Plano Magazine’s Best of 2022: Recreation ovation for Plano City Parks

Plano City Parks won Plano Magazine’s Best Outing on a Budget, a testament to how much residents love and support our city’s parks. And we aren’t the only ones who think so. 

Plano’s city parks ranked No. 1 in Texas and No. 15 in the United States this year by the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore.

The score ranks the nation’s 100 largest cities according to access, investment, acreage, amenities and equity. Plano scored highly for investment, with 100 out of 100 points, followed by acreage with 74 points, access with 65 points, equity with 57 and amenities with 45. 

Plano invests $218 per person into the parks department, which soars above the national average of $98 per person. This investment enhances property values, boosts local tourism economy, improves residents’ physical and mental health, provides recreational opportunities, and supports opportunities for economic development, according to Trust for Public Land. 

The nonprofit’s 10-Minute Walk Movement aims to ensure safe access to a quality park or green space wit

hin a 10-minute walk of anyone’s home by 2050. Hundreds of mayors have pledged to accomplish this mission, including Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiere.

“This is an important initiative, and I’m proud to support it,” LaRosiere stated in a news release.

Seventy-seven percent of Plano residents live within a 10 minute walk of a park, almost evenly distributed among ages, races and income levels. That’s up from 75% in 2019.

Plano’s parks also ranked highly due to the number of amenities that parks provide per resident. The report found that Plano has 5.2 basketball hoops and 4.7 playgrounds per 10,000 people, providing Plano residents with lots of opportunities for safe play for kids, teens and adults. 

But what is there to do in any of Plano’s 137 parks? 

Residents of all ages also enjoy the Carpenter Park Skate Park. Skaters can hang ten on one of the largest bowls in the area, ramps, rails, stair sets and ledges all along the p-shaped park. 

Canoeing at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve, an 800-acre park with trails and plenty of push-off points for kayaks, canoes and paddle boards, is another favorite for residents and visitors. The park is home to Go Ape Zip Line & Treetop Adventure, which features a 2,426-foot suspended course with zip lines, Tarzan swings and nearly 40 crossings.