America’s Sunniest Lakeside Destinations Revealed  

Looking for Fun in the Sun?  

• Big Bear Lake in California is the sunniest lakeside destination in America, averaging direct sunlight of 335.02 watts per square meter. 

• Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and Santa Rosa, New Mexico, are also among America’s sunniest lakeside spots.   

• California is America’s hotspot for a sunny lakeside getaway, with three of the top 10 destinations found in the Golden State.  

As Americans look to finalize summer and Memorial Day weekend vacation plans, Big Bear Lake in California has been named the top destination for a sunny lakeside getaway nationwide. 

Vacation rental platform Lake.com analyzed over 100 popular lakeside destinations across America, with only one location per lake chosen based on proximity and hotel availability. The average amount of direct sunlight that reaches a surface, or Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), was found for each location using 2023 data from the National Solar Radiation Database. Destinations were then ranked based on the highest DNI to reveal America’s sunniest lakeside destinations. Locations in Alaska were not included in the study due to a lack of data on the National Solar Radiation Database. 

Table: The sunniest lakeside destinations in America 

California’s Big Bear Lake tops the study as the nation’s sunniest lakeside getaway. Big Bear Lake has the highest average DNI at 335.02 watts per square meter (enough to power a small or standard refrigerator), meaning more direct sunlight is registered on average. The city averages 33% more direct sunlight than the state’s most populated city, Los Angeles (251.90 watts per square meter). Home to a lot of fishing spots, hiking trails, and the Bear Mountain ski resort, the small California town caters to visitors in every climate.   

Lake Havasu City in Arizona falls short of the top spot as the second sunniest lakeside destination in America. Located on Lake Havasu in western Arizona, the city averages a DNI of 314.13 watts per square meter, more than twice the direct sunlight of 18 different locations included in the study.  

Santa Rosa, New Mexico, is the third sunniest lakeside destination, averaging a DNI of 296.73 watts per square meter. Just north of the town, Santa Rosa Lake is a popular spot for fishing, boating, hiking, and camping. Direct sunlight is over 22% more common in Santa Rosa than in any location studied in the neighboring state of Texas.   

While Big Bear Lake gets more average direct sunlight than any other lakeside spot in California, both Clearlake and the metropolitan area of Hanford-Corcoran also rank high. In Clearlake, the average annual DNI is 287.86, whereas Hanford-Corcoran is slightly lower at 271.16. As well as enjoying the beauty of Clear Lake, the state’s largest freshwater lake, visitors can enjoy the National Historical Landmark, Borax Lake. For those staying in Hanford-Corcoran, Tulare Lake is a short drive away.   

Carson City, Nevada, continues the western dominance, ranking fifth. On average, the volume of direct sunlight is 278.27 watts per square meter, making it one of the sunniest lakeside spots in the country. Located on the eastern shores of Lake Tahoe, the state capital is renowned for its historical attractions, outdoor trails, and proximity to the popular lake.  

Oregon’s Klamath Falls sits in seventh position and is the final western location to feature in the top 10. The city enjoys a high rate of direct sunlight all year round, at 253.46 watts per square meter, more than spots studied in five other western states – Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Washington.   

Marble Falls, Texas, and Lakeland, Florida, are the only two southern cities to rank among the 10 sunniest lakeside destinations in America. Those in Marble Falls can enjoy an average direct sunlight of 242.54 watts per square meter on Lake Marble Falls, while Floridians and vacationers can spend time on Lakeland’s nearby Lake Parker with 240.48 watts per square meter.  

The city of Ogallala in Nebraska rounds out the 10 sunniest lakeside spots in America. With Ogallala Lake and McConaughy Lake nearby, Ogallala ranks high due to an average DNI of 240.34 watts per square meter. The city is also the only spot in the midwest to feature in the top 10, with Pierre, South Dakota, the next sunniest spot in the region due to an average direct sunlight of 220.57 watts per square meter.  

All 10 of the least sunny lakeside destinations in the study are located in the northeast, seven of which are found in New York. The state’s Lake Placid and Saranac Lake rank rock bottom of the study, averaging direct sunlight of 131.42 and 131.81 watts per square meter, respectively.   

David Ciccarelli, CEO of Lake.com, commented on the study, “As summer approaches and temperatures increase, America’s lakes are expected to welcome an influx of vacationers and tourists.   

“While the beautiful surroundings and activities play a key role in everyone’s vacation destination, sunshine and weather may dictate where you spend your summer. In fact, seven of the 10 sunniest lakeside spots are on the West Coast, indicating this may be where to look if you’re interested in a peaceful, sunny retreat.  

“As well as allowing for fun, outdoor activities like swimming, paddleboarding, and water sports, sunshine can also accentuate the natural beauty of your surroundings on vacation and enhance your overall mood and health by boosting vitamin D production.” 

ENDS 

If you use these insights, please link credit to https://www.lake.com/, as they are responsible for the data. 

Sources: 

• National Solar Radiation Database 

• Booking.com 

Methodology: 

• A seed list of 102 lakeside destinations was gathered from Booking.com. Only one town/city per lake was chosen – in this instance, the closest town/city was selected. 

• Each of the towns/cities was then input into the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRB) to find the Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI). 

• The following filters were used: 

• USA & Americas (30, 60min / 4km / 1998-2023) 

• DNI 

• 2023 

• 60 minutes interval 

• Include leap day. 

• DNI is the amount of solar radiation received per unit area by a surface that is always held perpendicular (or normal) to the rays that come in a straight line from the direction of the Sun at its current position in the sky. This helps reveal the places that receive a lot of direct, unscattered sunlight. 

• The DNI (Watt per square meter) was found for each area. An average was created for 2023 data using hourly values for every day of the year. 

• There was no DNI data available for Alaska. 

Full table: American lakeside destinations ranked by average volume of direct sunlight