Somerset named one of the 12 best boating cities in the U.S.

Lake Cumberland’s primary gateway earns BoatBooker designation for second consecutive year

Som­er­set has once again earned nation­al recog­ni­tion as one of the 12 Best Boat­ing Cities in the Unit­ed States, secur­ing a spot on BoatBooker’s list for the sec­ond year in a row.

The des­ig­na­tion high­lights Somerset’s role as the pri­ma­ry gate­way to Lake Cum­ber­land, one of the largest and most cel­e­brat­ed boat­ing lakes in the coun­try. With 65,000 sur­face acres of water and more than 1,200 miles of shore­line, Lake Cum­ber­land offers an excep­tion­al range of on-the-water expe­ri­ences, includ­ing pon­toon and house­boat rentals, scenic sight­see­ing, pri­vate coves, and guid­ed fish­ing trips tar­get­ing bass, crap­pie, and cat­fish.

“Being named one of the best boat­ing cities in the nation — again — is a tremen­dous hon­or for Som­er­set and all of Pulas­ki Coun­ty,” said Michelle Allen, exec­u­tive direc­tor of Lake Cum­ber­land Tourism. “This recog­ni­tion reflects not only the size and beau­ty of Lake Cum­ber­land, but also the qual­i­ty, acces­si­bil­i­ty, and vari­ety of expe­ri­ences avail­able here. Vis­i­tors can explore miles of shore­line, dis­cov­er qui­et coves, and enjoy the lake in a way that feels both expan­sive and wel­com­ing.”

Boat­Book­er, the world’s lead­ing mar­ket­place for book­ing boat tours, eval­u­ates des­ti­na­tions based on fac­tors such as the diver­si­ty and qual­i­ty of boat­ing expe­ri­ences, trav­el­er inter­est and book­ing trends, acces­si­bil­i­ty of water­ways, insights from local cap­tains, and over­all tourism momen­tum. Som­er­set-Pulas­ki Coun­ty has had a record-break­ing sea­son in vis­i­tor spend­ing, with lev­els increas­ing by 27 per­cent over the last sev­en years.

For 2026, Som­er­set ranked along­side some of the most well-known recre­ation­al water com­mu­ni­ties in the Unit­ed States, includ­ing South Lake Tahoe, Cal­i­for­nia, and St. Peters­burg, Flori­da, rein­forc­ing its grow­ing nation­al pro­file as a pre­mier boat­ing des­ti­na­tion. Som­er­set already has a strong con­nec­tion to St. Peters­burg, as it is home to Horse Sol­dier Bour­bon and its flag­ship restau­rant, The Urbon Still­house. Horse Sol­dier, America’s fastest-grow­ing pre­mi­um bour­bon brand, is build­ing its dis­tillery in Som­er­set, with a planned open­ing on July 4, 2026. The Urban Still­house Som­er­set, a fine din­ing expe­ri­ence fea­tur­ing sea­son­al Amer­i­can cui­sine and craft cock­tails, is open and serv­ing cus­tomers in down­town Som­er­set on Foun­tain Square.

Beyond the lake, Som­er­set enhances the vis­i­tor expe­ri­ence with a vibrant mix of fes­ti­vals, parks, trails, din­ing, shop­ping, and live enter­tain­ment — offer­ing trav­el­ers plen­ty to enjoy both on and off the water.

“Down­town Som­er­set adds a lev­el of ener­gy and authen­tic­i­ty that sets our com­mu­ni­ty apart,” said Leslie Ikerd, exec­u­tive direc­tor of See Som­er­set Tourism. “Vis­i­tors can spend the day on the lake and then ven­ture down­town for great local restau­rants, live music, unique shops, out­door art, and com­mu­ni­ty events. That com­bi­na­tion of adven­ture, cul­ture, and nightlife builds an atmos­phere that is tru­ly spe­cial for peo­ple who live and vis­it Som­er­set.”

Somerset’s con­tin­ued inclu­sion on BoatBooker’s annu­al list under­scores the strength of Lake Cumberland’s boat­ing com­mu­ni­ty and the community’s rep­u­ta­tion as an authen­tic and expe­ri­ence-rich des­ti­na­tion, Allen said. 

“Lake Cum­ber­land brings peo­ple here, but the full Som­er­set-Pulas­ki Coun­ty expe­ri­ence is what keeps them com­ing back,” Allen said. “Our boat­ing com­mu­ni­ty, our attrac­tions, and our gen­uine hos­pi­tal­i­ty make this place stand out.”

See the full list of best boat­ing cities in the U.S.