The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States and Canada, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean or mountains of New England or the Great Lakes. 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.
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
Blue Lake (an area in North Stonington)
Fenwick (an area in Old Saybrook)
Bethany Beach
Dewey Beach
Fenwick Island
Lewes
Rehoboth Beach
Maine
Bar Harbor (includes Northeast Harbor)
Boothbay Harbor
Camden (includes Rockport)
Islesboro (includes Dark Harbor)
Kennebunkport
North Haven
Vinalhaven
Winter Harbor, Grindstone Neck
York Harbor
Maryland
Cambridge
Easton
Ocean City
St. Michaels
Cape Cod
Duxbury
Great Barrington
Lenox
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Marblehead
Marion
Martha's Vineyard
Nantucket
Padanaram, South Dartmouth
Plymouth
Provincetown
Rockport
Beverly Farms
Beaver Island
Charlevoix
Grand Haven
Harbor Springs
Mackinac Island
New Buffalo/Union Pier/Grand Beach
Petoskey
Saugatuck
South Haven
Traverse City
Lake Minnetonka
Jackson
Little Boar's Head
Sugar Hill
Wolfeboro
Listed from north to south:
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
Fire Island
Fishers Island
The Hamptons, including (depending on definition):
Southampton
Water Mill
Bridgehampton
East Hampton
Sagaponack
Sag Harbor
Amagansett
Montauk
Shelter Island
Lake George
East Marion
Lake Placid
Adirondacks
Thousand Islands
Kelleys Island
Lakeside
Marblehead
Middle Bass Island
South Bass Island
Vermilion
Pocono Mountains
Erie
Rhode Island
Block Island
Little Compton
Narragansett
Newport
Watch Hill
Seabrook*
Rosario Resort and Spa, Orcas Island, was a hangout for John Wayne. The Wayne family summers were often spent in the waters off the Pacific Northwest coast, from Seattle to the San Juans.
Door County
Green Lake
Lake Geneva
Madeline Island
Baddeck / Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia
Campobello Island / St. Andrews, New Brunswick
Cap-Pelé / Shediac, New Brunswick
Charlevoix, Quebec
Chester / Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
Eastern Townships, Quebec
Kenora, northwestern Ontario
Muskoka, Ontario
Crystal Beach, Ontario
Harbour Island, Bahamas
