Lake Buel is just south of MA-57 and east of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is surrounded by many summer homes and a few dozen year-round homes in about a dozen separate, tight-knit neighborhoods, each with its own private or semi-private road.

The Lake is named after Samuel C. Buel of the town of Tyringham who saved people from drowning on the Lake on July 23, 1812. At the time, it was known as Six Mile Pond. The northern shore of the Lake is in the town of Monterey and the southern shore is in Mew Marlborough.

By the 1870s, the lake became a major summer attraction. It started with George N. Gibson at what became known as Gibson Grove with picnicking, swimming, boat launch, and more. By 1875 Turners Landing was up and running with carnivals with tenting, cottages, and rooms to rent. Bigford’s Landing was established in 1910. It had its own launch, a restaurant, and camps. Miami Beach, an amusement and swimming resort, opened on the north shore of the Lake about 1925. The main building was destroyed by fire in 1947. The Littlecrest Inn, which boarded summer guests, started in 1937. It included individual cabins. It closed in 1959. Hebert’s Beach opened in 1946. It included a large hall, which hosted square dances. In 1955, the building was converted into a 7-unit motel later converted to apartments.

The boat ramp is owned by the Public Access Board and managed by the Division of Forests and Parks. This paved area can park up to 30 vehicles and can handle all but the largest trailer boats. An aquatic weed removal machine that is used on the lake is kept by the boat ramp.