The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean, lakes, or mountains of New England, the Northeast United States, or the Great Lakes.
While some have roots in the 18th Century, many began in the 19th Century with the development of railroads and steamships and expanded with the invention of the automobile.
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. Some summer colonies within sufficient proximity to an urban center, such as Lake Bluff, Illinois or Denville, New Jersey, may eventually become a year-round commuter town, while retaining the original character.
In Canada, the term cottage country is often preferred.
Well-known summer colonies in North America United States California
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 Palm Springs
Connecticut
Blue Lake (an area in North Stonington) Candlewood Lake (an area in Fairfield County) Fenwick (an area in Old Saybrook) Gold Coast (an area in Fairfield County) Lake Lillinonah Litchfield Hills New London
Delaware
Bethany Beach Dewey Beach Fenwick Island Lewes Rehoboth Beach
Georgia
St. Simons Sea Island Jekyll Island
Illinois
Chain O'Lakes Lake Bluff Lake Forest
Maine
Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island"In the Imperial language of the time, Bar Harbor was a summer colony, and its local residents were natives" The Mid Coast, including Boothbay Harbor, Camden, Rockport and Islesboro The Southern Maine Coast, including (from south to north) Kittery York Ogunquit Moody Beach (a section of Wells) Kennebunk/Kennebunkport Biddeford Pool Old Orchard Beach North Haven Vinalhaven Winter Harbor, Grindstone Neck
Maryland
Cambridge Easton Ocean City St. Michaels
Massachusetts
Cape Cod Duxbury Gloucester Great Barrington Lenox Manchester-by-the-Sea Marblehead Marion Martha's Vineyard"Martha's Vineyard, that summer colony for the super rich and those who come to gawk at them" Nantucket"the transformation of Nantucket from decaying backwater, long since past its heyday as a whaling center, into a thriving tourist area." Padanaram, South Dartmouth Plymouth Rockport Beverly Farms
Michigan
Baldwin Beaver Island Charlevoix Grand Haven Harbor Springs Mackinac Island New Buffalo/Union Pier/Grand Beach Lake Michigamme Petoskey Saugatuck South Haven Traverse City
Minnesota Lake Minnetonka
Missouri Lake of the Ozarks
New Hampshire
Cornish Jackson Holderness Little Boar's Head Sugar Hill Wolfeboro
New Jersey Listed from north to south:
Franklin Lakes Denville 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
New York
Adirondacks Chautauqua East Marion Fire Island Cherry Grove Fire Island Pines Fishers Island The Hamptons, including (depending on definition): Southampton Water Mill Bridgehampton East Hampton Sagaponack Sag Harbor Amagansett Montauk Lake George Lake Placid Putnam County, New York Brewster Putnam Lake Thousand Islands
North Carolina Listed from north to south:
Roaring Gap Little Switzerland Bodie Island including: Carova Corolla Duck Southern Shores Kitty Hawk Kill Devil Hills Nags Head Hatteras Island including: Rodanthe Waves Salvo Avon Buxton Frisco Hatteras Ocracoke Island Crystal Coast including: Atlantic Beach Pine Knoll Shores Indian Beach Salter Path Emerald Isle Topsail Island including: North Topsail Beach Surf City Topsail Beach Figure Eight Island Wrightsville Beach Pleasure Island including: Carolina Beach Kure Beach Bald Head Island Oak Island Holden Beach Ocean Isle Beach
Ohio
Kelleys Island Lakeside Marblehead Middle Bass Island South Bass Island Vermilion
Pennsylvania
Pocono Mountains Erie
Rhode Island
Block Island Little Compton Narragansett Newport Watch Hill South Carolina
Aiken
Virginia
Colonial Beach Chincoteague Deltaville Gwynn's Island Hot Springs Sandbridge Warm Springs
Washington Seabrook*
Wisconsin
Door County Eagle River Elkhart Lake Green Lake Lake Geneva Madeline Island Manitowish Waters Minocqua Twin Lakes
Canada
Prince Edward Island Cavendish, Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia Bras d'Or Lake Annapolis Royal Lunenburg County including Chester, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg as well as First and Second Peninsula St. Margaret’s Bay
New Brunswick St. Andrews
Quebec Eastern Townships Laurentides Outaouais
Ontario Central Ontario, including: Parry Sound-Muskoka-Haliburton Kawartha Lakes Bancroft and Northern Hastings County Ottawa Valley Eastern Ontario Rideau Lakes Prince Edward County Northwestern Ontario Kenora, Ontario
Manitoba Whiteshell Provincial Park Eastern Manitoba Interlake Riding Mountain National Park Onanole Wasagaming
Saskatchewan Prince Albert National Park
Alberta Banff, Alberta Canmore, Alberta
British Columbia Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia Lake Country, British Columbia Whistler, British Columbia
Summer colonies outside of North America The Philippines Baguio
See also Hill station Summer capital Country estate Social season
References