Community & Recreation

The vision of the Parks & Recreation Department is to be a recognized leader in providing parks, facilities, and programs that increase wellness and enrich life experiences within our community. Our mission? To promote healthy and socially rewarding activities through the preservation of cultural resources and the provision of diverse high-quality parks and natural spaces.

The Department is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies for excellence in operation and service through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Accreditation provides quality assurance and improvement by providing agencies with a management system of best practices. CAPRA is the only national accreditation of park and recreation agencies and is a valuable measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management, and service to the community. To learn more about our agency accreditation, visit the NRPA website.

Established as a department in 2019, we are dedicated to meeting the needs of our rapidly expanding community. Our department comprises four divisions and manages over 600 acres of parkland, including two recreational facilities, one water park, and a nationally historic site, Warm Mineral Springs Park. We also offer numerous programs and events and provide access to over 80 miles of freshwater canals. With only 74 full-time employees, which is lower than the industry average that serves a community that now exceeds 90,000, we are able to provide a high-level of service and proudly hold national accreditation as a CAPRA agency.

• 2023 Annual Impact Report(PDF, 20MB)
• Register for a Class/Activity Online or Reserve a Pavilion

2024 National Gold Medal Finalist

We are excited to announce that North Port Parks & Recreation has been selected as a 2024 American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration National Gold Medal Award Program Finalist for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in Class III (population 75,001–150,000). This is an amazing accomplishment for our team as it is highly unusual for first time applicants to be selected as a finalist.

The Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff and elected officials. Four finalists in each class are chosen to compete for grand honors each year. 
Resources:

• Learn more about the National Gold Medal Award
• Official Press Release Announcement(PDF, 148KB)
• Gold Award Video

City of North Port Parks & Recreation Department Master Plan

The purpose of the City of North Port Parks & Recreation Master Plan is to provide the City of North Port Parks & Recreation Department with future direction regarding the City's parks, facilities, programs, and activities. The master plan identifies and organizes how specific objectives will be met and achieved. 

We invite you to review the City of North Port Parks & Recreation Master Plan.(PDF, 12MB)