Oakland Charter Township

Wide-open Oakland County with serious park access.

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About Oakland Charter Township

A rural-feeling township with the parks and schools to match.

Oakland Charter Township covers a stretch of northern Oakland County between Rochester and Lake Orion. The character is more rural than the closer-in Detroit suburbs, with subdivisions that are larger lot, surrounded by woods, and threaded with parks and trails.

The outdoor inventory is unusually deep. Bald Mountain Recreation Area covers 4,600 acres of rolling terrain, inland lakes, trout streams, and 15 miles of marked hiking trails. The Paint Creek Trail (Michigan's first rail-to-trail) runs through the township for several miles, and Lost Lake Nature Park, Cranberry Lake Park, and Bear Creek Nature Park add smaller-scale options.

Most of the township feeds into Rochester Community Schools, the same top-5% Michigan district that serves Rochester and most of Rochester Hills.

Oakland Charter Township, Michigan neighborhood

Lifestyle

What life looks like here.

Dining & Shopping

Rural by design, with most dining done in nearby Rochester or Lake Orion. The township's character is intentionally quieter, residential, and outdoors-focused.

Parks & Outdoors

Bald Mountain Recreation Area (4,600 acres, 15 miles of marked hiking trails), Paint Creek Trail, Lost Lake Nature Park, Cranberry Lake Park, Bear Creek Nature Park. Outdoor space dominates the township's identity.

Schools

Most of the township is served by Rochester Community Schools, a top-5% Michigan district with 22 schools and over 14,600 students. Lake Orion Community Schools serves the northern edge.

Things to Do

Trail running on the Paint Creek, hiking the Bald Mountain hills, summer fishing on the inland lakes, fall cider mills nearby, and easy reach to Rochester's downtown calendar.

Local Favorites

Places worth knowing.

Outdoors

Bald Mountain Recreation Area

4,600 acres of rolling terrain, 15 miles of hiking trails, inland lakes, and trout streams. The biggest backyard in the township.

Outdoors

Paint Creek Trail

Michigan's first rail-to-trail runs through the township for several miles. Biking, running, fishing, and connecting Rochester to Lake Orion.

Outdoors

Lost Lake Nature Park

Nearly 58 acres of woodlands, wetlands, meadows, and a lake. Programs partnered with Rochester's Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve.

Outdoors

Cranberry Lake Park

A quieter community-anchor park along Cranberry Lake, with fishing, hiking, and seasonal township programming.

Outdoors

Bear Creek Nature Park

A wooded park with trails through preserved hardwood forest. A favorite for slower-paced weekend wandering.

Family

Goodison area

The historic Goodison crossroads is the township's small-town anchor, with the cider mill and a few longtime local fixtures.

Education

Rochester Community Schools.

Most of Oakland Township is served by Rochester Community Schools, the same top-5% Michigan district that serves Rochester and most of Rochester Hills. The district runs 22 schools, three high schools (Rochester, Adams, and Stoney Creek), and over 14,600 students.

The northern edge of the township feeds into Lake Orion Community Schools, a separate strong district with its own established academic and athletic reputation.

Top 5% Michigan Districts

22 Rochester Schools

14.6K Rochester Students

3 Rochester High Schools