Buffalo, N.Y. — Come on in! The water is more than fine in Upstate New York.
Lake Erie, which shares part of its impressive shoreline with Western New York, has been named the best lake in the United States by USA Today’s 10Best. While Lake Erie snagged the top spot, it was not the only lake with New York real estate on the list: Lake Champlain, which spans the New York-Vermont border and stretches into Canada, ranked No. 8.
It wasn’t the only laurel the two stunning lakes claimed at the start of the 2024 vacation season.
Both lakes earned spots on 10Best’s list of the best lakes in the nation for water sports. Lake Erie was again voted the No. 1 lake, while Lake Champlain was dubbed No. 9.
In addition, Lake Erie was named the third-best lake for swimming in the United States.
It marked the second year in a row Lake Champlain and Lake Erie made 10Best’s roundups of the nation’s most winsome waterways.
Kayakers, a jetskier and a boat ride on Lake Erie by Woodlawn Beach. Joed Viera for New York UpstateJoed Viera for New York Upstate
Lake Erie
Lake Erie has shoreline in Canada and four states: New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Buffalo, the biggest city Upstate, is perched near the Great Lake’s northeastern tip.
“It may be the shallowest of North America’s Great Lakes, but Lake Erie has a massive amount of potential when it comes to both tourism and outdoor adventure,” 10Best wrote in its ranking of the nation’s best lakes.
Along with serving as a “fishing paradise”, 10Best lauded Lake Erie for offering adventures ranging from explorable shipwrecks to bird watching.
The Empire State’s stretch of Lake Erie is full of stellar spots for vacations and day trips, including the Outer Harbor in Buffalo, where visitors can bike, boat, walk, grab drinks and catch concerts; Woodlawn Beach State Park, a popular 1-mile-long natural sand beach in Blasdell; and the Dunkirk Lighthouse, a historic lighthouse that ghost chasers consider haunted.
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain, which had a brief but official stint as the sixth Great Lake, separates the Adirondacks in New York from Vermont. Charming communities dot its shore, from Westport and Essex in New York to Burlington and Charlotte in Vermont.
“The stunning natural beauty of both New York and Vermont are on full display across Lake Champlain, a natural water feature that’s been a fixture of the landscape for thousands of years,” 10Best wrote in its ranking of the best lakes for water sports.
In Upstate, Plattsburgh — a small city that borders the lake — is a popular place for travelers looking to explore the lake. Beachgoers visit Cumberland Bay State Park to take a dip in Lake Champlain and fuel up with Michigans, a Plattsburgh specialty that has earned a national historic marker.
Fort Ticonderoga as seen from Mt. Defiance looks out over the mouth of Lake Champlain Wednesday, September 23, 2020. N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com