Motz Park

St Johns, Michigan · on Hayworth Creek

Verified · 2 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: Free
SEASON: Best in summer

About Motz Park

Motz Park (officially Motz County Park) is a 42-acre Clinton County park at 4630 N. DeWitt Road in Greenbush Township, just outside St. Johns, Michigan, built around 15-acre Searles Lake. The official sand beach and designated swimming area make it a true local swimming hole, with fishing, non-motorized boating, and picnicking alongside; the park opened to the public in June 2010.

The park sits on Searles Lake in flat, rural Clinton County farmland north of Lansing, with a beachhouse, paved walkways, and a covered pavilion built around the lake's shoreline. USGS hydrography associates the site with Hayworth Creek, which appears to feed or lie adjacent to Searles Lake, though official county sources identify the swimming water body specifically as Searles Lake.

Swimming at Motz Park

Swimming takes place at a designated sand beach and swimming area on Searles Lake, a small (15-acre) county-managed lake rather than a river or creek. The county's own facility listing and local residents' recurring questions about whether "the swimming part" is open (tied to routine water-quality testing) indicate an actively used, monitored public swimming area suited to families and casual local swimmers rather than a wilderness or adventure destination.

How to get to this swimming hole

Located at 4630 N. DeWitt Road, St. Johns, MI 48879, near the corner of French Road and DeWitt Road in Greenbush Township, Clinton County, a few miles from downtown St. Johns.

Parking: Paved on-site parking lot at the main park entrance; after Labor Day when the main gate is locked, additional gravel parking lots along DeWitt Road provide access.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. No hike is needed to reach the swimming area: the beach is reached via a short paved walkway directly from the parking lot/beachhouse. Motz Park itself does not list hiking trails among its amenities (a nearby but separate facility, Clinton Lakes County Park, has hiking trails, but that is not this park).

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

Good for kids

Designated sand beach with shallow lake entry on a small (15-acre), non-motorized-only lake; ADA-accessible beach/park with a floating mobility chair available on request; county rangers are on duty during the summer season (Memorial Day-Labor Day) and the county periodically tests water quality before confirming the beach open for swimming. No lifeguards are documented, and no depth, drop-off, or current hazards were found in official sources.

Parking

Free

Paved on-site parking lot at the main entrance, free. After Labor Day when the main gate is locked for the season, two gravel lots along DeWitt Road provide off-season access to the park.

Restrooms

Yes

7 unisex restrooms inside the on-site beachhouse, near the main paved parking lot (per Clinton County facility page).

Hours

8 a.m. to dusk daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day (rangers on duty); 8 a.m. to sundown the rest of the year via the gravel DeWitt Road lots after the main gate is locked post-Labor Day.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboards

Restrictions: Non-motorized watercraft only; motorboats are prohibited on Searles Lake per the official Clinton County facility listing.

No electric-motor-specific rule or no-wake designation was documented beyond the blanket non-motorized restriction.

Backstory

Motz County Park officially opened to the public on June 12, 2010, and has been recognized in the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association's Professional Quarterly Magazine.

Motz Park: FAQ

Does Motz Park charge a fee?

Free admission; the Larry Martin Pavilion can be rented for a fee.

Is Motz Park kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Motz Park?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Motz Park?

Paved on-site parking lot at the main entrance, free. After Labor Day when the main gate is locked for the season, two gravel lots along DeWitt Road provide off-season access to the park.

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Motz Park?

No electric-motor-specific rule or no-wake designation was documented beyond the blanket non-motorized restriction.

When is the best time to visit Motz Park?

Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day), when the beach and swimming area are staffed by rangers and water quality is actively monitored.

What are the rules at Motz Park?

Open daily 8 a.m. to dusk; park rangers on duty during summer season (Memorial Day to Labor Day); after Labor Day the main entrance is locked and visitors must leave by sundown; boating limited to non-motorized craft; the county periodically tests lake water quality to confirm the beach is suitable for swimming.

What water body is Motz Park on?

Motz Park is on Hayworth Creek, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.