The best lakes for a vacation in the USA

08.06.2024 - 10:43 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Champlain

Nothing says summer in the USA like heading to the lake. The only challenge is finding the perfect place to make all your summer vacation dreams come true. We asked our expert writers and staff to share their favorite lakes for a vacation, and here are 11 amazing options. 

Recommended by Bailey Freeman

Gazing out over the expanse of Bear Lake, you'd be forgiven if you thought you were in the Caribbean. Limestone gives this gem its distinctly turquoise hue, making it a fascinating visit – particularly as it’s situated just about as inland as you can get, along the Utah and Idaho border. Scientists have confirmed that the lake is at least 250,000 years old, but it’s probably much older. Bear Lake is thought to be one of the oldest lakes in all of North America, owing its existence to a fault line that’s still deepening the lake to this day.

Beyond this history, Bear Lake is a recreational joy, with folks coming from far and wide to boat, sail, fish, ski, and lounge on its alternately sandy and rocky beaches. Due to the area’s unique climate, Bear Lake is also well known for its abundance of delicious raspberries; don't miss the shakes and smoothies for sale in the businesses around its shores.

Recommended by John Garry

Legend says Champ, an enormous aquatic reptile, lurks below the surface of Lake Champlain. Luckily, there's no need to worry about the mythological mascot. Of all the treasures found in New England's largest lake, the Loch Ness monster's long-lost cousin isn't one of them. As the so-called “Sixth Great Lake” splashes between New York's Adirondacks and Vermont's Green Mountains, you’ll find motorboats whizzing across the surface and scuba divers descending to the 300 historic shipwrecks below. You can explore America's bloody beginnings at historical war sites like New York's Fort Ticonderoga, Vermont's Mount Independence, and the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. And if you visit Burlington – Lake Champlain's largest town – experimental microbreweries and farm-to-table restaurants are all a stone's skip away from shore. 

Lean into lake life by staying on one of Champlain's many islands. In summer, the population on pastoral escapes like Isle La Motte and South Hero nearly doubles as vacationers arrive to camp, paddle and fish around waterfront parks. Anglers beware: you might spot a six-foot-long sturgeon roaming in the deep – the closest you'll get to a modern-day Champ.

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Recommended by Alicia Johnson 

I can’t promise lots of quiet time here. Truthfully, this place is booming during the summer months. But when you see the dense foliage, the small town and, of course, the gorgeous lake that bears the same name of many sites, the crowds are a fair compromise.