There’s no better place to stretch out the lazy days of summer than in a nostalgic little lake town, watching the sun set over the water from an Adirondack chair. I’ve rounded up the 10 best lake towns in North America, offering quaint main streets, boardwalk shops, wooden roller coasters, and, of course, ice cream parlors.
The Best Lake Towns in North America
You can find your summertime bliss in the best lake towns across the U.S. and Canada.
In the northern Idaho panhandle, huge glacial lakes glitter in the shadow of mountain ranges. One of the best lake towns in the region is Sandpoint, which sits on Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest lake (43 miles long). It’s a favorite place for locals to spend the long, lazy days of summer.
Bald eagles soar overhead and moose and bears are occasionally spotted in the surrounding forest. Brick buildings line Main Street in this walkable lake town of antique shops and boutiques. You’ll need an afternoon nap in a lakeside hammock after joining in a beach volleyball game or heading out on the water for paddling, sailing, Jet Skiing, or wakeboarding.
