During Parks and Recreation Month, Huntsville has a lot to celebrate

If you stop and think about all Huntsville’s Parks & Recreation Department has to offer, well, it’s a lot to stop and think about.

The department’s reach should never fail to amaze – especially when residents may not necessarily see the big-picture view of all available amenities across the city.

“Most people would not want to drive 15 or so minutes to get to a recreation center,” Parks & Recreation Director James Gossett said. “Historically, you need to be within five to seven miles of a population you’re trying to serve.”

And that’s a mission the department strives to follow to reach residents in all parts of the city.

The sand volleyball facility at John Hunt Park has been a popular destination for NCAA tournaments.

As Parks and Recreation Month is celebrated across the nation, July offers the perfect opportunity to appreciate the elite level of Huntsville Parks & Recreation Department. Given the City’s support for the department and the dedication of its employees, it seems like it’s always Parks and Recreation Month in Huntsville. It’s just that important.

Point of pride

Whether it’s building new parks or recreation centers or maintaining the facilities scattered throughout the city, the Parks & Recreation Department strives to be a point of pride for residents and a part of the magnet attracting people to Huntsville.

“As our population grows, the number of people that are looking for activities or want to be engaged in parks and recreation grows as well,” Gossett said. “That’s the evidence for this continued expansion of different types of recreation centers in different areas of the city.”

Legacy Park outside Johnson Legacy Center has become a favorite recreational spot.

For example, the Mark Russell Recreation Center opened in 2020 to serve the growing Cove area on the east side of Huntsville. On the west side, a new recreation center is expected to open next year. And in the center of the city, plans are in the works for a recreation center at John Hunt Park near Joe Davis Stadium.

It’s not just recreation centers, either. The City is building a 9-acre urban park in south Huntsville after opening Legacy Park last year in north Huntsville.

Anticipating Apollo Park

One of the most anticipated parks is Apollo Park, a 20-acre park in MidCity District adjacent to The Orion Amphitheater. Scheduled to open in the fall, the park will feature two lagoons suitable for canoeing and kayaking.

“There will be a fitness court there very similar to what we have in Legacy Park and also in John Hunt Park,” Gossett said. “There will be some walking trails around the lagoons and there will also be some opportunities for the community to engage in different things.

“There will probably be some synergy between Parks & Recreation and Orion in that space because they are right there together. I could see some different programming coming out of that.”

The City last year also opened the world-class Get-A-Way Skate Park in John Hunt Park and refurbished the neighboring Kids Space playground that’s designed for children of all ages and abilities to enjoy.

Pickleball has become a favorite recreational sport and Parks & Recreation is building more facilities to meet demand.

The list of projects seems endless – from the 17-acre sand volleyball court that opened in 2019 to newly-approved plans to expand the Huntsville Tennis Center to facilities across the city adapting to the growing popularity of pickleball. Then there is the Huntsville Aquatics Center, which annually hosts numerous large-scale meets, and the former municipal golf course that hosts high school and NCAA cross country meets and provides a scenic walking trail framed by a mountain bike course.

Maintenance of existing facilities is also a priority, such as ongoing upgrades at Brahan Spring Park and refinishing the floors this year at Fern Bell and Cavalry Hill centers. Altogether, there are 15 recreation centers across the city.

Something for everyone

And that doesn’t begin to describe the seasonal programs available at Parks & Recreation facilities that are limited only by your imagination.

“As our community changes and continues to grow, we’ll look at what facilities do we need to meet that need,” Gossett said. “And then for us internally, what programs can we offer? We want to have things for all the people in the community.”

So during Parks and Recreation Month, Huntsville has a lot to celebrate.