Lake of the Ozarks Named #1 Recreational Lake in the U.S.

It was announced Friday, July 24 that Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks was voted the "Best Recreational Lake in the US," according to a USA Today readers poll.   The Lake of the Ozarks, which covers 54,000 acres with 64 billion gallons of water and features over 1,150 miles of meandering shoreline (more than the entire Pacific Coast of California!), beat out Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, Big Bear Lake in California, West Okoboji Lake in Iowa, Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, among many others for the coveted top spot. "We're just thrilled to receive this recognition," says Jim Divincen, administrator for the Tri-County Lodging Association. "We are blessed that the Lake of the Ozarks has such a variety of recreational activities, both on and off the lake, that appeal to people of all ages." Divincen continues, "There are so many ways to enjoy the cool waters of the Lake of the Ozarks and its tributaries, be it on-the-water activities like swimming, fishing, boating, tubing, wake boarding, paddle boarding and kayaking, or by taking in fun water-focused events like AquaPalooza, the Canine Cannonball and the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout powerboat races." The Lake of the Ozarks was among 20 lake destinations across the US selected by a panel of travel experts and journalists from USA Today, 10Best.com and other media outlets. Online voting took place over the course of four weeks, and although it was a close race, the Lake of the Ozarks received more readers' votes and ultimately won the contest. For a complete list of winners visit www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-recreational-lake/. "We simply could not be more excited," added Divincen. "This is a testament to what a great family-friendly destination the Lake is and why we have nearly 5 million visitors to the area each year. We're so very grateful and we would like to thank everyone that voted for the Lake of the Ozarks as the 'Best Recreational Lake' in the country." For more information about all the on-the-water fun and activities and Lake-area events, attractions, dining and lodging options, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) at 1-800-FUN-LAKE, or visit the CVB's award-winning website, www.FunLake.com.