10 Best Lakeside Towns in the Southern United States
One of the biggest appeals of the Southern United States is the thousands of lakes, from natural to man-made, with Florida alone hosting over 7,800. Often situated along these lakes are charming towns, offering access to the waters, and attractions that maximize the lakefront appeal. In a town like Guntersville, visitors and residents alike can enjoy a lakefront trail and notable establishments, such as a waterfront venue hosting live music every evening. Check out these lakeside towns in the Southern United States that are perfect for warm-weather vacations.
Mount Dora, Florida
Mount Dora is a beloved waterfront town in Florida’s Lake County, located directly on the 4,385-acre Lake Dora, with several other lakes located nearby, including the larger 15,672-acre Lake Harris. Here, residents and tourists alike get to enjoy plenty of waterfront activities, from biking on the Lakeshore Drive, which hugs the lake and leads to Tavares, to a blissful waterfront lodging experience in Florida’s oldest continuously-operated hotel, the Lakeside Inn. Just a little south of the downtown area, Plum Island Park is an exciting attraction featuring a fishing pier and a mile-long boardwalk winding along Lake Dora, and through ancient oaks and cypress trees, with opportunities to see native wildlife. For those looking to get on the water, the town features several boat ramps, and the Mount Dora Boating Center and Marina offers everything needed for a pleasant boating experience, including boat rentals, storage, and maintenance. Meanwhile, Grantham Park is a peaceful area on the lake to catch beautiful sunsets, fish, watch out for wildlife, see a 35-feet-tall lighthouse dating to 1988, and just soak in the town’s lakeside allure without feeling hurried.
Heber Springs, Arkansas
Heber Springs is a dreamy town on Greers Ferry Lake, perfect for waterfront living and warm-weather vacations. Here, the downtown is directly on the lake, with easy access to attractions like the Sandy Beach, which features soft sand, plenty of trees, and calm water ideal for swimming. For hikers and bikers, the Jeff Anderson Memorial Trail stretches from West Main Street to Sandy Beach, offering a pleasant 1.3-mile round-trip adventure with beautiful lake views. The Heber Springs area has even more trails to offer, including the Bridal Veil Falls Trail, which is just south of the town and stretches 0.6 miles through treacherous terrain and wooded areas to a beautiful waterfall. Meanwhile, a short distance north of town, the Dam Site Marina offers everything needed to enjoy boating and fishing on the lake. These include boat rentals and repairs, a marina, slips, and a store stocked with food, drinks, and souvenirs. The marina is within the Dam Site Recreation Area, which also boasts a campground and a swim area.
Guntersville, Alabama
Guntersville is one of the coolest lake towns in the Southern United States, located on the Guntersville Lake. This lake is on the Tennessee River and makes the town a paradise for endless water adventures and scenery. For starters, the Guntersville Levee Trail runs for two miles along the lake, setting the stage for a pleasant hike with unobstructed water views. Notably, the Guntersville City Harbor is a beloved spot in town, right on the waterfront, featuring everything from fishing docks to boutique lodging, entertainment, and restaurants. Notable establishments here include the Levi’s on the Lake, which offers live music and lake views, and Another Broken Egg, where delicious southern-inspired dishes and cocktails meet waterfront allure. Meanwhile, Lake Guntersville State Park, just north of the town center, is one of the region’s biggest draws and a paradise of waterfront recreation. This park is right on the lake and boasts over 30 miles of hiking and biking trails, an 18-hole golf course, and a nature center, alongside a full-service restaurant, picnic facilities, and wildlife, especially bald eagles.
Clewiston, Florida
Clewiston is a small town with big appeal, located on Lake Okeechobee, one of the country’s largest lakes, covering 730 square miles. This town is the main access to the lake’s south shore, offering direct access to its shallow waters, plus it is laid-back with a population of approximately 7,000 people, making it the perfect warm-weather vacation spot. For fishing enthusiasts, particularly, Clewiston is a must-visit, as Lake Okeechobee is one of the premier fishing destinations in the US, full of largemouth bass, speckled perch, crappie, and many other species. Along the waterfront are several public boat ramps and facilities offering access to the waters, particularly Roland Martin Marina and Resort. This marina offers everything from cozy accommodations to experienced fishing guides, boat rentals, fishing equipment, and a waterside bar & grill. From this marina, it’s also easy to get on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, a 110-mile trail that encircles the lake and makes for the perfect waterfront biking adventure. The trail winds through multiple communities and offers an opportunity to see the area’s wildlife, such as raccoons and even alligators.
