Mason County Recreation Planning

Spicer Group worked with the Mason County Parks and Recreation Commission to develop an updated Recreation Plan that met the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, and Greenway Plans guidelines. This Recreation Plan described the county’s existing recreation facilities, including an inventory of natural resources. This inventory documented the number of inland lakes, rivers, streams, wooded areas, and sand dunes in the county. These resources included more than 27 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 9,700 acres of inland lakes, 59,000 acres of forest in the Manistee National Forest, approximately 238 miles of rivers and streams, and 6,440 acres of protected sand dunes.

Action items for the next five years described in the Mason County Recreation Plan were based on three opportunities for community input and participation, including an open house, a community input survey, and a project website. This process led to the development of goals that focused on improvements to existing facilities, paved non-motorized pathways, disc golf courses, developing accessible park amenities, protection of open space and natural resources, and cooperation with several local units of government.