In order to best serve the county’s open space and recreational needs, the Park System classifies its parkland into categories.

Sometimes the long term plan for a park is different from its current usage.

The parkland classification categories are as follows:

Conservation Areas – preserve and enhance valuable natural resources

Golf Courses – these recreational facilities include regulation golf courses, executive golf courses and par 3 golf courses. Portion may be used for other recreational activities or managed for conservation purposes.

Greenways -  elongated and usually continuous strips of land or water. Greenways may serve both conservation and recreation needs.  Greenways often occupy natural corridors such as streams, ridgelines and woodlands or man-made corridors such as railroad rights-of-way.

Open Lands – not intended for formal recreation use or park facilities, open lands serve to protect areas of scenic beauty or natural habitat.

Recreation Areas – provide outdoor active recreation facilities and may have indoor facilities.

Regional Parks – combine the function of recreation and conservation areas, at least 80% of park remains in a natural, undeveloped state.

Special Use Areas – serve a specific purpose or meet a specific need and include our historic sites, horticultural garden, marina, showgrounds, and scenic overlook.

Unclassified Areas –  these landholdings that have not been formally classified. Examples include pieces of future, larger parks, opportunity acquisitions or gifts whose intended function has not yet been established.