Best lake destinations in North America
Best lake destinations in North America
Glacial lake systems and vast water shorelines in North America
North America's lake destinations range from the vast inland seas of the Great Lakes system and the glacier-fed mountain lakes of the Rockies and Pacific northwest to the wilderness lake districts of Canada and the crater and desert lakes of the southwest. The continent's lake landscapes are defined by scale, with several of its most significant freshwater systems large enough to produce their own weather patterns and coastal cultures that feel more maritime than lacustrine.
The mountain lakes of the western ranges deliver the most visually dramatic experiences, where glacial meltwater, surrounding peaks and exceptional clarity combine to produce landscapes of considerable intensity. Canada's lake-studded wilderness interior offers a contrasting experience built around canoe routes, fishing culture and backcountry camping across a freshwater system of extraordinary scale that remains largely undeveloped beyond the established parks circuits.
Summer brings peak visitor numbers to the most popular mountain lake destinations and accommodation and campsite booking opens months in advance for peak season. Shoulder season visits in late spring and early autumn deliver better conditions with quieter shores and lower costs. Distances between major lake destinations are significant and driving or flying between regions is standard for multi-destination lake itineraries across the continent.
Lists by region
State/Prefecture in United States
Michigan
Great Lakes State of Wonder
Sand dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore rise above Lake Michigan near Glen Arbor. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore lines Lake Superior between Munising and Grand Marais. Michigan has 3,288 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and 11,037 inland lakes. No spot in the state is more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.
Island in United States
Mackinac Island
Historic charm meets pristine lakeside serenity
Mackinac Island banned motor vehicles in town in 1898 and across the island in 1901. Bikes and horse carriages travel the 8 mile road around the shore. Ferries run from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace in summer. British soldiers built Fort Mackinac in 1780. Mackinac Island State Park covers about 80 percent of the island.
Town in Canada
Banff
Rocky Mountain Majesty, Endless Adventure
Go to Vermilion Lakes at sunrise for Mount Rundle reflected in the water. The three lakes are 2.4 kilometres from Banff townsite. Canoe, paddleboard or bike along the shore. Moose sometimes appear early or late in the day. Pack a thermos of hot chocolate for sunrise.
National Park in United States
Voyageurs National Park
Watery wilderness of northern Minnesota
Voyageurs became a national park in 1975. Most of its 218,200 acres can be reached only by boat in summer. Its four large lakes are Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan and Sand Point. Rainy Lake is about 60 miles long. Kettle Falls Hotel has stood since 1910. Houseboats rent for trips to designated campsites.
Park in Canada
Algonquin Provincial Park
Lakes, forests and wildlife in serene wilderness
Algonquin Provincial Park covers about 7,650 square kilometres in Ontario and has over 2,400 lakes. Canoe routes total 2,000 kilometres. Highway 60 crosses the south end for 55 kilometres past 19 hiking trails. The painter Tom Thomson died on Canoe Lake in 1917. Public wolf howls run on Thursday evenings in August.
Country
Nicaragua
Tropical beauty with volcanic charm
Lake Nicaragua is slightly smaller than Lake Titicaca and covers 8,264 square kilometres. It is the largest freshwater lake in Central America. Ometepe is the largest island in the lake and is volcanic. Granada sits on the northwest shore. The Solentiname Islands are reachable only by boat.
Lake in Canada
Lake Louise
Turquoise Gem of the Canadian Rockies
Lake Louise covers about 0.8 square kilometres, larger than nearby Moraine Lake at 0.5. Canoes rent from a launch on the northeastern shore. The hike to Lake Agnes Tea House is 3.5 kilometres with 400 metres of climbing. The tea house was built in 1901. It is open from June to October.
National Park in United States
Grand Teton National Park
Stunning Peaks and Wildlife Wonders
Jenny Lake sits at the base of the Teton Range at 6,783 feet. A 7.1 mile trail circles it with 700 feet of climbing. A boat shuttle run by a concessioner crosses the lake. Jackson Lake is 15 miles long and 438 feet deep. Grand Teton rises to 13,775 feet above the park.
Nature Reserve in United States
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Pristine lakes, untouched wilderness paradise
Paddlers share the Boundary Waters with loons and wolves. The wilderness covers 1.09 million acres, with over 1,100 lakes and 1,200 miles of canoe routes. Motors are limited and snowmobiles are banned. Overnight trips from 1 May through 30 September need a quota permit reserved in advance.
National Park in Canada
Banff National Park
Majestic Peaks and Turquoise Lakes
Banff began in 1885 as a hot springs reserve and is Canada's first national park. It covers 6,641 square kilometres. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are 15 kilometres apart. The Icefields Parkway runs 230 kilometres north to Jasper past Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. UNESCO listed the park in 1984.
State/Prefecture in United States
Wisconsin
Four seasons of Midwestern charm
The Apostle Islands lie off northern Wisconsin in Lake Superior. The national lakeshore has 21 islands. Sandstone sea caves line parts of the shore. Eight historic lighthouses stand on six islands. Congress created the lakeshore in 1970. The islands are reached by boat. Kayak tours paddle along the sea caves.
Region in United States
Finger Lakes
Waterfalls, wine and pristine lakes
Glaciers carved the 11 Finger Lakes into long narrow valleys. Seneca Lake is 618 feet deep. Cayuga Lake is 38 miles long. More than 400 wineries and vineyards surround six of the lakes, including Seneca, Cayuga and Keuka. Watkins Glen sits at the south end of Seneca Lake.
