Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area
Park
3,232 acres36.3 mi of trail
Equestrian TrailMountain Bike TrailHiking TrailRich's Loop (Equestrian Trail)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in White Lake Township
White Lake Township has 78 miles of mapped trails, 2.3 for every square mile of land
28% of White Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 6,006 acres. 4,667 acres are parks and preserves, 150 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area (36.3 mi), Highland State Recreation Area (20.1 mi), Indian Springs Metropark (5.2 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #25 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
6,006 acres · of 33.5 sq mi of land
Trails
78 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,667 ac
150 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
61%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.2 mi
8.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,102 ft
Teeple Hill
Lakes & rivers
31
5 beaches · 29 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is White Lake Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does White Lake Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, White Lake Township is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #25 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of White Lake Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (78 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land150 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,667 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home61% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 97%
Water is 10% of White Lake Township’s area (4 of 37 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 26%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area, with 36.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Highland State Recreation Area
Park
1,623 acres20.1 mi of trail
East LoopUpper East LoopGreenTunnel Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Indian Springs Metropark
Park
649 acres5.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stanley Community Park
Park
59 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ferdinand C. Vetter Park
Park
6 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 12 parks & preserves
Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area3,232 acres · 36.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHighland State Recreation Area1,623 acres · 20.1 mi of trail
DirectionsIndian Springs Metropark649 acres · 5.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBloomer Park28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsStanley Community Park59 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJudy Hawley Park13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFerdinand C. Vetter Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBrendel Lake Park9 acres
Fisk Farm Historical Park5 acres
DirectionsCedar Island Lake Access4 acres
DirectionsPontiac Lake Access3 acres
DirectionsKelly Beach1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
6,006 conserved acres
28% of White Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: White Lake Township has 33.5 square miles of land and 3.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages White Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources4,313 ac
Private owners759 ac
Town or city673 ac
County176 ac
Other state land88 ac
State Recreation Area · 4,285 acLocal Recreation Area · 816 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 599 acPrivate Park · 160 acConservation Easement · 88 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 88 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 3,039 | Open |
| Highland State Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 1,236 | Open |
| Indian Springs Metropark Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 458 | Restricted |
| Alpine Valley Ski Area Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 310 | Restricted |
| Indian Springs Metropark Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 183 | Restricted |
| White Lake Oaks Golf Course Local Recreation Area | County | 176 | Restricted |
| Brentwood Golf and Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 160 | Restricted |
| Ivory Farms Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 145 | Open |
| Stan Pawlak Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 59 | Open |
| Northern Oakland County Girl Scouts Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 51 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
68 places to go in White Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in White Lake Township
Cedar Creek Beach
DirectionsKelly BeachIn Kelly Beach
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in White Lake Township
13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in White Lake Township
Twin Lakes Village Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 28 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in White Lake Township
11 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in White Lake Township
Teeple Hill1,102 ft elevation · In Highland State Recreation Area
DirectionsPeak 10831,083 ft elevation · In Highland State Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in White Lake Township
Lakeside Picnic AreaIn Highland State Recreation Area
DirectionsWest ShelterIn Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in White Lake Township
Equestrian & Rustic CampgroundIn Highland State Recreation Area
DirectionsHammock CampingIn Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area
DirectionsPontiac Lake Recreation Area Group CampgroundIn Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area
DirectionsPontiac Lake Recreation Area Modern CampgroundIn Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area
DirectionsYouth Group CampgroundIn Highland State Recreation Area
DirectionsTrails & water
14 named trails and 31 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.4 miHorses · 21.8 miUnpaved · 24.5 mi
Equestrian Trail11.0 mi
Mountain Bike Trail9.2 mi
East Loop2.3 mi
Hiking Trail1.8 mi
Upper East Loop1.5 mi
Rich's Loop (Equestrian Trail)0.6 mi
Old Maceday Roadbed0.5 mi
The Chute0.3 mi
Green0.3 mi
Old Orr Roadbed0.3 mi
4 more trails
Tunnel Trail
0.3 miExtra Credit
0.1 mi(Closed MTB Trail)
0.1 miCedar Creek Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Beaty LakelakeBogie LakelakeBrendel LakeCedar Island LakelakeCooley LakelakeCranberry LakelakeCrittenden LakelakeCrosby LakelakeFair LakeFoley LakelakeFoxdale LakelakeGrass LakelakeHaven Hill LakelakeHidden LakelakeLake NevaLake OnaMandon LakelakeMcwithy LakeMead LakeMud LakeOxbow LakelakePitch Haven LakePontiac LakelakeRobinson LakelakeRound LakeStison LakeSugden LakelakeTeeple LakelakeTull LakeWhite LakelakeHuron River
Biking & sports
8.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area Mountain Bike TrailBike route
10.3 miCourts & fields
10Baseball
10Basketball
8Tennis
5Beach volleyball
3Soccer
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in White Lake Township: August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in White Lake Township →
Next door
White Lake Township and its neighbors
White Lake Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Commerce Township87 miWhite Lake Township78 miHighland Township75 miWaterford Township42 miSpringfield Township32 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Lake Township | 28% | 2.3 | 150 | 61% | A |
| Springfield Township | 18% | 0.9 | 107 | 34% | A− |
| Commerce Township | 25% | 3.2 | 80 | 77% | A+ |
| Waterford Township | 8% | 1.4 | 21 | 85% | A |
| Highland Township | 20% | 2.2 | 223 | 36% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in White Lake Township
Where can I hike in White Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area, 36.3 miles; Highland State Recreation Area, 20.1 miles; Indian Springs Metropark, 5.2 miles; Bloomer Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of White Lake Township is conserved land?
28% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Michigan town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on White Lake Township’s trails?
Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area and Highland State Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in White Lake Township?
8.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: Pontiac Lake Recreation Area Mountain Bike Trail.
Is there public land near White Lake Township?
37,132 acres of parks and open public land lie inside White Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,667 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does White Lake Township have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #25 of 701 in Michigan. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from White Lake Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →