Spencer Park Rochester Hills 2024

Spencer Park Rochester Hills Review, Pics and 2024 Info – Spencer Park (Thelma G. Spencer Park) on Carter Lake in Rochester Hills MI features a public beach, pavilion rental, swimming, fishing, tennis courts, ice-skating, boat rentals, nature trails, sports fields and more.

Spencer Park in Rochester Hills, MI opens its beach for the 2024 season on Saturday, May 25, 2024 (but may have limited hours in place).

Spencer Park Rochester Hills 2024 Renovation Project

Per the City of Rochester Hills –

The Spencer Park major renovation project is now under way, including improvements to amenities and updates to roadway and parking infrastructure which will increase accessibility. We ask for your patience as we undergo this change in order to provide a better recreation experience in the future.

Project Schedule
Phase I – April 29th through Mid-July: Access to outlying areas such as the soccer fields and path around the lake will be limited. Other services will continue and swimming will begin Memorial Day weekend as usual.

Phase II – Mid-July through November: Construction will move into the main park areas including the entrance to the park. Services and the park will be closed to vehicle traffic during this phase. The extent and duration of the closures will be determined closer to the date. No events or reservations in the park starting July 15th through the end of November.

Spencer Park (or Thelma G. Spencer Park) is situated on 113 acres of land off of John R. Road between Auburn and South Blvd in Rochester Hills. My family has quite a personal history with Spencer Park. I even worked there for 2 summers as a college student YEARS ago.

Spencer Park Rochester Hills Winter Offerings

• Ice skating (separate areas for hockey and open skating) (skate rental / limited supply avail)
• Ice fishing (DNR regulations apply)
• Cross-country skiing (3 miles, non-groomed trails / no equipment rentals)
• Heated shelter with fireplace
• Heated restrooms
• Table games
• Concession area
• Vending machines

Spencer Park itself reminds me of an HCMA park like Stony Creek or Metro Beach. Spencer Park has nearly all the amenities of Stony Creek only on a smaller, more intimate scale. It boasts a 38-acre spring-fed lake and beach area which is used for swimming, fishing, boat rentals (paddle and row), ice skating and ice fishing. The lake water at Spencer Park is impeccably clean and well-attended by lifeguards from Memorial Day-Labor Day weekend. Spencer Park suffered their first casualty from drowning in the summer of 2018, but it is still regarded as a safe place to swim.

The main beach house or office houses a concession stand. The Spencer Park concession stand items are priced very reasonably. A separate boathouse doubles as a rentable shelter for large gatherings and also has an attached pier for fishing. If the shelter or pavilions are booked, they offer canopy shelters (also for rent). There is a modern playscape near the beach and pavilion shelter that is well-maintained.

Spencer has sports fields (soccer), cross-country ski paths, sand volleyball and tennis courts well within walking distance of the parking lot. There is an unpaved, 1-mile trail that goes the distance around the oval-shaped lake. It’s a great way to measure your miles if you want to stay off of hard asphalt. There are a bountiful number of picnic tables at Spencer Park and there are no problems in getting one even on the busiest of days.

Spencer Park Rochester Hills hours are from 10a-dusk. Daily Spencer Park rates are – $5 per resident and $10 for non (proof of residency is based on vehicle registration). Summer holidays (Memorial Day, 4th of July, & Labor Day) and weekend admission rates are $8 for residents and $15 for non residents. Yearly passes are $35 for residents and $70 for non-residents. Offseason rates are $3 for RH residents and $5 per non-resident but I’ve found they only charge at the booth from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend and occasionally the rest of the year on busy Saturdays or when the weather is ideal for ice-skating and cross-country skiing. Spencer Park Rochester Hills is often is locked Mondays through Fridays in winter months when ice conditions are unsafe. It’s always best to call ahead.

Spencer Park Rochester Hills is maintained by the City of Rochester Hills Michigan Parks Department.

Thelma G Spencer Park on Carter Lake)
3701 John R Rd
Rochester Hills, MI
Phone – 248-656-4657

See our Oakland County Parks Tab for more Oakland County and Metro Detroit, Michigan park reviews and pics.

For pavilion shelter rental information for Spencer or Bloomer Parks click here. Click here for more info on Spencer Park Rochester Hills MI admission and rates fees.