If you're looking for a place to take a swim this August head inland. Yes, Maine has 3,500 miles of coastline, but we also have 2,500 lakes and ponds that are better (and warmer) for a casual swim. Here are 12 of Maine's best lake beaches:

Damariscotta Lake, Jefferson
Snuggled on the edge of the pastoral village of Jefferson, Damariscotta Lake State Park inhabits a seventeen-acre parcel of shorefront land on the lake’s northern Great Bay. This recreational area is accessed from Route 32, which runs north and south connecting well-traveled Route 1 and Route 17.

Lower Range Pond, Poland
The beach at Range Pond is a natural jewel within Maine’s most populated southern region. The sand is soft and spans two-tenths of a mile with all areas of the beach easily accessible by the promenade that borders its entire length. Several ramps make access much easier for wheelchairs. A plunge into the pond may result in hours of splashing and bathing amid water temperatures pleasantly perfect. Lifeguards staff both ends of the beach during prime summer hours.

Sebago Lake, Casco
Sebago Lake’s sheer beauty beckons visitors to plunge into the water on a hot summer day. Big deep water ensures cool temperatures throughout the hottest months. Sebago is the second-largest lake in Maine after Moosehead, and the deepest, with depths over three hundred feet.

Cross Lake, Square Lake Township
Cross Lake Beach is well tucked in two-and-a-half miles down the Disy Road, which is located several miles past the turn-off for the village of Stockholm. This road and waterfront property is owned by the Irving Company and includes a beach, picnic facilities, a boat launch, ample parking, and a primitive outhouse.

Moosehead Lake, Beaver Cove
Lily Bay State Park provides important access to Maine’s largest lake within a 924-acre parcel in the Beaver Cove Township. Dunn Point is home to Lily Bay’s beach area and is positioned on the eastern shore of the lake with western views toward Sugar Island in the foreground and the Misery Ridge mountains in the background. Jaw dropping, unobstructed, natural beauty abounds.

Sebec Lake, Dover-Foxcroft
Sebec Lake sits in the quiet center of Maine about six miles north of Dover-Foxcroft and is the centerpiece of Peaks-Kenny State Park. It spans ten miles, elongating eastward first into the Sebec River, then into the Piscataquis River, and finally emptying into the mighty Penobscot. Popular among locals and campers alike, this beach is well worth a trip.

Upper Richardson Lake, Richardsontown
The fourteen-mile trip north of Oquossoc on Route 16, locally known as Wilson’s Mills Road, is well worth the time and fuel. Keep your eyes peeled for moose on this isolated stretch of road, and plan on spending the day at this natural western Maine oasis, especially if you have a boat in tow.

Lake George, Canaan
Formerly Camp Modin, an overnight summer camp founded in 1922, this park has a unique campus feel with groomed grassy playing fields, a multi-use trail system, and tennis courts. An octagonal two-story building suggestive of a lighthouse, a relic from the park’s past, marks the access point for the multi-use trail.

Webb Lake, Weld
Webb Lake at Mount Blue State Park is nestled into a wilderness basin rimmed by Tumbledown Mountain, Little Jackson Mountain, and Mount Blue. Quiet and remote, this state park beach is off the beaten path. Rumford is the closest sizable town, seventeen miles southwest. Rangeley and Farmington are each about twenty-eight miles in opposite directions.

Branch Lake, Ellsworth
On the beach, assorted boulders and bushes provide an element of privacy. Several large rocks emerge from the water a few feet from shoreline, great places for climbing, jumping, or sunbathing. Still, there is plenty of sand, and swimming is fantastic with crystal-clear water, plenty of shallow area, and warm water temperatures through August.

Pennesseewassee Lake, Norway
The most notable features at Norway Lake Beach are several semi-private swim areas hidden among tall pines along the shoreline path toward the boat ramp. Each hide-a-way has a picnic table and a small swimming area with delightful sand underfoot. They are sunny in the morning and shady in the afternoon. Arrive early to lasso one of these unique spots.

Echo Lake, Mount Desert
On the beach, a wide swath of sand joins shallow clear water at the southern tip of Echo Lake. Unlike the ocean temperatures at Acadia’s famous Sand Beach, the water temperatures on this smallish two-mile body of water invite full immersion for hours on end. Shallow water extends far out making this beach especially suitable for children. Shade, thin woods, and rocks along the edge furnish alternative places for relaxing out of the sun and fodder for fairy house construction.



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