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Oakland County committee recommends 2025 parks rules update, clarifies e-bike and campground policies
Summary
The county committee recommended that the Board of Commissioners consider updated parks rules for 2025 that remove vehicle pass requirements, ban motorized e-bikes from trails, update campground reservation policies and establish a waiver process for delivered camping units.
The Legislative and County Affairs Committee on Feb. 25 voted to recommend that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners adopt an updated set of 2025 Parks and Recreation rules and regulations that clarify permitted vehicles, campground operations and related enforcement procedures.
The proposals remove a vehicle-pass requirement tied to a recently passed millage, add explicit language banning motor-driven motorcycles and electric motorcycles from park trails while allowing them on roads, and revise campground reservation operations including a new waiver process for delivery of camping units. Committee members also confirmed that several county parks will continue to sell firewood at staffed contact stations.
Dan Levy, manager of park operations, introduced the item and said staff worked with corporation counsel on the updates. Tom Hughes, chief of parks for the North District, told the committee the changes reflect recent operational issues and the millage vote. Hughes said motor-driven electric motorcycles "are not allowed" on trails and clarified: "Correct. Only on roads like any other motorcycle would be. Because they go up to, you know, 40, 50 miles an hour, and that's really unsafe on the trails within parks."
Commissioner Nelson asked about previous local speed limits on the West Bloomfield trail network and said she appreciated the "nuanced regulation" that balances accessibility and safety for e-bikes. Commissioner Lipsch asked about a waiver for camping units delivered to sites now that vehicle passes are no longer required; Levy said the county's risk-management office is creating a waiver form to be completed prior to campground opening season and that campers delivering units will stop at staffed contact stations on entry.
A county staff member confirmed that parks in Kingston, Addison and Groveland (as named in staff remarks) will continue selling firewood at staffed contact stations. Committee discussion covered wording choices in the rules document; Levy said corporation counsel reviewed language changes.
After discussion, the committee chair moved to recommend the 2025 Parks and Recreation rules and regulations to the full Board of Commissioners. The committee recorded the motion and recommended the item to the board for final consideration.
Less urgent background: changes to campground reservation policies and the removal of vehicle passes follow the countywide parks millage that eliminated the pass requirement; staff said the waiver and updated reservation standards will be implemented before the campground season opens in May.
The recommendation now goes to the full Oakland County Board of Commissioners for final action.
