Lake Vacations in North America
Explore hidden beaches, go on scenic hikes and have dinner with lake views while staying in a cozy cabin, lodge or resort.
I kept finding stillness in the way water holds the sky. From the deep blues of Crater Lake to the quiet shimmer of Lake Geneva, each stop on this list offered me a different kind of calm. “Lakes don’t rush,” I thought somewhere in the Midwest, “and maybe I don’t have to either.” These lakeside getaways stretched across the map, from Oregon to West Virginia, but they all invited the same thing: deep breaths, slow mornings, and the kind of reflection only water seems to offer.
Best Lake Vacations in North America:
Michigan - The Inn at Bay Harbor
Set against Lake Michigan’s northern shore, this elegant resort made me feel like I’d stepped into a postcard. I spent early mornings on the lawn with a blanket and coffee, watching sailboats slide past the horizon. My dinner of lake trout with lemon beurre blanc tasted fresh and faintly sweet, the kind of flavor that makes you pause mid-bite. The air smelled clean, touched with pine and lake mist.
Minnesota - Grand View Lodge
Nestled on Gull Lake, Grand View was everything summer camp used to feel like, if summer camp had cozy cabins, a spa, and a world-class wine list. I canoed in the early evening, the water smooth and gold with the setting sun. At breakfast, I had wild rice pancakes with local maple syrup, nutty, hearty, and warm enough to make me want seconds.
Washington State - Lakedale Resort
On San Juan Island, Lakedale felt like a retreat into the woods with just enough luxury to make it indulgent. I stayed in a canvas glamping tent with a fire pit just steps from the lake. In the morning, I walked barefoot through dew-damp grass and thought, “This is exactly far enough from everything.”
Minnesota - Northern Lights Resort
Up near Voyageurs National Park, the Northern Lights Resort was a true cabin-in-the-woods stay, quiet, pine-scented, and under a sky full of stars. I read on the dock until the light went soft, then ate grilled walleye with lemon and dill, the smell rising in warm waves from the plate. When the northern lights appeared faintly overhead, I didn’t even reach for my camera. I just watched.
New York - Belhurst Castle
Set on the shore of Seneca Lake, Belhurst felt like part fairytale, part historic escape. I wandered the ivy-draped stone hallways and sat at the edge of the water with a glass of iced tea and a slice of apple pie so fragrant I could smell cinnamon before it hit the table. The lake shimmered just beyond the windows, still and slate blue.
Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa
The mountains wrapped around the lake like protective arms, and I felt held there, nestled, quiet, content. I took a slow kayak ride along the shoreline, then returned for a rosemary chicken sandwich eaten on the terrace. The sun was strong but the breeze was cool, and the scent of pine was everywhere.
Oregon - Crater Lake Lodge
Crater Lake looked unreal at first, so deep blue it seemed digitally rendered. From the lodge’s stone terrace, I could see the entire caldera stretching wide and still. I ordered a bison burger that arrived perfectly charred and smoky, paired with fries dusted in rosemary salt. As I ate, the lake changed color with the clouds. It felt like watching a slow, quiet symphony.
Ohio - The Lodge At Geneva-On-The-Lake
On the edge of Lake Erie, the lodge felt spacious and family-friendly without being crowded. I walked the lakeshore trail at sunset and watched couples sit on swings, the horizon melting into orange and purple. Dinner was Great Lakes perch with herbed potatoes, light and flaky, with a buttery crisp edge that made the whole plate vanish fast.
West Virginia - Stonewall Resort
Surrounded by forested hills and a winding lake, Stonewall was the kind of place where you want to do less. I spent a rainy afternoon in a rocking chair under the veranda, the smell of petrichor and firewood filling the air. Later, I had smoked brisket at the lodge restaurant, tender and rich with hickory heat. No schedule, no noise, just the lake and the trees and the soft rain.
