Editors' picks across 8categories — the dock with the deepest channel, the winery with the view, the restaurant with the right wine list, the trail nobody's on at sunrise.
A tropical-themed bar and grill in the town of Milford on the lake's southeast shore, serving pizza, wings, burgers, and bar-style seafood.
An on-water restaurant at Acorns Resort, reachable by boat or car, serving comfort food including elk burgers and steaks.
A local burger joint in Wakefield, at the lake's north end, dating to the lake's construction era in 1962 — known for hamburgers, pork tenderloin, and chicken-fried steak sandwiches.
A locally owned bakery and ice cream shop that opened in 2025 in downtown Junction City.
A craft brewery and restaurant in historic downtown Junction City with roughly 20 rotating taps and two in-house kitchens.
Over 12 miles of trails on the lake's southeast shore, including the 6.3-mile Eagle Ridge Equestrian Trail, the 2.2-mile Crystal Trail past an old quarry where small geodes can be found, and the Waterfall Pond Trail.
A working dairy farm with a retail store selling glass-bottled milk, cheese, eggs, and locally raised meat, about three miles west of Route 77.
A downtown outdoor market established in 2023, requiring at least half of vendor products to be fresh produce or seedlings.
A full-service marina inside Milford State Park with boat slips, a convenience store selling gas and bait, fish-cleaning stations, and self-operated pontoon rentals. A state park entrance pass is required.
A lakeside resort renting pontoon boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards alongside its cabins, RV sites, and yurts.
A free Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks facility near the dam with native-species aquarium displays, a fish hatchery, and a seasonal butterfly house.