10 Best Lakeside Towns In The United States
Sandpoint, Idaho overlooks a lake deep enough that the Navy tests submarines in it. Water like that turns up all over the country, usually a short walk from a free public beach. Coeur d'Alene has the world's longest floating boardwalk. The lake at Skaneateles, New York is clean enough that Syracuse drinks straight from it. Up north, Grand Marais opens onto Lake Superior at the edge of Minnesota's Boundary Waters. These ten cross Great Lakes harbors and New England shores.
South Lake Tahoe, California
South Lake Tahoe lines the south shore of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. The town stands at about 6,237 feet. The California-Nevada line cuts right through it. El Dorado Beach gives you free lake access downtown. The water is clear and cold most of the year.
Vikingsholm is a 38-room mansion in Scandinavian style. It opens for walk-through tours between Memorial Day and late September. Van Sickle Bi-State Park has trails for hiking and horseback riding near downtown. The M.S. Dixie II paddlewheeler cruises out of Zephyr Cove. The Beacon Bar & Grill is right on the lakefront. Café Fiore does Italian a few blocks back.
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva circles Geneva Lake on a 21-mile public footpath, the Geneva Lake Shore Path. The path crosses the front lawns of Gilded Age mansions. It is a public right-of-way the old Chicago families could never close off. Walk a short stretch or the whole loop past gardens and boathouses. Big Foot Beach State Park adds a sandy public beach just south of downtown.
The Geneva Lake Museum lays out the town's history. The Belfry Music Theatre books musicals, concerts and comedy. Main Street has boutiques and galleries a block from the water. Sopra Bistro does modern American plates. Simple Café leans farm-to-table with big breakfasts.
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City wraps around Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan. Clinch Park puts a public beach, marina and splash pad right downtown. The water is a short walk from Front Street. The town calls itself the Cherry Capital of the World. The National Cherry Festival fills the streets every July. The bay also feeds the vineyards of the Traverse Wine Coast north of town.
The Dennos Museum Center holds a large collection of Inuit art. The Cook's House works a tight seasonal menu. The Little Fleet gathers food trucks around a central bar. West of the city, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore rises over Lake Michigan. The Tall Ship Manitou sails the bay for a few hours on the water.
Skaneateles, New York
Skaneateles wraps the north end of Skaneateles Lake, one of the cleanest in the Finger Lakes. The water is clean enough that Syracuse drinks from it with little treatment. Clift Park gives free public swimming, a gazebo and dock space downtown. The Sherwood Inn has poured drinks on the same corner since 1807.
Every summer the town hosts the Skaneateles Festival, a chamber music series. Some shows happen right on the lake. Lake cruises leave the dock on the Judge Ben Wiles. The Charlie Major Nature Trail follows the creek past old Lehigh Valley Railroad remnants. Clift Park hosts community concerts in the warm months.
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish stands beside Whitefish Lake, with City Beach a few minutes from downtown. The beach is public and free. You get swimming, boat launches and sunset views over cold water. The Great Northern Railway built the town. The restored Whitefish Depot now serves as a museum and visitor center. The lake fills with boats in summer and the slopes take over once snow arrives.
The Whitefish Lake Golf Club plays 36 holes. Central Avenue downtown has local shops, galleries and Loula's Cafe, known for pie and big breakfasts. Whitefish Mountain Resort offers lift-served biking and zip lines in summer. The Whitefish Trail adds more than 42 miles of hiking and biking routes. Glacier National Park starts a short drive east.
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene lines the north shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, a glacial lake about 25 miles long. The town's floating boardwalk loops 3,300 feet around the resort marina. It is the longest of its kind in the world. The boardwalk is private but free, open to anyone year-round. City Beach is right next to it, with sand and swimming downtown.
The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course is famous for its floating green on the 14th hole, moved by cable. Sherman Avenue downtown has shops, cafes and places like Crafted Tap House + Kitchen. The Museum of North Idaho traces the region's Native history and timber years. McEuen Park borders downtown with a playground and trails. A path links it to Tubbs Hill, a public preserve with miles of lakeside hiking.
Sandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint stands at the north tip of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho. The lake drops more than 1,150 feet, the fifth-deepest in the country. It is deep enough that the Navy still tests submarine acoustics on it. City Beach Park gives free public swimming a short walk from downtown. The Festival at Sandpoint brings concerts to the lakeshore each summer.
Downtown Sandpoint clusters dining and shopping near the water. Spuds Waterfront Grill looks out across the lake. The Cedar Street Bistro mixes a European-style cafe with a wine bar. The Pend Oreille Arts Council hosts exhibits through the year. Out of town, Schweitzer Mountain Resort skis in winter and bikes in summer. The Mineral Point Trail offers a quieter hike with lake views.
Meredith, New Hampshire
Meredith stands on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. Hesky Park gives free public beach access right off the main drag. You can swim or launch a boat there. The town incorporated in 1768. The old brick buildings downtown still show it.
The Meredith Historical Society operates the Meredith Museum. The Lakehouse Grille serves New England plates with a lake view. Cider Bellies Doughnuts handles the sweet end. The main street has shops and the League of NH Craftsmen gallery. The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad offers train rides along the water. Winter shifts the town toward snowmobiling and ice fishing.
Grand Marais, Minnesota
Grand Marais is a harbor village on Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. The harbor wraps around Artist's Point, a public rocky point. Walk out over the breakwater and watch the lake turn with the weather. The town is the jumping-off point for the Boundary Waters and the Gunflint Trail. National Geographic Adventure once named it a Top 100 Adventure Town.
The North House Folk School teaches northern crafts like boat building and fiber arts on the harbor. The Angry Trout Cafe serves local fish with lakeside seating. Java Moose handles the morning coffee crowd. The Grand Marais Art Colony hosts workshops and galleries. The Superior Hiking Trail climbs to ridgeline overlooks just outside town. Winter brings cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Chelan, Washington
Chelan stands at the southeast tip of Lake Chelan, the third-deepest lake in the country at 1,486 feet. The lake stretches more than 50 miles into the Cascades as a narrow fjord. The dry, warm climate suits vineyards. Lake Chelan State Park holds a public beach, campgrounds and picnic areas on the south shore. A passenger ferry travels the lake to roadless Stehekin at the far end.
Tsillan Cellars and Karma Vineyards offer tours and tastings above the water. Campbell's Pub and Veranda does lakeside meals. The Lakeview Drive-In handles the burger-with-a-view crowd. LakeRider Sports rents boats and paddleboards. The Echo Ridge Trail System climbs above town for hiking and biking with wide lake views.
Water You Can Actually Reach
Open access is the real thread here. In Meredith you can swim off Hesky Park without paying. Chelan opens a state park beach and campgrounds on the deepest water in Washington. Traverse City puts Clinch Park right downtown on the bay. Lake Geneva's 21-mile shore path crosses the old mansion lawns, public the whole way. None of these towns locks the water behind a resort gate. The shoreline belongs to everyone. It always has.
