Lake Getaways Without The Crowds

Thick clouds blanket the sky over Missouri's Table Rock Lake, casting a gray light over Still Waters Resort. But no one seems to notice. Teens clinging to inner tubes holler as they skitter past 800 serpentine miles of shoreline. On shore, parents lounge over summer reads while their little ones "Zoom the Flume," whooshing down a green water slide into a swimming pool. A few pesky Canada geese waddle nearby in hopes of a handout, and a family pitches horseshoes under a canopy of trees near the playground.

The blare of nearby Branson fades to a hum on this quiet peninsula, where Chris and Tricia Boucher of Imperial, Missouri, have rented a one-bedroom condo for five nights to unwind. "It's like—you plan a trip to Branson, but you're not really in Branson. It's there when you want the attractions, but you're out in the lake relaxing for the rest of the trip," Tricia says.

Pictured: Guests use kayaks and pedal boats for free at Still Waters Resort.