Pontiac Lake Recreation Area

Pontiac Lake is a 3,700-acre park located in Oakland County. The park features hiking, biking, equestrian trails, camping and more. The park is home to the longest beach in southeast Michigan at just over a 1/2 mile.

Activities:

Boat Rental: Kayak rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All rentals are delivered to and picked up at the boat launch. Single kayaks are available for $15 per hour or $40 per day. Contact the park for more information.

Cross-Country Skiing: The trails are not groomed, but the equestrian and hiking trails are open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Equestrian: The park offers 17 miles of equestrian trails, rustic equestrian camping, horse rentals and the Blazing Trails horse stable. Thank you to Pontiac Lake Horseman's Association for helping to manage the equestrian trails.

Fishing: Pontiac Lake offers excellent fishing for bass, pike and panfish. Two universally accessible fishing piers are located near the beach in the day-use area.

Hiking: A nearly 2-mile hiking trail runs from the campground to the beach in the day-use area.The trail is not suitable for strollers or bikes.

Hunting: Rabbits, squirrel, grouse, woodcock, ducks, turkey, geese, raccoon and deer may be hunted during their respective seasons. This same habitat attracts a number of different birds and is an excellent area for birding.

Mountain Biking: The 11-mile mountain bike trail has been ranked as one of the "Top 100 Trails" in the United States. The mountain bike trails are considered some of the most technical trails in southeast Michigan.

Paddlesports: There are plenty of opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding and canoeing on the all-sports lake.

Snowmobiling: The park is open to snowmobiling and is treated like a scramble area because there are no designated snowmobile trails. Four inches of snow is required to snowmobile. The area is posted open to snowmoibliing at the front entrance of the park.

Swimming: There is a designated swim area located in the day-use area.The beach is a brief walk from the parking lot, sidewalks are available.

Campgrounds

Pontiac Lake-Equestrian
Pontiac Lake-Modern

Trails

Pontiac Lake-Equestrian
Trail Length: 17.00 (Miles)

Pontiac Lake-Hiking Trail
Trail Length: 1.90 (Miles)

Pontiac Lake-Mountain Bike Trail
Trail Length: 11.00 (Miles)

Facilities

Beach: Located in the day-use area, the beach is the longest beach in southeast Michigan at just over a 1/2 mile long. It is located 2 miles from the modern campground.

Equestrian Camping: The rustic Pontiac-Equestrian equestrian campground offers 25 sites.

Picnic Area: The expansive picnic area offers four shelters for rent that include picnic tables and grills. A baseball field, a playground and a fenced off-leash dog area is located nearby. The beach is not directly located next to the parking lot, but sidewalks provide access to the beach. Wagons are recommended for bringing in picnic supplies.

Playground: The playground, located in the picnic area, includes slides and swings.