Lake St. Clair Metropark/Metro Beach Metropark is a 770-

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

unit of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks system located roughly 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

in Harrison Township, Macomb County. Lake St. Clair Metropark has been in existence since 1950 and has seen many changes since then. Originally named St. Clair Metropolitan Beach, it was renamed in 1953 to Metropolitan Beach Metropark and later shortened to Metro Beach Metropark. On December 8, 2011, the Board of Commissioners for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks approved changing the name to Lake St. Clair Metropark. The park is located at Jefferson Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway (16 Mile Road) and there are signs to Lake St. Clair Metropark on

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

(I-94). Due to sewage overflows, Metro Beach has seen occasional closures caused by high ''E. coli'' content in the water. The beach was closed for nine days in 2009 for this reason.

Activities

The main attractions at Lake St. Clair Metropark are the 1,000 foot-long Metro Beach, which still retains the old name, on

Lake St. Clair Lake St. Clair () is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day they first saw the lake. ...

, the marinas and boat launches, an Olympic-sized pool with two

water slides A water slide (also referred to as a flume, water chute, or hydroslide) is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at swimming pools or water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size. So ...

and inflatable obstacle course, the "Squirt Zone" where kids can play with equipment that shoots water, an 18-hole Par 3 golf course and miniature golf course, the fitness trails, and the Nature Study Area/Nature Center where 275 species of birds have been recorded. A paved, one mile shoreline trail follows the Lake St. Clair shoreline in the park.109 Metro Beach Metropark
, Michigan DNR Ice-fishing, cross-country skiing on groomed trails, and ice skating are some of the winter activities Metro Beach has to offer.

Miscellaneous trivia

*The point that extends into Lake St. Clair was originally an island. *On a clear day, the Nine Mile Tower in St. Clair Shores and the

Renaissance Center The Renaissance Center, commonly known as the RenCen, is a complex of seven connected skyscrapers in downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the Detroit International Riverfront, the RenCen is owned and used by General Motors ...

in Detroit are visible over Lake St. Clair. *Despite being in a suburban area, there are deer that live within Lake St. Clair Metropark like many other areas in

Metro Detroit Metro Detroit is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and over 200 municipalities in the Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the officia ...

. *Detroit radio station,

WCSX WCSX (94.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Birmingham, Michigan, and serving Metro Detroit. It broadcasts a classic rock radio format and is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group. The studios and transmitter are on Radio Plaza i ...

, recorded a parody of the song Kokomo in the late 1990s making fun of the notorious filthiness of the lake of the time.

References

External links

Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Lake St. Clair Metropark web site
including
detailed park map
{{Metro Detroit Huron–Clinton Metroparks Lake St. Clair Parks in Michigan Protected areas of Macomb County, Michigan Beaches of Michigan Coastal resorts in Michigan Landmarks in Michigan Nature centers in Michigan