The Best Maine Lake Hotels, Resorts, Inns, And Lodges
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You don’t have to be a Maine Guide or have an outdoor sportsman inclination to enjoy the allure of a waterfront lodge among one of Maine’s pristine lakes. The state’s many lakes draw wildlife observers, boaters, fishermen, recreational adventurists, artists, and foliage enthusiasts alike.
Blessed with thousands of lakes and ponds, Maine has much to offer for a lakeside vacation. Among the most popular lake vacation destinations are Sebago Lake, Moosehead Lake, the Belgrade Lakes Region, and Rangeley Lake, to name a few.
Featured Maine Lake Inns, Hotels, and Resorts
Maine Lake Facts & Figures
- Sebago Lake is Maine’s second largest freshwater body of water, 10 miles wide and almost 50 miles long.
- Sebago Lake touches six towns, including Naples, Raymond, Casco, Sebago, Standish, and Windham.
- Sebago’s clean water is a major water source for the City Of Portland — 15% of Maine’s population.
- Moosehead Lake is 246 feet deep in some places, the largest mountain lake in the northern US.
- Moosehead is the source of the Kennebec River — dam released for whitewater rafting.
- Moosehead Lake is home to 80 islands, and Mount Kineo rises 700 feet with dramatic cliffs.
- Moosehead has a high concentration of peregrine falcon and Maine moose — with a 3:1 ratio of moose to people.
- Moosehead Lake’s name comes from its shape of an antlered moose.
Maine’s Largest & Most Popular Lakes
- Moosehead Lake — 74,890 acres
- Sebago Lake — 29,992 acres
- Mooselookmeguntic Lake — 16,300 acres
- Umbagog Lake — 7,767 acres
- Rangeley Lake — 6,300 acres
- Long Lake — 5,295 acres
- China Lake — 3,992 acres
- Belgrade Lake — 3,510 acres
- Kezar Lake — 2,665 acres
- Little Sebago Lake — 2,009 acres
- Alamoosook Lake — 1,133 acres
More About Maine Lake Resorts
Maine is home to some of the most beautiful and crystal-clear lakes in the US, and arguably, in the world, for that matter. Maine has over 3,400 lakes, and the best way to explore and enjoy them is by lodging at a lakeside resort.
Resorts on Maine lakes offer a truly unique getaway. Imagine waking to the sound of a loon or watching fog linger above the water as the sun rises. The translucent waters are totally calm and perfect for a canoe or kayak and freshwater fishing. You can read a book on the breezy shores; take a boat ride; go tubing, waterskiing, or sailing in the afternoon; and refresh with a lake swim in some of the cleanest, clearest water in the US.
Evenings at a Maine lake resort may include having cocktails on a dock, dining and enjoying campfires by the water, counting shooting stars, and watching the moon’s reflection on the lake.
Lake Resort Lodging
Maine lake resorts range from beautiful cabins to hotels on the waterfront, rustic lakeside cabins and camps, and even affordable campgrounds with tent sites. Some lakeside Maine resorts offer classic cabin lodging with a main lodge serving family-style or restaurant dining followed by entertainment and a crackling fire. Other lake lodging options include inns, hotels, and cabins for rent.
Some lake resorts provide on-site boats, kayaks, and canoes, as well as Maine guides or water sports lessons, so you can learn to sail or water ski on your Maine lake vacation. Alternatively, visitors can rent provisions from boat rental properties on popular lake destinations like Sebago Lake.
A Few of Maine’s 3,400 Popular Lake Vacations
Moosehead Lake
Maine’s largest lake is Moosehead in the Maine Highlands or Moosehead Region. Anglers, hunters, and bird lovers alike find Moosehead Lake to be a vast wilderness of game, endangered birds, and of course, moose.
Sebago Lake
Arguably, the most popular destination for lakeside vacations in Maine is Sebago Lake. On Maine’s second largest lake, you will find family-friendly and casual lake resorts with gourmet cuisine and cabin room service.
You can even boat through the 1832 Songo Locks system from Sebago Lake to Brandy Pond to Long Lake. Ride out to Sebago’s largest island, Frye Island for lunch, then watch divers jump off Frye’s Leap cliffs into the crystal-clear water.
Point Sebago Resort is a fun lakeside campground resort with park homes and resort cottages on Sebago Lake, offering activities for everyone in the family from lake water sports and fishing to kids camps and 18-hole championship golf.
Rangeley Lake
Rangeley Lake region farther north is home to some beautiful lakeside resorts, like Grants Kennebago Camps, which offers modern lakeside cabins and a traditional main lodge where dinner is served.
Some of other lakes with resorts in the Maine Lakes Region are Highland Lake, Long Lake, Kezar Lake, and Moose Pond.
Seasonal Lake Resort Lodging
Whether you like to fish, boat, swim, or just enjoy the lakeside setting, a summer vacation at a Maine lake resort is relaxing and rejuvenating. In fall, Maine’s lakes are magnificent when the colorful foliage on the shore is reflected in the brilliant blue waters.
Wintertime at Maine lake resorts brings a plethora of winter sports on the frozen lakes — from ice fishing and snowmobiling to ice skating and cross-country skiing. Several lake resorts stay open in winter to provide a beautiful lakeside setting in the snow, with nearby winter ski and sled trails.
As you travel north, many residents and vacationers use their snowmobiles as a mode of transportation, which is evident when you see the vast network of Maine snowmobile trails and parking spots filled with winter ATVs and “snow machines” — as Mainers refer to them.
Annual Maine Lake Events
Maine’s lakes also host some of the best festivals in Maine — like the Maine Lakes Brew Fest each fall on Sebago, the mid-winter Mushers Bowl and Winter Carnival in Bridgton, the Snowdeo on Rangeley Lake every January, and the mid-summer Casco Days and Blueberry Festival near Sebago Lake.