By Mary Pieper, Mason City Globe Gazette

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa — Clear Lake has been named one of the 51 Great American Beaches by USA Today.

“Clear Lake is an iconic getaway town where a city beach and a state park beach packed with swimmers lie near the downtown’s cute shops and restaurants,” states the article in the May 25 edition of USA Today.

The article also refers to the bike path that winds along both beaches and loops around the lake and the nearby City Park.

One beach in each state and the District of Columbia was chosen by local experts for the list. Geri Boesen, creative director of Midwest Living magazine, recommended Clear Lake for the list.

“It’s a great, great honor,” Mayor Nelson Crabb said, “not just for Clear Lake but for all of North Iowa.”

Enhancement of the lake and beaches has been a joint effort by the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake, the CLEAR project, city and county governments, and the state as well as citizens who made donations, according to Crabb.

The retail shops and unique restaurants on Main Street as well as all the events in City Park also helped Clear Lake make the list, he said.