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Paint Creek Trail is a former rail line that runs from downtown Rochester to Lake Orion. It\u2019s a peaceful destination for walking, running, biking, and fishing. \/\/ Photo by Kyle Stopczynski\/Adobe Stock<\/p>\nThousands of bodies of water shape the landscape of metro Detroit. Bordered by two Great Lakes \u2014 which are connected by the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair River \u2014 and peppered with hundreds of inland lakes, rapid rivers, and scenic creeks, this region boasts some of the state\u2019s best places to live and visit. Here, we dive into five different waterways and take a look at cities and towns near them that make the most of their locations.<\/p>\n
Clarkston, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Rochester, Auburn Hills, Lake Angelus, Lake Orion, Waterford<\/p>\n
Whether you crave bustling Clarkston\u2019s charming downtown and popular lakes like Deer Lake or brand-new condo living and a fun and a walkable downtown in Lake Orion, the northern part of Michigan\u2019s third-wealthiest county has something for everyone. If you prefer creek life, you\u2019ll find it along Paint Creek, which flows from Lake Orion, through Oakland Township and Rochester Hills, and into the Clinton River in Rochester.<\/p>\n
Paint Creek Trail is a former rail line that runs from downtown Rochester to Lake Orion. It\u2019s a peaceful destination for walking, running, biking, and fishing. \/\/ Photo by Kyle Stopczynski\/Adobe Stock<\/p>\n
The affluent city of Lake Angelus, with about 145 homes \u2014 some once owned by Charles Fisher and Sebastian Kresge, to name a few \u2014 surrounds the eponymous lake. George and Annie Frisch, now retired, raised their family there. \u201cAs a kid, I\u2019d go up north to Higgins Lake every summer,\u201d says George. \u201cWithout a doubt, I wanted our kids to grow up on a lake.\u201d The Frisches brought up their two children amid annual ice-skating, boat parades, reggae parties, sailboat races, and more. \u201cLiving in the Lake Angelus lake community provided a kind of camaraderie you don\u2019t often find anymore,\u201d George says. \u201cBut if you choose a quieter life, it offers a kind of peace and calm that is perfect for solitude. Best of both worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n
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An annual fireworks display takes place over Lake Orion for the Fourth of July. \/\/ Photo courtesy of Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority<\/p>\n
Professional photographer Jeff Garland and his wife, Shelley, love to paddle the Clinton River. They put their kayaks in at Clinton River Heritage Park in Utica or Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Hills and end at their Sterling Heights home. The river itself continues its eastward journey to Lake St. Clair, which connects Lake Erie to Lake Huron. \u201cThere are some easy rapids,\u201d Jeff says. \u201cThe route attracts folks from all over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Must-do: At Waterford\u2019s Dodge No. 4 State Park (on the north shore of Cass Lake), anglers, boaters, paddlers, and swimmers enjoy the splashy paradise along a mile of shoreline. Its 139 acres of land \u2014 donated to the state of Michigan by the Dodge Brothers corporation in 1922 \u2014 are \u201cgreat for birding,\u201d says resident Julie Jacobson. \u201cIt also has a big, walkable hill with great views, especially for sunsets. Most people don\u2019t realize it has an old Indian burial ground in the side of that hill, facing the sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hop on the 8.9-mile Paint Creek Trail in downtown Rochester and bike north on its crushed limestone surface along the creek. Stop at bridges, picnic areas, and footpaths and spend time exploring \u2014 you may even see some fly fishermen land a trout or two.<\/p>\n
Waterfront dining: For cocktails, Carol Kozel, of Waterford, recommends Waterside Social\u2019s deck in Lake Orion. In Clarkston, Kruse\u2019s Deer Lake Inn affords lakeside dining views. If dining on a river is more your speed, check out Kruse\u2019s Paint Creek Tavern or enjoy cocktails outdoors at the newly renovated Royal Park Hotel, which both overlook Paint Creek in Rochester.<\/p>\n
Waterfront Living in Metro Detroit<\/p>\n
A Day Trip Downriver<\/a> This story originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine<\/a>. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our\u00a0digital edition<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thousands of bodies of water shape the landscape of metro Detroit. Bordered by two Great Lakes \u2014 which…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":406761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":["post-406760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=406760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/406761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=406760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=406760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=406760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Lake St. Clair<\/a>
Huron River Waterway<\/a>
Detroit River<\/a><\/p>\n