5 Great Pools and Lakes Near Ann Arbor to Swim and Cool Off This Summer

ANN ARBOR, MI – With sunny skies and temperatures reaching 80 degrees, it's quickly beach and pool season in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.

There are plenty of options, from outdoor pools to indoor swimming lessons to nearby lakes, for swimmers and those looking for water to cool off during hot weather.

Here are five places to cannonball into the water in the area.

Outdoor public swimming pools

There are several outdoor public pools in Ann Arbor for swimmers of all ages.

Some of the major ones are at Veterans Memorial Park, 2150 Jackson Road, and Fuller Park, 1519 Fuller Road. Both have slides to entertain children, as well as several lanes for swimming laps.

Buhr Park, 2751 Packard Road, also offers six lanes in its 25-meter pool, as well as lounge chairs, just like the other parks.

Admission is free for children aged 3 and under if accompanied by a paying adult. Admission costs $5 for ages 4 to 17, $6 for ages 18 and over and $5 for senior swimmers over 55.

Swimming hours are different for all three locations and can be found on the Ann Arbor Parks and Venues website.

If you would like to bring your camp group or daycare to swim, you must contact Veterans Memorial Pool in advance by calling 734-794-6235.

Goldfish Swim School and Big Blue Swim School

Need to upgrade your young swimmer? Ann Arbor has two swim schools for children as young as 3 months old.

Goldfish Swim School, 2107 W. Stadium Blvd., offers lessons starting at $31 per session. Children benefit from one 30-minute lesson per week, as well as free face painting sessions, a four-to-one student-teacher ratio and safety skills taught weekly.

The website can be accessed at goldfishswimschool.com/ann-arbor. Hours of operation are 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m. to noon, and 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Big Blue Ann Arbor, 914 W. Eisenhower Parkway, offers classes starting at $32 for children ages 3 months to 6 years. More advanced courses cost $39 per session.

Big Blue can be accessed through its website at bigblueswimschool.com. Its hours are from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday; From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

North Campus Recreation Building

University of Michigan students previously had a few on-campus pool options. With the new Central Campus Recreation Building under construction, the best option is on North Campus in its Recreation Building.

Lap swimming is available during most facility hours unless otherwise noted in the schedule here.

Swimmers can have access to kickboards, pull buoys, water joggers, goggles and swim caps. The last two can be purchased.

Whitmore Lake

Whitmore Lake is just a 15-minute drive north of Ann Arbor. Swimmers can experience an all-sport lake by accessing the public lake entrance and boat launch on North Shore Road in Green Oak Township, Livingston County.

The 667 acres of blue water attract swimmers, as well as boaters and fishermen. Water skiing is available in summer.

If you wish to take a boat on the water, a recreational passport or parking fee is required. See here for more information.

Pinckney Recreation Area

About a half hour northwest of Ann Arbor is the Pinckney Recreation Area and its various lakes.

Popular options in the area include Bruin Lake at its campground, 21237 Kaiser Road, near Gregory; Silver Lake at 2 Crooked Lake Trail near Pinckney and Halfmoon Lake off Edgewater Drive in Dexter Township.

The areas have hiking trails, as well as boating sites or just beaches to dip your toes in the water.

Park officials recommend checking Michigan.gov/DNRClosures for possible closures or calling 734-426-4913.

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