of the remaining acreage is still mined by area companies.

The park will be funded through a daily entry fee of $15/vehicle. Park users will also need a DNR ORV licence and trail permit.
The park will accommodate jeeps, trucks, side-by-sides or dirt bikes. The first phase of the park will include trails with a variety of challenge elements, along with scramble areas. Other areas of the park will feature rocks, large logs, slabs of concrete and some water.
“One of the things we do in the DNR Parks and Recreation, is try to be relevant to the public,” said Ron Olson, chief of parks and recreation for the Michigan DNR. “And this is one of those opportunities to show we have diverse outdoor recreational opportunities. Locating a (park) like this near the urban core is very difficult. It took a lot of work to find the partners and the outcome is great.”
Under the agreement, the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission will operate the ORV Park, located in Groveland and Holly townships, in partnership with the MDNR.
The collaborative efforts moved forward after April 2, 2019 when the Oakland County Board of Commissioners OK’d a 20-year operating agreement, with a 10-year additional option, with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.