Vacation On A Lake

As your family begins packing up and preparing for the holidays, it can be tough to get them away from their iPad or phone. However, there is an experience that still holds its value in today’s technology driven world: a vacation on a lake.

As the temperature starts to rise, it’s time to pack your bags for an exciting vacation. As exciting as it is to think about the trip, what’s even more exciting is planning for the trip. Vacation planning can be fun and adventurous, but there are some points you need to take into consideration. This is why I’ve put together a list of things you should know when planning a vacation on a lake.

Whether you are vacationing on a lake or in the mountains, it’s nice to be out and about with family and friends. The real question is, what do people like to do during their restful time off from work?

Lake Tahoe Vacations. Lake Tahoe is truly a lake of superlatives. The third largest lake in the United States and filled with its own azure waters, is home to a half million acres of undeveloped land, 98% of which is protected by environmental laws.

Waking to another cloudless morning, you dive off your houseboat into the wild blue of Lake Powell in southern Utah. The water takes the edge off the heat, and you float along, contemplating a lazy day of navigating spectacular red-rock gorges and flooded canyons.

Vacation On A Lake

America offers a lake vacation for every season and activity, and no matter where you live, even in the Southwest desert, chances are there’s one near you. Satellite mapping has yet to yield a precise answer, but the best guess is that there are between 3 and 4 million lakes across the U.S., ranging from duck ponds to wonders like Oregon’s Crater Lake.

Minnesota, known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, actually counts nearly 12,000 — the most named lakes among the lower 48 states. Michigan comes in a close second and Florida third, while among smaller states, Maine stands out with nearly 800. But Alaska trumps them all with an estimated 3 million lakes. We’re partial to Lake Clark by Port Alsworth, where wilderness adventures are guaranteed, whether you’re in the mood for kayaking, getting dragged by a dogsled team, or spotting grizzly bears and caribou.

While Lake Tahoe is most popular for winter sports and Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago reaches its windsurfing peak in fall, we associate most lakes with summer vacation, as places to cool off and chill out. After all, lakes can inspire quiet reflection, most famously in the case of Henry David Thoreau, who sought out Walden Pond in the backwoods of Massachusetts.

These are the 25 best lake vacations in the United States.

01of 25

Lake Champlain, New York and Vermont

Best for History: On both land and water, Lake Champlain played a major part in three major American conflicts: the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812. The lake’s long and often bloody history is recalled at forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point on the New York side, as well as at Mount Independence and the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum on the Vermont shore. You could stick to New York and double up with a stay at historic hotel The Sagamore at Lake George, south of Ticonderoga.

02of 25

Lake Superior, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

Best for Fishing: Lake Superior is so vast it could easily hold all of the water from all of the other Great Lakes. That means there’s plenty of room for fish to thrive: salmon, trout, walleye, smelt, whitefish, herring, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and many other game species can be caught in abundance along the lake’s tristate shores. No matter what time of year, some sort of fishing is in season; Duluth, Minnesota and Bayfield, Wisconsin are among the charter hubs.

03of 25

Crater Lake, Oregon

Best for Scuba Diving: Other lakes have shipwrecks or sunken towns, but only Crater Lake offers the bragging rights of diving in a flooded volcano that also happens to be the deepest lake in the U.S. (and ninth deepest in the world). Without a deep-sea submersible, you won’t be able to reach the absolute bottom (1,943 feet). But there’s plenty to explore in the crystal-clear shallows: lava formations, wildlife (trout and salmon), and underwater moss meadows. The catch is that you have to schlep your own scuba equipment up and down the Cleetwood Cove Trail—700 vertical feet. If that’s not your idea of vacation, try the Wizard Island boat cruises around the crater’s island on that clear, calm blue water.

04of 25

Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin

Best for Windsurfing: Steady wind and easy launch make Winnebago the lake of choice for Wisconsin windsurfers and kite surfers — especially in summer, when the shallow, sandy bottom creates water temperatures that are downright tropical (75–85ºF). In winter, the lake converts to sail-powered ice racing.

05of 25

Lake Kabetogama, Minnesota

Best for Kayak or Canoe Camping: Paddle along the same routes as early French trappers, traders, and explorers on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota. Part of the waterways that make up Voyageurs National Park, the lake offers more than two dozen wilderness campsites that can be reached only by boat, including gorgeous spots along Lost Bay and among the Chief Wooden Frog Islands. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the shore, from bear and bald eagles to otters, wolves, and moose.

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Lake Clark, Alaska

Best for Wilderness Adventure: The only way to reach super-secluded Lake Clark is trekking overland through the Alaskan bush, getting dragged by a dogsled team, or flying in by a floatplane. Flanked by snowcapped peaks, thick boreal forest, and whitewater rivers, the 50-mile-long lake is quintessential Alaska. Fishing, kayaking, and wildlife-watching are the main aquatic activities, while the lakeshore lends itself to weeklong hikes and backwoods camping. Tiny Port Alsworth offers a visitor center, kayak rental, guide services and outfitters, post office, and lodging.

07of 25

Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada

Best for Snow Sports: High-altitude Tahoe (6,225 feet) is best for skiing, snowboarding, and other cold-weather sports. Seven major winter resorts ring the shore, and you can hike along snowy forest trails, snuggle up beside a fire in a lakeshore café, or ride the Sky Express to the top of Heavenly’s highest peak for a snow-mantled panorama of the entire lake basin.

08of 25

Lake Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois

Best for Beaches: With more than 1,600 miles of shoreline, Lake Michigan offers more beaches than any other American lake. But it’s not just quantity: there’s a beach for nearly every taste. The big-city strands that front Chicago, the wild rolling dunes of northern Indiana, the pastoral shores of Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, and the carnival-like atmosphere along the Traverse City Boardwalk offer totally different sun-and-sand experiences on the same lake. You’ll pass that boardwalk on the scenic drive from Bay Harbor to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

09of 25

Finger Lakes, New York

Best for Wine Tastings: With more than a hundred vintners, the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York is the prime wine region of the Eastern U.S. The largest concentration of tasting rooms is along Highway 414 on the east side of Lake Seneca. Wineries with spectacular waterfront locations include Belhurst Estate in Geneva and Thirsty Owl in Ovid. Riesling is the most popular plonk, but the lakes region also produces fine Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer.