The Sammamish Parks and Recreation Department is readying to begin work on Big Rock Park this summer.

The city plans to install 18 parking stalls, a new entrance, natural playscapes, an accessible meadow trail system and boardwalk, with a total budget of $545,000.

The park, mostly wetlands and forested area, will be developed to emphasize its natural beauty. Eventually the city hopes to connect Big Rock Park to the Lower Commons with a trail.

Sammamish trail stewards, led by volunteer coordinator Elby Jones, were out Saturday walking the site.

“This is going to be amazing,” trail steward and lesion on the parks and recreation commission Nicky Beaty said. “I can’t wait for them to break ground.”

Play structures will include a giant nest to be created in the fall as part of a project with the arts commission; earth-mound tunnels for children to crawl through; an ADA, children’s zip line; and an embankment slide.

A berm will be constructed close to the entrance of the park, which will overlook the area — a great spot for parents to watch their children play.

“For parents, you can literally come in and turn your kids loose … and will be able to see what’s going on” Parks Director Jessi Bon said during the April 21 council meeting.

The parks department will remove four trees to make room for parking; more than 20 trees will be planted within the park.

The city created an 18-week internship program to accommodate the Redmond Tesla STEM High School’s desire to develop and implement a plan to restore an existing stream corridor; acquire an electric vehicle charging station and solar panels; to create an environmental education program for elementary school students that will focus on the ecosystem; and to develop signage.

This is part of a broader effort to involve the community in the enhancement of its park, said Kellye Hilde, parks project manager.

The city received 40 applicants from the STEM school and chose 10.

The internship began in February and focused on the design process. One week in October has been set aside to install native plants.

“The community benefits from the hard work of these really bright students, and they get to put a very impressive item on their resume as they prepare for college,” Hilde said in a press release.

The 51-acre park was donated to the city in 2011 and will open to the public in three phases.

The first site, off of Southeast 8th Street, spans across 15.9 acres and was the first portion of the park to open, in 2011. The city’s development plans will take place on this parcel.

The second site, 20.41 acres, and the last site, where the private resident Mary Pigott currently resides, will be transferred to the city in the future. Pigott, the landowner who is donating the area to the city, developed some trails and installed some signs along the path for her grandchildren.

The parks department plans to start work in July and hopes to open the park in mid-October.