Long before Liberty Park was formed, prehistoric people camped here, drank the clean, cold springs, and hunted game. Upon European settlement, trees were cleared for farming, but maples were spared for their sweet sap.
Today a nature center sits amid 3,000 acres. The park harbors countless rare and endangered species, including Indiana bats, marsh wrens, and bald eagles. Other creatures seen here include beavers, otters, red-backed salamanders, wood frogs, gray ratsnakes, and numerous dragonflies and butterflies. Large trees exist on rock ledges and in wetlands within the conservation area, where fens and bogs are "protected" by poison sumac and swamp rose. In 2006, Liberty Park was designated as an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society. In 2020, Summit Metro Parks completed a 15-year project to restore 5 miles of stream and 100+ acres of wetlands at Pond Brook.