While citizens have been making the most of them for a few weeks, the City made it official Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating major improvements at Milton City Park and Preserve.

This project significantly expands the portion of the golf course-turned-nature preserve that people can enjoy, in addition to fostering an environment in which native plants and wildlife can thrive. The specific upgrades include:

• Essentially doubling the length of the trail to 2.5 miles and making it into a loop, so you can do the whole thing without having to retrace your steps
• To make that loop possible, adding asphalt trail along Dinsmore Road from where the natural trail meets it to the Milton City Park and Preserve parking lot
• Connecting the two existing ponds through a creek running between them
• Building a pier with a pavilion over the water, a great spot for fishing or relaxing in the shade
• Constructing boardwalks to allow visitors to stay dry while traversing water features
• Planting dozens of native trees and shrubs, with wildflowers set to go in the ground this spring
• Making numerous water quality and stormwater improvements, such as bioswales and weirs, as part of the transformation of this property from its previous golf course use
• Taking concrete measures to nurture plant and animal habitats

The City acquired 137 acres of what had been the Milton Country Club in February 2018. This represented the first purchase using the voter-approved, $25 million greenspace bond fund aimed at protecting properties from development so they can be nature preserves or conversation land. Some 130 acres, including terrain covered in this latest project, were set aside as greenspace; the remaining 7 acres encompasses the “active” section of Milton City Park and Preserve, featuring the City Pool, tennis courts, and Community Center. (For more about this property, visit https://www.miltonga.gov/residents/milton-city-park-and-preserve/.)

In April 2022, Milton opened the renovated Community Center (which had been the golf course’s clubhouse) and the first part of the trail, which was 1.25 miles. Still, the park’s Master Plan called for more work to further revamp this unique property. That’s what the City and its contractor, Tri Scapes, have been working on for several months, funded in part by a $1.5 million grant through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Dozens involved in the project – include those who designed the park upgrades, those who implemented those designs by building out the park, and those who will manage the facility going forward – joined Mayor Peyton Jamison, Councilmembers Phil Cranmer, Jan Jacobus, and Juliette Johnson, as well as City staff, at Wednesday’s event.

Jamison talked about how the improvements exemplify what voters envisioned when they overwhelmingly approved the greenspace bond – protecting properties from development while making them places where people can enjoy nature.

To that point, McKlveen noted that – rather than a facility strictly for golfers – Milton City Park and Preserve further enhances Milton’s high quality of life by giving residents a safe, accessible picturesque place to walk, ride bikes, interact with nature, and generally take in the outdoors.

“We’ve taken land that was once limited in use and opened it up to the entire community,” said McKlveen. “Rather than a space designed for one activity, it’s now … for everyone.”

Even more improvements to Milton City Park and Preserve are coming soon. At the end of summer, work will begin in reconfiguring the facility’s parking lot, enhancing lighting there, adding a playground, and transforming the tennis complex with six courts (up from the four there currently) and other features.

Located at 1785 Dinsmore Road, Milton City Park and Preserve is open from dawn to dusk. Please stop by, go for a walk or run, and explore!