When the mercury is rising, many people pack up their gear and families and head toward the lakes in Iowa. These travelers have many options for lodging or lake vacation rentals in Iowa. If roughing it is not an option or a grand resort is out of reach, don't worry. The range of choices for Iowa lake lodging is vast, fitting all kinds of budgets. Iowa lake resorts, rustic cabins, and hotels near Iowa lakes all welcome vacationers.

The collection of Iowa lake resorts caters to their guests with attentive service, comfortable accommodations, dining options, and a full line up of activities. Many of the resorts are clustered along the Great Lakes of Iowa, including Okoboji Lake and Spirit Lake. For more than 80 years, vacationers have flocked to Fillenwarth Beach, a resort along the shore of West Lake Okoboji in Arnolds Park. Just two miles from the amusement park, this fine example of Iowa lake resorts has ample rentals and offers several complimentary activities to its guests, including cruises, canoeing, and swimming.

Manhattan Beach Resort in Spirit Lake is open all year, which is unusual for Iowa lake lodging providers. Along with the regular fun things to do in the summer, resort guests can come to watch mother nature put on a show in fall or enjoy the serenity of a winter vacation. If traditional accommodations are more your speed, there are plenty of hotels near Iowa lakes that will be right up your alley. There's an array of hotels in Spirit Lake where visitors can stay when exploring the Okoboji region.

Iowa Map

When planning on where to anchor after a day's worth of fun, lake vacation rentals in Iowa nicely fit the bill. There are many of options for Iowa lake lodging alongside and not far from Rathbun Lake. Just outside Centerville is one of the biggest and most popular lake destinations in the southern half of Iowa. Honey Creek Resort State Park features one of Iowa's newest luxury hotels. The main lodge, designed to have a feeling of a classic northern retreat, gives visitors modern amenities, including one of the state's indoor waterparks. Guests can get outdoors and enjoy Rathbun Lake, including the nature programs, boat ramps, marinas, swimming coves, and hiking rails. The shores of the lake are beautiful too, with rich forests crisscrossed by hiking trails.

Those planning on lake vacation rentals in Iowa will also find an array of choices in Clear Lake, the town that shares its name with its lake. There's a number of hotels near Iowa lakes, and Clear Lake is no exception. Vacationers also can rent cabins and go camping while enjoying the scenery in this north-central Iowa community. The list of things to do includes visiting the Surf Ballroom, where Buddy Holly played his last concert before his tragic death. A small memorial to Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens isn't far away, placed at the site of the plane crash. Clear Lake visitors also can take a ride on an authentic paddle-wheel boat that once plied the waters of the Missouri River before coming to Clear Lake.