List of summer colonies

The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean, lakes, or mountains of New England, the Northeast United States, or the Great Lakes.

While some have roots in the 18th Century, many began in the 19th Century with the development of railroads and steamships and expanded with the invention of the automobile.

Many of these historic communities are considered quiet bastions of old money, though some, such as The Hamptons, are now well known for their celebrity-driven social scenes. Additionally, their economies tend to be driven largely by this tourist trade, particularly those communities that are remote or on islands. Some summer colonies within sufficient proximity to an urban center, such as Lake Bluff, Illinois or Denville, New Jersey, may eventually become a year-round commuter town, while retaining the original character.

In Canada, the term cottage country is often preferred.

Well-known summer colonies in North America

United States

California

Balboa Island
Big Sur
Avalon (an area in Catalina Island)
Lake Tahoe
Lower Russian River Area
Malibu Beach Colony
Mendocino
Montecito (an area in Santa Barbara)
Newport Peninsula (an area in Newport Beach)
Stinson Beach
Palm Springs

Connecticut

Blue Lake (an area in North Stonington)
Candlewood Lake (an area in Fairfield County)
Fenwick (an area in Old Saybrook)
Gold Coast (an area in Fairfield County)
Lake Lillinonah
Litchfield Hills
New London

Delaware

Bethany Beach
Dewey Beach
Fenwick Island
Lewes
Rehoboth Beach

Georgia

St. Simons
Sea Island
Jekyll Island

Illinois

Chain O'Lakes
Lake Bluff
Lake Forest

Maine

Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island
The Mid Coast, including Boothbay Harbor, Camden, Rockport and Islesboro
The Southern Maine Coast, including (from south to north)
Kittery
York
Ogunquit
Moody Beach (a section of Wells)
Kennebunk/Kennebunkport
Biddeford Pool
Old Orchard Beach
North Haven
Vinalhaven
Winter Harbor, Grindstone Neck

Maryland

Cambridge
Easton
Ocean City
St. Michaels

Massachusetts

Cape Cod
Duxbury
Gloucester
Great Barrington
Lenox
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Marblehead
Marion
Martha's Vineyard
Nantucket
Padanaram, South Dartmouth
Plymouth
Rockport
Beverly Farms

Michigan

Baldwin
Beaver Island
Charlevoix
Grand Haven
Harbor Springs
Mackinac Island
New Buffalo/Union Pier/Grand Beach
Lake Michigamme
Petoskey
Saugatuck
South Haven
Traverse City

Minnesota

Lake Minnetonka

Missouri

Lake of the Ozarks

New Hampshire

Cornish
Jackson
Holderness
Little Boar's Head
Sugar Hill
Wolfeboro

New Jersey

Listed from north to south:

Franklin Lakes
Denville
Rumson
Elberon
Deal
Allenhurst
Loch Arbour
Spring Lake
Sea Girt
Barnegat Peninsula, including:
Point Pleasant Beach
Bay Head
Mantoloking
Lavallette
Island Heights
Long Beach Island, including:
Barnegat Light
Loveladies
North Beach
Harvey Cedars
Beach Haven
Brigantine
Longport
Avalon
Stone Harbor
Cape May

New York

Adirondacks
Chautauqua
East Marion
Fire Island
Cherry Grove
Fire Island Pines
Fishers Island
The Hamptons, including (depending on definition):
Southampton
Water Mill
Bridgehampton
East Hampton
Sagaponack
Sag Harbor
Amagansett
Montauk
Lake George
Lake Placid
Putnam County, New York
Brewster
Putnam Lake
Thousand Islands

North Carolina

Listed from north to south:

Roaring Gap
Little Switzerland
Bodie Island including:
Carova
Corolla
Duck
Southern Shores
Kitty Hawk
Kill Devil Hills
Nags Head
Hatteras Island including:
Rodanthe
Waves
Salvo
Avon
Buxton
Frisco
Hatteras
Ocracoke Island
Crystal Coast including:
Atlantic Beach
Pine Knoll Shores
Indian Beach
Salter Path
Emerald Isle
Topsail Island including:
North Topsail Beach
Surf City
Topsail Beach
Figure Eight Island
Wrightsville Beach
Pleasure Island including:
Carolina Beach
Kure Beach
Bald Head Island
Oak Island
Holden Beach
Ocean Isle Beach

Ohio

Kelleys Island
Lakeside
Marblehead
Middle Bass Island
South Bass Island
Vermilion

Pennsylvania

Pocono Mountains
Erie

Rhode Island

Block Island
Little Compton
Narragansett
Newport
Watch Hill

Virginia

Colonial Beach
Chincoteague
Deltaville
Gwynn's Island
Hot Springs
Sandbridge
Warm Springs

Washington

Seabrook*

Rosario Resort and Spa, Orcas Island, was a hangout for John Wayne. The Wayne family's summers were often spent in the waters off the Pacific Northwest coast, from Seattle to the San Juans.

Wisconsin

Door County
Eagle River
Elkhart Lake
Green Lake
Lake Geneva
Madeline Island
Manitowish Waters
Minocqua
Twin Lakes

Canada

Prince Edward Island

Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

Nova Scotia

Bras d'Or Lake
Annapolis Royal
Lunenburg County

New Brunswick

St. Andrews

Quebec

Eastern Townships
Laurentides
Outaouais

Ontario

Central Ontario, including:
Parry Sound-Muskoka-Haliburton
Kawartha Lakes
Bancroft and Northern Hastings County
Ottawa Valley
Eastern Ontario
Rideau Lakes
Prince Edward County
Northwestern Ontario
Kenora, Ontario

Manitoba

Whiteshell Provincial Park
Eastern Manitoba
Interlake
Riding Mountain National Park
Onanole
Wasagaming