State/Prefecture in United States
Minnesota
Land of 10,000 Lakes and Vibrant Cities
Minnesota has 11,842 lakes of 10 acres or more, which tops its Land of 10,000 Lakes nickname. Lake shoreline totals 44,926 miles. All but 4 of its 87 counties have a natural lake. Basswood Lake covers 14,071 acres on the Canadian border. Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters have canoe routes.
National Park in United States
Yellowstone National Park
Geysers, wildlife and untamed wilderness
Yellowstone Lake freezes by early December and the ice can last until late May or early June. It covers 136 square miles at 7,732 feet. The lake is up to 20 miles long and 15 miles wide. A marina operates at Bridge Bay. Boaters need a Yellowstone Boating Permit.
National Park in United States
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
Where two nations preserve wilderness
Plains bison graze in Waterton Lakes National Park, which covers 505 square kilometres beside Waterton Lake. Together with Glacier National Park in Montana it forms the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, set up in 1932. The Prince of Wales Hotel opened in July 1927 and is a national historic site.
State/Prefecture in United States
New York (state)
Beyond the city that never sleeps
Steamboats called the Mohican and Le Lac du Saint Sacrement cruise Lake George. The lake is 32 miles long with over 170 islands, 148 of them state owned. Lake George Village at the south end has the Fort William Henry Hotel. French forces burned the original fort there in 1757.
State/Prefecture in United States
Montana
Wild Beauty & Vast Big Skies
Cherry orchards on the east shore of Flathead Lake are ready for picking in July and August. The lake is 27 miles long, 197 square miles in area and 370 feet deep. Wild Horse Island is the largest island in it at 2,164 acres. Polson sits at the lake's south end.
National Park in United States
Glacier National Park
Crown of the Continent
Lake McDonald Lodge was built in 1913 and 1914 in a Swiss influenced style. It stands on the shore of the park's longest lake. The lake is 10 miles long and about 464 feet deep. The 53 mile Going-to-the-Sun Road follows its south shore. Apgar sits at the west end.
State/Prefecture in United States
Oregon
Diverse Landscapes and Outdoor Wonders
The Wallowa Lake Tramway rises from 4,450 to 8,150 feet on Mount Howard in about 15 minutes. It runs from mid May to early October. The base is near Joseph, Oregon. The tram opened in 1970. From the top riders look over the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Wallowa Lake sits in the valley below.
Lake in United States
Crater Lake
Eternal blue depths echo volcanic history
Crater Lake is 1,949 feet deep, the deepest lake in the United States. The caldera formed about 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama collapsed. Rim Drive runs 33 miles around it. Wizard Island is a 316 acre cinder cone. Lakeshore access and boat tours are suspended through summer 2028.
State/Prefecture in United States
Idaho
Outdoor Paradise with Scenic Beauty
Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho is 43 miles long and 1,152 feet deep, the fifth deepest in the country. Sandpoint is the largest town on its shore. Farragut State Park, a former Navy training base, sits at the southern tip. Lake Coeur d'Alene is 25 miles long.
Lake in Canada
Lake Minnewanka
Banff's Majestic Alpine Jewel
A dam finished in 1941 raised Lake Minnewanka by 30 metres. It flooded Minnewanka Landing, a resort village open since 1888. Divers now explore the village, bridge pilings and the 1912 dam. The lake is 21 kilometres long. Boat tours leave from the parking area at the west end.
National Park in Canada
Jasper National Park
Untamed Wilderness and Starry Skies
Boat tours to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake run from spring to autumn. The lake is 22 kilometres long and lies 44 kilometres south of Jasper. Pyramid Lake lies just north of town. Medicine Lake drains through sinkholes in its bottom. Its water reaches Maligne Canyon underground about 16 kilometres away.
State/Prefecture in United States
California
Golden State of Endless Experiences
Tufa towers at Mono Lake are limestone columns that formed underwater. They rose into view as Los Angeles diverted the lake's streams starting in 1941. The lake is at least 760,000 years old and covers 70 square miles. A brine shrimp species found only here feeds nesting California gulls.
State/Prefecture in United States
Alaska
Land of superlatives and adventure
Freshwater seals surface in Iliamna Lake, one of the few places in the world that has them. The lake is 77 miles long and 22 miles wide. It is the largest lake in Alaska and the 7th largest in the United States. Sockeye salmon spend half of their five year lives in its water.
Lake in Guatemala
Lake Atitlán
Crimson sunsets over turquoise waters
Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel Maya live in the villages around Lake Atitlan. No road circles the lake. Boats link towns such as Panajachel, San Pedro La Laguna and Santiago Atitlan. The lake sits at 1,562 metres and is up to 340 metres deep. The volcanoes Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro rise beside it.
Lake in Canada
Moraine Lake
Turquoise jewel of the Rockies
The Rockpile Trail is a 300 metre walk that gains 24 metres. From the top you see the Valley of the Ten Peaks, once printed on the Canadian 20 dollar bill. The lake sits at 1,884 metres and fills by late June. Private cars are banned, so visitors take the Parks Canada shuttle.
Lake in United States
Lake Tahoe
Crystal waters framed by towering pine peaks
Emerald Bay on the west shore has Vikingsholm, a 38 room mansion. Fannette Island there holds an old teahouse. Lake Tahoe is 22 miles long and 1,645 feet deep. The Tahoe Rim Trail circles it for 165 miles. Fifteen ski areas sit around the basin.
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