Parks and Recreation
The mission of Orange County's Parks and Recreation Division’s staff of 300 full-time employees is to maintain beautiful parks, preserve the environment and provide exceptional recreation for the well-being of our communities. Our Vision is As a team, we will take pride fulfilling the needs of our community and guests by providing the best parks, trails and recreation.
- From 1924 to 1962 seven local families donated 430 acres of land to preserve public spaces for parks that led to creating the Parks Department in 1973 and the Parks and Recreation Department in 1985 – now called the Orange County Parks and Recreation Division.
- Today, Parks and Recreation maintains nearly 15,000 acres of land, providing beautiful green spaces on which residents and visitors can enjoy the outdoors and recreational activities.
- As of April 2025 there are five neighborhood parks in various stages of development, as well as the first phase of construction in the 215-acre Horizon West Regional Park in Winter Garden.
- With the recent groundbreaking of the 3.23-mile Lake Apopka Connector Trail, which will link the West Orange Trail at Clarcona Horse Park to Magnolia Park, residents and visitors will be able to bike, run or walk the completed 42-mile path around Lake Apopka next year.