If there’s anything better than a boating adventure, it’s one that you share with your family. Destinations that cater to such adventures combine many things. Sometimes it’s fishing. Some places feature days on the sandbar. Others combine on-water activities with a whole host of visitor experiences. Whatever flavor of family boating adventure you fancy, what follows is a cross-section of some of America’s best.
Branson, Missouri- Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo
Branson, Missouri is something of a wonderland of family boating adventure. Its on-water activities take place in Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo.
The bass fishing in Table Rock is good enough to attract the national tournament scene. Lake Taneycomo, a man-made reservoir created by damming of the White River, hosts some really, really good fishing for rainbow and brown trout.
Complementing the boating options is Branson’s tourist infrastructure. Located in the heart of the Ozarks, the forested rolling hills are beautiful (and even have zipline options). Branson is also home to a visitor experience that includes live music and theater venues, museums (the likes of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, a Titanic Museum, and more), comedy clubs, restaurants of all manner, and outdoor-centric theme parks.
Branson offers an incredibly variety of accommodation options as well. Many are well-appointed for those trailering a boat.
Lake Travis - Austin, Texas
Billed as the live music capital of the world, there is much to love about Austin. The nightlife, restaurant scene, and Texan hospitality offer something for everyone.
Lake Travis is located just northwest of downtown Austin. Set about the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Lake Travis was created by damming of the Colorado River. Lake Travis’ natural beauty is complemented by bass, catfish, crappie, and white bass fishing that can be really good.
Lake Travis is home to a number of great marinas and plenty of boating options. Accommodations range from nightly vacation lake house rentals to luxurious, all-inclusive resorts.
Come for the sunshine and waterfront. Stay for the live music, Tex-Mex, and barbeque (spending a week in Central Texas will forever change your interpretation of good brisket). There is a lot to like about Lake Travis. The region is well set up for family boating adventures.
Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Lake Erie
Billed as “The Key West of the North,” Put-In-Bay combines family boating adventure, history, and plenty to eat, do, and see. The history of the place runs deep. In fact, the Battle of Lake Erie (which took place in Put-In-Bay) is considered to be the turning point in the War of 1812.
Far removed from the days of battleships and Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, Put-In-Bay now hosts a diverse and entertaining visitor experience. Located on Lake Erie’s South Bass Island, thousands of tourists visit the island each year via ferries.
It is also a great place to visit on your own boat. Lake Erie is home to a world-class walleye fishery, and there are piles of smallmouth bass and yellow perch as well. Once on the island, there are plenty of hotel rooms and vacation rentals. Call ahead to determine marina availability or dockage. If you visit the island by boat, you can rent a golf cart to take you around while on land.
The food scene is diverse and abundant. There is a carnival type atmosphere that emanates from the boardwalk. There is much to like and plenty to do.
Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter hosts an incredible array of family boating adventures. The boating options are endless— dinner at waterfront restaurants along the Intracoastal, the sandbars of the Loxahatchee River, cruising along Jupiter Inlet, and popping offshore.
Jupiter is as laid-back and relaxing as it is beautiful. The food scene is excellent—Little Moir’s Fish Shack is really, really good. Guanabana’s is a waterfront live music venue that features a diverse menu and well-rounded bar offering.
In the summertime the snook fishing in the inlet can be excellent. The mullet run that takes place in the fall produces epic fishing for snook, redfish, speckled trout, and more. In the winter, Jupiter sits squarely in the midst of some of the best sailfish fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.
There are plenty of accommodation options here, too. There is lots of shopping, wonderful beaches, good food, and really something for everyone. What’s more, you’re just up the road from Palm Beach.
Sitting just east of Detroit, Lake St. Clair lies between Lake Erie in the south and Lake Huron in the north. The visitor experience is diverse, equally capable of satisfying quiet relaxation and full-on party mode.
The fishing is good here and there are plenty of boat launches on the lake. In the summertime you can also raft up with plenty of other boaters, enjoying sandbars and the lake’s clear waters.
Aside from fishing and boating, there are plenty of festivals, concerts, and events throughout the tourist season. Combine this lively atmosphere with the ample food scene and you’ll see why Lake St. Clair makes the list of top family boating adventure destinations.