Pickerel Lake
Dexter, Michigan
| Address: | Potawatomi Trail, Dexter Township, MI, USA |
| GPS: |
42°24'35.3"N 83°58'58.0"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Michigan |
Swim
This from a visitor:” It is now official, a great "official swimming hole", very deep and spring fed. We fought with the DNR for years to keep it a swimming, canoeing primitive lake we had about 400 people come to DNR public meetings...You could drink the water. Most of the day you can just float out and enjoy the Herons, Sand Hill Cranes and other wildlife. There is a small sandy beach that is packed with families and hippies mostly on the weekends, a lot of regulars. No facilities but parking for twenty. No houses on the banks totally surrounded by conifers. Just a little piece of Eden. When friends come to visit from elsewhere they always ask for a visit. Because there are a lot of hippies there are also a lot of unleashed dogs which have caused problems with young kids but everyone really looks out for each other and usually all problems are resolved."Courtesy of swimmingholes.org
You can have a motorized boat on Pickerel Lake but you have to launch from Crooked Lake.
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Dexter, Michigan
- Head southwest on Broad St toward Main St (52 ft)
- Turn right onto Main St (0.2 mi)
- Continue onto Island Lake Rd (3.0 mi)
- Turn right onto Dexter Townhall Rd (2.9 mi)
- Turn left onto N Territorial Rd (1.6 mi)
- Turn right onto Hankerd Rd (1.2 mi)
From Ann Arbor, take RT 23 north about 4.3 mi then take exit 49 for Territorial Rd and turn west (left) on N Territorial Rd and go 12.2 mi then turn north (right) at Hankerd Rd. into the Pinckney State Rec. Area. Pickerel lake is to the east of Hankerd Rd. No better directions to lake.Courtesy of swimmingholes.org
Other Swimming Holes Nearby
Portage Lake Beach
Grass Lake
13.9 miles SWThe day-use swimming beach on Big Portage Lake in Waterloo Recreation Area, Michigan's largest Lower Peninsula state park. A state Recreation Passport is required for vehicles.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Spring Mill Pond Beach
Brighton
14.3 miles EA buoyed swim beach on small, spring-fed Spring Mill Pond inside Island Lake Recreation Area near Brighton, with cooler, clearer water than the park's river lakes. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required.
Hike, Swim
Mercer Beach
Walled Lake
26.8 miles EFree City of Walled Lake beach with about 200 feet of sand on the north shore of Walled Lake, at the edge of downtown. Buoyed swim area, no lifeguard, seasonal restrooms, playground, no pets.
Swim
Van Buren Park Beach
Belleville
27.1 miles SEThe only public swim beach on Belleville Lake, a small sand beach and sandbar inside Van Buren Township's 101-acre Van Buren Park. Vehicle entry is $8 a day for non-residents ($6 residents); no lifeguards are listed.
Hike, Swim
Linden County Park
Linden
29.0 miles NClover Beach at Genesee County's Linden County Park is a free, unguarded swim beach on Byram Lake just south of Linden, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Hike, Swim
Park Lake Beach
Bath
35.1 miles NWSmall free township beach on the north shore of Park Lake in Bath Township, Michigan, with a defined swim area, pavilion and fishing dock next to the Park Lake Creamery. Check for E. coli advisories before swimming.
Swim
Bluebell Beach
Flint
49.8 miles NFree Genesee County Parks sand beach on C.S. Mott Lake just northeast of Flint, open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer, with a splash pad, pavilions and the Flint River Trail. No lifeguards.
Hike, Swim
