"It would be a great location for a park because J.F. Gregory is pretty much maxed out and is more of an event venue than a recreation site." City Councilman Russ Carpenter said that to Bryan County News in July 2016. He was describing 187 acres behind the Sterling Creek Plantation subdivision off Harris Trail, land the city had bought from a bank for $700,000 five years earlier.
That 2016 plan matters again this fall. Since March 26, 2026, the City of Richmond Hill has suspended swimming and kayaking in the lake at Sterling Creek Park. Bank fishing, the bike trail and the paved walking trail are still open. For a lot of families, that sounds like the park lost its main draw. But the lake was never designed to be one, and the park in use this November is close to the one the city first planned.
The 2016 plan had a fishing dock, not a beach
The steering committee that designed the park met in July 2016 and called the project a "passive park." In Richmond Hill's usage, that meant no fields or facilities for organized team sports such as baseball, softball or soccer. The long-term vision was running, mountain biking and walking trails, plus primitive camping and fishing.
Phase one was modest:
- A parking lot
- Restrooms
- A fishing dock at the small lake, which the committee called the centerpiece of the property
The committee also set a rule up front. According to the Bryan County News report, swimming would not be allowed in the lake unless it was part of an organized event such as a triathlon, and participants would have to sign liability waivers.
Other ideas were on the table too. Carpenter floated a community garden with rentable plots of about 20 by 20 feet. He also said a developer had once shown interest in building homes on the land, which he said "would have led to some real access problems." So the land became a park, and the lake became a fishing lake.
The Savannah Morning News covered the ribbon cutting on a Saturday morning in April 2017.
How a fishing lake became a summer swimming spot
Eight years later, the lake was being used very differently. When the park reopened in July 2025, WTOC's coverage listed swimming, biking and picnicking as the attractions. The station also warned swimmers and paddleboarders to watch for alligators and snakes near and in the water.
That reopening followed a closure that began May 1, 2025. When the city brought the park back on Monday, July 7, it added measures a swimming area needs and a fishing park doesn't. WTOC reported these changes:
| What changed in July 2025 | What it was for |
|---|---|
| A new electric gate | Controlling when the park opens and closes |
| Dedicated on-site staff | Enforcing existing park policies |
| Strict enforcement of no solo swimming | Keeping swimmers paired |
| Required adult supervision for anyone under 16 | Keeping children supervised |
| 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. hours, adjusted later for daylight | Setting regular operating hours |
Nearly every item on that list depends on people being there. A gate needs someone to run it, and a no-solo-swimming rule needs someone watching the water. The 2016 plan had allowed swimming only at organized events with signed waivers. The 2025 reopening put dedicated staff on site to enforce the rules.
Staffing a lake turned out to be the hard part
On March 26, 2026, the City posted a notice that put swimming and kayaking on hold. It also explained why. Here is the core of it, from the City of Richmond Hill:
"Currently, we do not have the necessary staffing to monitor the lake every day, particularly during busy weekends. Your safety is our top priority, and we cannot safely permit swimming and kayaking without proper oversight."
The notice gave a second reason that reached beyond this one park. It said the City Council was reevaluating the entire park system to understand operating costs, resource allocation and long-term sustainability. City leadership planned a two-day work session at the City Center at the end of April and said it would share next steps for Sterling Creek Park after that. The council's retreat agenda is dated April 27 and 28, 2026.
As of November 2026, the City's Sterling Creek Park page still states in bold that in-water lake activities, including swimming and kayaking, are not permitted, and that fishing from the banks is still allowed.
Here is where things stand. A lake planned for fishing, and swimmable only at waivered events, went through about a decade as a place to swim and paddle. It is now back to fishing from the banks, and the City's stated reason is that it doesn't have the staff to watch the water every day.
What's open at Sterling Creek Park this fall
Swimming season is over anyway. What the city allows now is what the park was built for. Per the City's facility page, Sterling Creek Park currently offers:
- Bank fishing on the lake
- A bike trail through the 187 acres
- A paved walking trail
- Leashed-dog walks, since pets are allowed on a leash
The posted park rules apply to every visit:
- No glass containers
- No overnight camping or parking
- No littering
- No hunting
- No firearms
- No alcohol
- Pets must be leashed
- No motorized vehicles outside designated parking areas
Primitive camping was part of the 2016 vision, but the current rules prohibit overnight camping and parking, so plan on a day visit. The hours WTOC reported for the July 2025 reopening came with a note that they would shift with daylight. The days are short in November, so check the City's facility page before an evening walk instead of counting on a summer closing time.
The 2016 reasoning also still applies to how the park fits around town. Carpenter pitched Sterling Creek as the recreation alternative to J.F. Gregory Park, which he called more of an event venue. Trails and a fishing lake on a quiet morning fit that role.
The master plan and the parks review come next
The park's future is going through a formal planning process. In October 2024, the City announced it was working with the Sterling Creek Park Steering Committee on a Sterling Creek Master Plan. It held an open house for resident input on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. at City Hall. Ahead of the July 2025 reopening, city officials told WTOC they were "actively working on a Sterling Creek Park Master Plan to bring new amenities and infrastructure to the park."
The March 2026 notice was a separate process. It tied the lake suspension to staffing and to the council's review of costs across the whole park system, and it said the next steps for Sterling Creek Park would follow that review.
Two places carry the City's official word on this:
- The City of Richmond Hill news page, where the March 2026 suspension was posted
- The Sterling Creek Park facility page, which shows the current lake rules
City Council agendas are posted through the City's Agenda Center. Parks decisions there usually show up as budget and capital items, not separate announcements.
If you live near Harris Trail or in one of the neighborhoods around Sterling Creek Plantation, a 187-acre city park nearby is part of what your home is worth, and that's true whatever the lake rules say this year. Paul Armitage follows what happens to parks like this one. Request a free home valuation, or call or text Paul for a quick, honest read on what Sterling Creek Park means for your street.
