Teeple Lake Beach
White Lake, Michigan · on Teeple Lake · Highland State Recreation Area
Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Yes, see below
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Teeple Lake Beach
Teeple Lake Beach is the designated swim beach on Teeple Lake, a small kettle lake inside Highland State Recreation Area (Michigan DNR) in White Lake Township, Oakland County. It is the recreation area's primary developed place to swim, a swimming hole with a buoyed swim area, sandy beach, and an accessible beach house.
Teeple Lake sits within the forested, rolling kettle-lake terrain of the 5,900-acre Highland State Recreation Area in north Oakland County, part of the same glacial moraine landscape that includes the park's Haven Hill Natural Area and dozens of other inland lakes.
Swimming at Teeple Lake Beach
The lake is small, shallow, and reportedly warm, with a sandy designated swim area marked by buoys; water is described as generally clean and clear but noticeably cool compared to some other area lakes, with dense aquatic plant growth outside the maintained beach zone. Sources describe it as well suited to families with young children rather than a destination for serious open-water swimming.
How to get to this swimming hole
Parking: Vehicle access to the day-use area requires a Michigan Recreation Passport (per shorelinescout.com); the DNR page describes an accessible beach house in the day-use area at the lake, implying an adjacent parking/day-use lot, but no separate parking-lot description was found.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. The swim beach is drive-up, reached directly from the day-use parking area with its beach house, so no hike is required. Separately, a recreational hiking option exists nearby: the roughly 2.4-mi easy loop 'Teeple Lake via Cedar Creek Trail', consistently well-rated by hikers and described as good for kids and families, runs between the Haven Hill Gatehouse trailhead and Teeple Lake. Michigan.org's Highland-Cedar Creek Trail page describes this as a 2.75-mi, moderate-terrain trail passing Cedar Creek and Haven Hill Lake, with 'the other end of the trail... at Teeple Lake', useful for visitors who want to combine a hike with the swim stop, but not necessary to access the beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sandy, shallow, buoyed swim area within a small kettle lake is well suited to young children per multiple aggregator sources, but reports conflict on lifeguard presence (one source says seasonal lifeguard coverage, another says no lifeguard/"swim at your own risk"), there is dense aquatic weed growth outside the maintained beach zone, and one lake-data site reports a territorial resident swan. Treat as kid-friendly with adult supervision rather than a fully staffed/guarded beach.
Parking
Paid, Michigan Recreation Passport required for vehicle entry: $15/year for residents at license-plate renewal ($29 for 2 years), or $12/day (or $42/year) for non-residents/day visitors
Vehicle entry to the day-use area at Teeple Lake requires a Recreation Passport; DNR site describes an accessible beach house in the day-use area implying an adjacent lot, but no source gave lot surface/size specifics for Teeple Lake itself.
Restrooms
Yes
An accessible beach house with restrooms and a picnic shelter sits in the day-use area at the lake, per the Michigan DNR park page.
Water clarity
Mostly clear
Lake data describes the water as generally clean and clear but noticeably chilly compared to nearby lakes, with dense aquatic plant growth away from the maintained beach zone. No firsthand trip reports specific to Teeple Lake could be located in this pass.
On the water
Restrictions: Described as a small no-wake lake best suited to paddlecraft; shorelinescout.com says visitors shouldn't expect to launch a motorboat here, while outdoormichigan.org separately lists a DNR hard-surface boat launch rated for 'medium watercraft' (Recreation Passport required), likely intended for small trailered fishing boats under no-wake rules rather than high-speed motorboats or PWC.
No on-site rental/concession for kayaks or canoes was found at Teeple Lake itself; a state-park-owned lodge on a different lake within the same recreation area (Bass Lake Lodge, 700 Pettibone Lake Road) supplies kayaks/rowboat/paddles/life jackets to its overnight guests in summer, per michigan.gov, but this is not a public rental open to day visitors and is not on Teeple Lake.
Rentals nearby
Canoe and kayak rentals (also sells boats: NuCanoe, Meyers, Grumman, Trailex)
2775 Garden Rd, Milford, MI, roughly 8 miles from Teeple Lake/Highland Recreation Area. Note: this is a Huron River paddling livery, not an on-site outfitter for Teeple Lake itself; closest verified real rental business found in the area. · Mon-Fri 12pm-8pm; Sat-Sun 9am-8pm
What regulars say
As a proxy data point (not a swim-specific review), hikers who reviewed the adjacent 'Teeple Lake via Cedar Creek Trail' loop describe the area as good for kids and families, though those reviews concern the hiking loop, not the swim beach itself.
Backstory
Teeple Lake sits within Highland Recreation Area, whose Haven Hill Natural Area was originally the private estate of Ford Motor Company executive Edsel Ford before passing to the Michigan DNR after his death in 1943; this history pertains to the broader recreation area rather than Teeple Lake specifically.
Teeple Lake Beach: FAQ
Does Teeple Lake Beach charge a fee?
Michigan Recreation Passport required for entry, per shorelinescout.com and outdoormichigan.org; the DNR site refers visitors to its general state park rates/rules page rather than listing a Teeple Lake-specific fee.
Is Teeple Lake Beach kid friendly?
Sandy, shallow, buoyed swim area within a small kettle lake is well suited to young children per multiple aggregator sources, but reports conflict on lifeguard presence (one source says seasonal lifeguard coverage, another says no lifeguard/"swim at your own risk"), there is dense aquatic weed growth outside the maintained beach zone, and one lake-data site reports a territorial resident swan. Treat as kid-friendly with adult supervision rather than a fully staffed/guarded beach.
Do I need to hike to reach Teeple Lake Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Teeple Lake Beach?
Vehicle entry to the day-use area at Teeple Lake requires a Recreation Passport; DNR site describes an accessible beach house in the day-use area implying an adjacent lot, but no source gave lot surface/size specifics for Teeple Lake itself.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Teeple Lake Beach?
No on-site rental/concession for kayaks or canoes was found at Teeple Lake itself; a state-park-owned lodge on a different lake within the same recreation area (Bass Lake Lodge, 700 Pettibone Lake Road) supplies kayaks/rowboat/paddles/life jackets to its overnight guests in summer, per michigan.gov, but this is not a public rental open to day visitors and is not on Teeple Lake.
When is the best time to visit Teeple Lake Beach?
Summer for swimming and paddling; shorelinescout.com notes the lake is small and shallow enough to freeze reliably in winter, making it a local ice-fishing spot outside swim season (with variable ice conditions).
What are the rules at Teeple Lake Beach?
Sources conflict on lifeguard status: americasstateparks.org states the beach has 'seasonal lifeguard coverage,' while shorelinescout.com states 'there is no lifeguard on duty, so swim at your own risk.' A Recreation Passport is required for park entry.
What water body is Teeple Lake Beach on?
Teeple Lake Beach is on Teeple Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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