Lake Day Atlas
Lake Tahoe landscape
The American lake field guide

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lake day.

Explore America’s recreational lakes, from alpine coves to red-rock shores. Find your launch, plan a stop for ice, and get on the water.

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Lake Tahoe · California / Nevada
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50 lake guides
Lake Tahoe landscapeWest
California / Nevada

Lake Tahoe

Paddle granite coves and follow the shoreline beneath the Sierra peaks.

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Lake Powell landscapeWest
Arizona / Utah

Lake Powell

Cruise red-rock canyons and find a quiet inlet along the Colorado Plateau.

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Lake George landscapeNortheast
New York

Lake George

Island campsites, wooded hikes and steamboat rides in the Adirondacks.

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Flathead Lake landscapeWest
Montana

Flathead Lake

Sail past orchard country and take in the Mission Mountains from the water.

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Lake Michigan landscapeMidwest
Illinois / Indiana / Michigan / Wisconsin

Lake Michigan

Choose a stretch of Great Lakes coast for dunes, beaches and harbor towns.

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Lake Havasu landscapeWest
Arizona / California

Lake Havasu

Explore desert coves and cruise the channel beneath London Bridge.

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Lake of the Ozarks landscapeMidwest
Missouri

Lake of the Ozarks

Follow winding coves to swimming beaches and lakeside marinas.

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Crater Lake landscapeWest
Oregon

Crater Lake

Trace a volcanic rim for spectacular views of Oregon’s deep blue caldera.

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Lake Champlain landscapeNortheast
New York / Vermont

Lake Champlain

Set a course through island passages between the Adirondacks and Green Mountains.

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Lake Chelan landscapeWest
Washington

Lake Chelan

Follow a long glacial lake from orchard country toward the North Cascades.

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Lake Winnipesaukee landscapeNortheast
New Hampshire

Lake Winnipesaukee

Explore island-dotted waters and the harbors of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region.

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Grand Lake landscapeWest
Colorado

Grand Lake

Pair a high-country paddle with a stroll along the historic boardwalk.

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Lake Cumberland landscapeSouth
Kentucky

Lake Cumberland

Set out from a marina for a day of cove hopping or a houseboat weekend.

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Table Rock Lake landscapeSouth
Missouri / Arkansas

Table Rock Lake

Discover forested Ozark shorelines and swimming spots near Branson.

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Torch Lake landscapeMidwest
Michigan

Torch Lake

See clear turquoise water on a summer day in northern Michigan.

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Bear Lake landscapeWest
Utah / Idaho

Bear Lake

Head for bright blue water and broad mountain views on the state line.

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Lake Coeur d’Alene landscapeWest
Idaho

Lake Coeur d’Alene

Find a sheltered paddle or watch the sunset from a lakeside trail.

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Deep Creek Lake landscapeSouth
Maryland

Deep Creek Lake

Spend a mountain day paddling quiet coves in western Maryland.

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Smith Mountain Lake landscapeSouth
Virginia

Smith Mountain Lake

Sail Blue Ridge waters or drop a line near a sheltered cove.

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Big Bear Lake landscapeWest
California

Big Bear Lake

Launch a kayak beneath Southern California’s pine-covered peaks.

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Lake Norman landscapeSouth
North Carolina

Lake Norman

Explore wooded shoreline and sheltered creeks just north of Charlotte.

 Lake guide
Moosehead Lake landscapeNortheast
Maine

Moosehead Lake

Follow Maine’s wooded shore from Greenville to Lily Bay.

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Sebago Lake landscapeNortheast
Maine

Sebago Lake

Trade the open lake for a paddle on the Songo River.

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Lake Sunapee landscapeNortheast
New Hampshire

Lake Sunapee

Spend a beach morning in Newbury and an afternoon at Sunapee Harbor.

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Lake Wallenpaupack landscapeNortheast
Pennsylvania

Lake Wallenpaupack

Walk the Pocono shoreline near Hawley or launch into the reservoir.

 Lake guide
Seneca Lake landscapeNortheast
New York

Seneca Lake

Choose a Finger Lakes base between Watkins Glen and Sampson State Park.

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Cayuga Lake landscapeNortheast
New York

Cayuga Lake

Pair a walk to Taughannock Falls with time on Cayuga’s western shore.

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Lake Anna landscapeSouth
Virginia

Lake Anna

Combine a swim at Lake Anna State Park with a wooded trail.

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Lake Murray landscapeSouth
South Carolina

Lake Murray

Explore three connected islands on the South Carolina reservoir.

 Lake guide
Lake Hartwell landscapeSouth
Georgia / South Carolina

Lake Hartwell

Make a lakeside stop at the Georgia–South Carolina line.

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Lake Lanier landscapeSouth
Georgia

Lake Lanier

Explore the Chattahoochee end of Lake Lanier at Don Carter State Park.

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Lake Mead landscapeWest
Nevada / Arizona

Lake Mead

Explore the Nevada shore from Boulder Beach beneath desert ridgelines.

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Lake Mohave landscapeWest
Nevada / Arizona

Lake Mohave

Use Katherine Landing as a base for exploring Lake Mohave’s southern coves.

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Lake Pleasant landscapeWest
Arizona

Lake Pleasant

Find a desert shoreline northwest of Phoenix.

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Shasta Lake landscapeWest
California

Shasta Lake

Pick one of Shasta’s river arms for a day among pine-covered hills.

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Lake Berryessa landscapeWest
California

Lake Berryessa

Pack a picnic for Oak Shores on the western side of Lake Berryessa.

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Lake Pend Oreille landscapeWest
Idaho

Lake Pend Oreille

Discover Beaver Bay and the wooded south shore at Farragut State Park.

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Priest Lake landscapeWest
Idaho

Priest Lake

Set out from Indian Creek on a forest-lined northern Idaho lake.

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Lake McDonald landscapeWest
Montana

Lake McDonald

See Glacier’s western mountains from the shore at Apgar.

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Wallowa Lake landscapeWest
Oregon

Wallowa Lake

Stay beside the mountain-ringed shore at Wallowa Lake State Park.

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Lake Washington landscapeWest
Washington

Lake Washington

Trace Seattle’s wooded Seward Park peninsula on foot or by bicycle.

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Lake Superior landscapeMidwest
Minnesota / Wisconsin / Michigan

Lake Superior

Visit Wisconsin’s mainland sea-cave coast from Meyers Beach.

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Lake Erie landscapeMidwest
Ohio / Pennsylvania / New York / Michigan

Lake Erie

Ride or walk the Presque Isle peninsula on Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie shore.

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Lake Huron landscapeMidwest
Michigan

Lake Huron

Swim or camp among the pines on Michigan’s Lake Huron shore.

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Lake Geneva landscapeMidwest
Wisconsin

Lake Geneva

Visit Big Foot Beach and explore the Wisconsin shore of Geneva Lake.

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Lake Okoboji landscapeMidwest
Iowa

Lake Okoboji

Spend a day at Gull Point on West Okoboji Lake.

 Lake guide
Lake Ouachita landscapeSouth
Arkansas

Lake Ouachita

Combine an Arkansas mountain lake with the historic Three Sisters Springs.

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Beaver Lake landscapeSouth
Arkansas

Beaver Lake

Pair forest trails at Hobbs with a boating day on Beaver Lake.

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Lake Texoma landscapeSouth
Oklahoma / Texas

Lake Texoma

Explore Lake Texoma’s Texas shore from Eisenhower State Park.

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Lake Travis landscapeSouth
Texas

Lake Travis

Spend a Hill Country day along the coves at Pace Bend.

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