Meanwhile, golf lovers have the 18-hole Clewiston Golf Course to enjoy a satisfying round of golf, and the town is full of historical attractions, notably the Ah-Ta-Thi-Ki Seminole Museum. As its name suggests, this museum features a comprehensive collection of historical materials about the history of the Seminole people, who gave the lake the name “Okeechobee,” which translates to “big water.”
Horseshoe Bay, Texas
Positioned on the shores of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson is Horseshoe Bay, a beautiful town with a laid-back atmosphere and plenty of appealing attractions, including a few golf courses. The Blue Lake Golf Club is one of the most popular in the area, and a unique nine-hole course to book a tee time, with gorgeous views of the lake and lush trees. For lovers of lakeside dining, the Waterfront Bar & Grill is a cool establishment right on the lake's shores, offering a variety of fresh seafood alongside live music and cocktails. This restaurant is within the Horseshoe Bay Resort, which also hosts the Horseshoe Bay Marina, featuring everything needed for a memorable water experience. The marina offers kayak and boat rentals, boating supplies, boat slips, snacks, tours, and guides. Plus, the marina’s docks are open for fishing.
For something away from the waters, the Horseshoe Bay Nature Park is the perfect place to be. This park is a few miles south of the lake and hosts a half-mile trail that winds through a prairie habitat. On the trail, hikers will get to see native plants and lots of birds and other wildlife such as squirrels and white-tailed deer. To add to its appeal, Horseshoe Bay is just an hour's drive from Austin, making it a peaceful place to live or vacation with proximity to top-notch facilities and attractions.
Seneca, South Carolina
Seneca is positioned on Lake Keowee, a large manmade reservoir with a surface area of 18,500 acres. This lake is the town’s biggest appeal, offering endless opportunities for boating and fishing, with Keowee Marina providing 24/7 access alongside boating rentals and equipment, and an on-site restaurant. Just a short distance from the town center, the South Cove County Park also provides access to the lake, with boat ramps and a fishing pier, plus it features a beach and a swim area with calm waters. More facilities in the park include equipped campsites, playground equipment, sports facilities, and trails winding through forested areas full of birds.
Beyond the waters, downtown Seneca is walkable and full of pleasant attractions, particularly Ram Cat Alley, which is home to everything from wine bars to local restaurants. Notable things to explore in this alley include the Ram Cat Cellars, which offers fresh wine and small plates, and Vangelis Seafood, where fresh seafood and steak meet a wide variety of wines. And for those curious about the workings of nuclear electricity generation, Seneca is the proud home of Duke Energy’s World of Energy, a museum with educational exhibits that break down how nuclear power is created, a process known as nuclear fission.
Canyon Lake, Texas
Located between San Antonio and Austin, Canyon Lake is one of the more easily accessible lakeside communities in the Southern United States, ideal for residency, work, and retirement. The town surrounds Canyon Lake, a turquoise reservoir on the Guadalupe River, and complements its easy access to big city amenities with endless water-based recreation. For starters, Comal Park sits on the lake’s south shore and boasts two boat ramps for launching kayaks and canoes into the waters, alongside a swim beach. The park also features a playground, sports facilities, and a 1.2-mile walking trail. On the northern shores of the lake, the Potters Creek Park is another exciting recreational spot with developed campsites, boat ramps, a fishing pier, a swim beach, and trails for hiking and biking.
For rentals and even more access to the lake, the Canyon Lake Marina beckons for patronage from the lake’s north shore. This marina offers a large fleet of boats for rentals and purchase, as well as a fuel dock and a store stocked with supplies like life vests and bait & tackle. For lovers of lakefront hiking and biking, there are several trails in the area to enjoy, including the Madrone Trail. The perfect day adventure, this trail is 7.8 miles out-and-back, and meanders through a lush forest and along the beautiful lake.
