Bluebell Beach is a Genesee County Parks day-use beach on the west shore of C.S. Mott Lake, the reservoir the Flint River forms behind Mott Dam in Genesee Township, just northeast of Flint. The county lists the park as Bluebell Beach & Flint River Bike Path, and its mailing address is 5500 N. Bray Road, Flint. It's a sand beach backed by lawn, picnic pavilions, a playground and the area's first splash pad, with the paved Flint River Trail running straight through the grounds.

From Flint, drive north on N. Bray Road and turn east onto the park drive at the Bluebell Beach sign. A row of free paved lots lines the drive a short walk from the sand, and Pavilions 1 and 2 have accessible parking with a paved path to the restrooms. You can also ride or walk in. The Flint River Trail connects the park with downtown Flint to the south, and a rebuilt 3/4-mile trail section with a footbridge links Bluebell Beach to Stepping Stone Falls, the spillway at Mott Dam on Branch Road.

The swim area is the open sandy shoreline in front of the playground and splash pad. This is a river-fed reservoir, not a spring lake, so expect a soft bottom once you're past the sand, water that warms up by midsummer, limited clarity and no noticeable current at the beach. The beach and splash pad are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, weather permitting. The rest of the park is open 8 a.m. to sunset all year. Admission and parking are free. There are no lifeguards, so anyone swimming does so at their own risk, and children need an adult watching them at all times.

Water quality is the main thing to check before you go. The Genesee County Health Department samples the beach during the season, and it has closed or posted the beach more than once in past summers, sometimes for only a few days. E. coli tends to rise after storms wash runoff into the lake, and the health department asks swimmers to use caution after rainfall even at beaches with no advisory posted. Dogs are not allowed on the beach or in the splash pad, and alcohol, marijuana and illegal substances are banned in all county parks, with ranger tickets of up to $100.

The splash pad is a zero-depth spray ground for kids under 48 inches, and it runs on Genesee Township city water, not water pumped from the lake. Fourteen shade kites donated by the Ruth Mott Foundation cover the patio and picnic tables beside it, and the next-door playground is Genesee County's first universally accessible one. Pavilions can be reserved through the county. For a walk, the Bluebell Beach trail is a 5/8-mile paved loop along the shore, and Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad are a short drive up the lake.