Oakland County Parks, Bloomfield Hills Schools and MSU Extension are building on Bloomfield Hills Schools’ decades-long tradition of innovative environmental and nature-based education and Oakland County Parks’ long history of recreation programming and community service with Bloomfield Oaks - Johnson Nature Center. This 30-year partnership ensures that the values of hands-on learning, healthy living and community connection continue to grow, making Bloomfield Oaks - Johnson Nature Center a premier destination for eager learners and nature lovers of all ages.

Under the operating agreement, ownership remains with Bloomfield Hills Schools while staffing authority and day-to-day management responsibility transferred to Oakland County Parks. A capital commitment from Bloomfield Hills Schools included $1.5 million toward stabilization of existing conditions at Discovery Oaks - Bowers Farm prior to OCP assuming operations and a capital commitment from Oakland County Parks includes not less than $1.5 million toward public access and recreation improvements across both Discovery Oaks - Bowers School Farm and Bloomfield Oaks - Johnson Nature Center, to be expended within two years of full transition.

Legal and fiscal transition of Bloomfield Oaks - Johnson Nature Center occurred on July 1, 2026. Full operational transition will happen on Oct. 1, 2026. The Park Action Plan will be reviewed every five years and the Capital Improvement Plan reviewed every four years.

• Partnership FAQs
• Bloomfield Oaks - Johnson Nature Center news release

Additional Information

Situated on 40 scenic acres, Bloomfield Oaks - Johnson Nature Center is home to a variety of natural features that offer a full slate of learning opportunities and meaningful ways to connect with nature. Much of its stately terrain was shaped by prehistoric melting glaciers and left untouched by time. A tributary of the Rouge River flows through the park-like setting, where stands of pine, hardwoods and a sugar bush as well as many native plants and wildflowers dot the landscape. A four-acre, inland pond is home to an assortment of fish and a popular resting spot for turtles and frogs.

The site also includes nearly two miles of trails that are abundant with wildlife, including: Red fox, coyote, deer and mink. Wildlife enclosures house orphaned deer as well as injured falcons and owls that can be observed up close.

Signature events draw regional audiences throughout the year. Maple sugaring season invites guests to tour the sugar shack, tap a sugar maple tree, explore the history of sugaring and taste one of nature’s sweetest treats. In the spring, a whimsical woodland path is sprinkled with fairy houses and gnome homes for a magical experience through a fantasy world set in the woods. Camps provide outdoor discovery-based programming for children featuring nature hikes, shelter building, tracking and environmental science activities

The nature center also includes a Visitor Center, outdoor amphitheater and an 1800s homestead with log cabins.

The site is a local gem within the population-dense central corridor of Oakland County just down the road from Bloomfield High High School. It supports Oakland County Parks’ Mission 26 goal of expanding outdoor learning and stewardship opportunities.

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