Sebring, Florida
Sebring is one of the coolest lake towns in the Southern United States, famous for its location around Lake Jackson, with a downtown historic district directly on the waterfront. Known as the Sebring Downtown Historic District, it is the heart of the town, located on the Circle Park, and dotted with boutique stores, galleries, and cafes, among other attractions. While strolling through the district, stops are recommended at notable attractions like the 1923 Circle Theater, which has entertained audiences for over 100 years. From here, it is a short westward walk to Lake Jackson Fishing Pier, which is not just a place to fish, but also the perfect spot to picnic, catch gorgeous sunsets, enjoy waterfront strolling, and swim from a sandy beach.
Furthermore, the part of the town on the western side of Lake Jackson is also exciting, with attractions like the Don Jose Mexican Restaurant, which is right on the lake’s shores and serves a variety of Mexican dishes. And a short drive just outside town, the Highlands Hammock State Park is an amazing place for outdoor adventures away from the lake. This park covers a 9,000-acre area and includes forests of old-growth hammocks and cypress swamps teeming with wildlife such as bald eagles, Florida black bears, alligators, and bobcats. Facilities in the park include developed and primitive campsites and trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
Winter Garden, Florida
Winter Garden is among the larger lake towns in the Southern United States, with a population of around 46,000. The town is on the southern shores of Lake Apopka, Florida’s fourth-largest lake, and is just 17 miles from Orlando, meaning convenient access to big city amenities and water-based recreation. Here, residents and tourists enjoy Newton Park, which sits right on the lake, offering direct access to the waters for boating and fishing endeavors. The park features a boat ramp and a fishing pier, as well as a boardwalk, grills, picnic tables, a playground, and a shaded gazebo.
In the meantime, those who love strolling are in luck, as Winter Garden is one of the most pedestrian-friendly towns in the region, with easy access to a vast array of local establishments. On Plant Street, particularly, there is so much to enjoy from the Plant Street Market, one of the region’s best indoor markets with over 20 unique vendors, to the Hangry Bison, which serves delicious food like burgers and salads, alongside craft beer and bourbon. Meanwhile, for those who love hiking and biking, Winter Garden is home to some of Florida’s best trails, including the 22-mile West Orange Trail, which stretches through the downtown area and connects other communities such as Oakland and Apopka.
Hartwell, Georgia
Hartwell is a charming town in the Piedmont region in Northeast Georgia, offering premium access to one of the largest recreational lakes in the Southern United States, Lake Hartwell. This lake covers a whopping 56,000-acre surface area, and is a haven for boating, fishing, and swimming, while its surrounding lands are excellent for hiking and wildlife watching. The Sun Life Marinas - Lake Hartwell, just north of downtown Hartwell, provides access and equipment needed to enjoy the water, from wet slips and dry storage to boat rentals, a fuel dock, a stocked store, and even a waterfront restaurant known as the Boathouse Grill.
Elsewhere, the Hartwell Lakeside Park offers even more recreational opportunities on the lake. This park features a swimming beach, boat ramps, and a fishing pier, as well as trails for hiking and biking, and campsites. And beyond the lake, the Hartwell area has plenty more exciting things to offer, including Cateechee Golf Club, a premier 18-hole course just outside town with well-maintained fields and greens, and lush trees at every turn. Looking for where to unwind with gorgeous natural scenery? The Hartwell County Botanical Garden is a peaceful spot just southeast of the town center, featuring a wide variety of plants from native perennials to ornamental shrubs, and many more. The garden is free, and visitors are invited to hike through its beautiful plants or picnic at one of the tables.
Beyond the beautiful Atlantic and Gulf beaches, the Southern United States has a long list of lakeside towns that are perfect for waterfront vacations, retirement, or living. From Clewiston, with its location on one of the country’s largest lakes, to Canyon Lake, which combines proximity to San Antonio and Austin, with direct access to the turquoise water of Canyon Lake, these towns are some of the South’s most exciting destinations. And as an added appeal, the lakes around these towns rarely freeze in winter, making them year-round vacation destinations where watersports are always in the scheme of things.
