Description of Parks


The Parks Commission was formally created in 1989 to implement the townships Recreation Plan. The intent of which is to foster efficient patterns of development that preserves the communities important natural features and rural character all the while accommodating growth and development.

East Bay Charter Township, through a successful Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund acquisition grant, will close on July 19, 2022 on acreage adjacent to Mt. Holiday and just east of Five Mile Road. Check out this Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy article about the project in their annual report. This will be the eighth park owned by East Bay Charter Township.


Currently East Bay Township has seven parks to enjoy:

3tn_picture_073Grace Macdonald Park may be the most well-known park. It is a 42-acre parcel located near the intersection of Peninsula Trail, Rasho and High Lake roads. Facilities include a baseball field, an all purpose field (with soccer goals and football uprights), pickle ball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, a volleyball court and horseshoe pits. It also has a pavilion area with grills and picnic tables, a sledding hill, hiking trails and to  see our 2-5 year olds play structure click here and here &  our play structure for 5-12 year olds click here and here.  Thank you to our Park Commission and all the volunteers who worked so hard on this project. 

Grace Macdonald Park is open from dawn until 10:00 pm during the sledding season. During all other seasons, the park is open from dawn until dusk.

Arbutus Lake No. 5 Park is located on E. Arbutus Lake Road. This park is a nice mixture of grass and trees with frontage on Arbutus Lake. It contains picnic tables, grills, some playground equipment and fishing pier. Arbutus Lake No. 5 Park was awarded a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant for improvements in 2020, keep an eye out for improvements in the 2022/2023 construction cycles.

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Pines Park is an 80 acres parcel located off Eikey Road. A comprehensive site plan has been completed for 20 of the 80 acres. This plan includes a baseball field, a football field, tennis courts, skating rink, paved walking trails, a playground and picnic areas.

5tn_picture_079Killingsworth Park is a 50-acre parcel located on Chandler Lake and Point View Roads. This park offers skiing and hiking trails, a pavilion with tables and a swing set for kids.

Kelly Park is a 2-acre lot that contains two storage buildings for township equipment/maintenance and a boat launch for Chandler Lake.

6tn_picture_089Gens Park is a .62-acre site on US 31 near Holiday Road, right on East Grand Traverse Bay. This park was acquired in 1994 through a successful Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund acquisition grant. Gens offers a paved parking lot, bathhouse with flush toilets, a boardwalk to the beach and a nice beach/deck area with picnic areas and grills. 

7tn_pine_grove_park_2Pine Grove Park is a two-lot parcel located in the Pine Grove subdivision. This park offers a basketball court, playground equipment, and a picnic area. This is the only township park that does not offer restroom facilities, but temporary facilities are in place from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The Park Commission meets the third Monday of each month at 6:00 pm at the township office in the south conference room. Meeting dates/times/location may be impacted by holidays or other special events. The Parks Commission, as all township boards and commissions do, finds public input valuable and encourages the public to attend.