Summit Metro Parks is committed to growing and evolving with the community, and part of that commitment includes working to develop long-range master plans and park amenities for current and future generations of visitors to enjoy. When the park district creates a park master plan, it is considered a guide for the development, utilization and management of a park and its natural, cultural and historic resources.
Developed in stages, each plan allows for public input and incorporates the following:
- Community demographics, ecological and cultural assessments
- Current and future facility and programming needs
- Local and national park and recreation trends
- Long term sustainability
- Maintenance
- Equity, inclusion and accessibility
- Community and staff feedback
Master plans also account for future projects along with development costs and the operational, maintenance, (natural and cultural) resource management, staffing and financial needs necessary for future development.
The land that is now Silver Creek Metro Park was once part of Harter Dairy Farm and made up of agricultural fields dating back to the Civil War. In the late 1800s there were mining operations on the property. The park district began acquiring land for Silver Creek Metro Park in the mid-1960s, opening the park in 1966.
Today, Silver Creek Metro Park visitors can enjoy archery, hiking trails, bridle trails, boat rentals, cross-county skiing, disc golf, fishing, picnicking, a cross-country running course and playground. Recent park improvements include the addition of Miner’s Trail, new boat docks and renovations to the Big Oak Area parking lot and restroom building.
Silver Creek Metro Park features an agricultural aesthetic as a nod to the property’s past while preserving its natural beauty for visitors to enjoy. The current master plan builds on previous improvements to further enhance the park and improve visitor comfort and accessibility with updates to the Lake House and beach area, new restrooms and shelters, a new Nature Play space, trail expansion, more boating opportunities and expanded native habitats.
Proposed improvements identified in the master plan include the following:
- Naturalizing the sand beach by restoring the natural lake edge to support fish and other aquatic habitats
- Removing the fence, adding accessible connection to the water and replacing the existing playground with a Nature Play area
- Renovating and expanding the existing Lake House to accommodate year-round programming
- Adjusting Miner’s Trail to provide a continuous and accessible loop
- Installing new restroom buildings and shelters
- Renovating existing shelters
- Creating additional boating access and enhancing boating opportunities
- Expanding overflow parking at the cross-country and disc golf course and considering connection opportunities between the park areas.
We look forward to sharing updates with the public as we near implementation for various aspects of the Silver Creek Metro Park Master Plan. For more information, visit our Project Updates page.
For more stories like this, check out Green Islands magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.