San Joaquin County Is Planning Its Parks for the Next 10 Years. Residents Still Have a Say

The parks where children play, the trails families walk together and the open spaces where neighbors gather do not simply happen.

Decisions have to be made about what gets maintained, what gets improved, what is missing and what should come next.

San Joaquin County residents have an opportunity next week to help shape some of those decisions.

The County is developing a Parks System Plan that will guide the next 10 years of its parks, open spaces, recreational opportunities and Micke Grove Zoo. Community workshops are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, and Tuesday, Aug. 18, where residents can share their ideas about what those places should offer in the years ahead.

This is about more than whether a neighborhood needs another playground or walking trail.

It is a chance to think about the kinds of shared places that will help families and communities flourish for the next decade.

The Decisions Being Made Now Could Shape Parks for Years

San Joaquin County says the Parks System Plan will guide how it maintains, improves and adds to County parks, open spaces, recreational opportunities and Micke Grove Zoo over the next 10 years.

The planning work goes beyond individual park improvements.

The County says the plan will consider recreational, environmental and maintenance needs while establishing priorities for facility improvements, future park development and possible parkland acquisitions.

Community needs are expected to help shape those priorities.

That is why participating now matters.

Residents have an opportunity to speak while the plan is still being developed, rather than waiting until the major priorities have already been decided.

There’s Still Time to Be Part of the Planning

The County launched the Parks System Plan process in January 2026 as a year-long planning effort.

The process includes assessments of community needs along with operational, zoo and financial analyses. Residents have also been invited to participate through focus groups, a community survey, pop-up events and workshops.

According to the County’s timeline, that information will help shape the vision and strategies for the park system before a draft plan is prepared and opened for public review.

An online community survey ran from April 24 through May 31 and has closed. The Aug. 17 and 18 workshops are the next opportunities currently being promoted by the County for residents to share their ideas.

For anyone who has something to say about County parks, trails, recreation, open spaces or Micke Grove Zoo, these meetings provide a chance to say it while planning is still underway.

Start With How Your Family Actually Uses Parks

You do not need to know anything about park planning to contribute something useful.

Start with your own experience.

Where does your family go when children need room to play?

Are there places where grandparents, parents and children can comfortably spend time together?

What makes you return to one park but avoid another?

Are there trails or natural areas you wish were easier to reach?

What kinds of recreation would your household actually use?

What would make a park feel safer, more useful or more welcoming to your family?

Different families will have different answers, and those needs can change over time.

A playground may matter most to a family with young children. Trails and open spaces may become part of another household’s exercise routine. Picnic areas can give extended families an affordable place to gather. Recreation areas can give teenagers somewhere constructive to spend time. Natural areas can give children opportunities to encounter plants, wildlife and the outdoors.

These are not suggestions from the County about what residents should request.

They are simply useful questions to consider before deciding what you want County planners to hear.

Parks Are Part of How Communities Live

Families do not live only inside their homes.

They live in neighborhoods and communities, too.

Children need places to move, explore and meet other children. Adults need places for recreation, rest and connection. Families need affordable places where spending time together does not always require spending money.

Public parks can provide some of those places.

San Joaquin County currently identifies nine developed regional parks and 11 developed community or neighborhood parks, along with the future South County Regional Park.

So the question facing residents is larger than what individual parks should look like.

It is what kinds of public spaces will support the way people throughout San Joaquin County actually want to live, gather, play and spend time together over the next 10 years.

Want to Have a Say? Here’s Where to Go

Residents have two opportunities next week to participate:

• Monday, Aug. 17, 6–8 p.m. — Micke Grove Memorial Auditorium
• Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6–8 p.m. — Kennedy Park Community Center

Both workshops are intended to gather residents’ ideas about the future of County parks, trails, recreation, open spaces and Micke Grove Zoo.

Before attending, consider writing down two or three things your household already values about County parks and two or three things that would make those spaces more useful to your family or neighborhood.

Then bring those experiences with you.

Residents can find current information about the planning process and workshop details through the San Joaquin County Parks & Recreation website. The department also lists its main office at 11793 N. Micke Grove Road in Lodi, telephone (209) 953-8800 and email parks@sjgov.org.

Flourishing communities are not built only inside individual homes. They are also shaped by the places people share.

For the next 10 years of San Joaquin County parks, residents still have an opportunity to help shape what those shared places become.