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It's worth the 15-minute drive north of downtown Salt Lake to sample what may very well be the finest small-batch ice cream in the Rockies, or at least Utah. Innovative flavors at this bustling shop in cheerful downtown Bountiful include lavender studded with chunks of honeycomb and mango sticky rice. Offerings change according to which ingredients are available in season.

There's often a line out the door of this artisan gelateria on Homer Spit that's operated by a passionate chef who studied the art of making this dense, richly flavored ice cream in Calabria, Italy, and has garnered numerous awards. You can choose from around 15 flavors, including some rotating seasonal options, such as wild Alaskan rose with local honey, and maple brown butter pecan with Alaskan sea salt. It's open till late on summer evenings.

Stop in at this cute little house next to the boardwalk and order an ice cream cone to enjoy at a nearby picnic table or as you stroll along the waterfront. You'll probably want to make it a two-scooper, so you can try at least two of the many flavors, all made right here in Boothbay Harbor. Favorites include coffee Heath bar, blueberry cheesecake, pistachio, rum raisin, and cinnamon gingersnap. You can go all in with a hot fudge sundae or a banana split, too.

Choosing your flavor of silky, premium frozen yogurt at this hip dessert café is relatively easy, as there are only a few flavors offered at any given time, unique though they often are (honey-grapefruit and mango lassi, for example). It's the formidable list of toppings that may leave you overwhelmed, albeit happily so, highlights of which include coconut-hazelnut cake crumb, organic sour fruity bears, marionberry compote, cold-brew bourbon sauce, and nondairy peanut butter magic shell. You'll find additional locations on Southeast Division and Northwest 23rd.

This popular creamery, located on a massive family-owned and -operated dairy farm since 1864, creates its own made-on-the-farm frozen desserts (that's ice cream!) daily. Choose from more than 30 "regular" flavors, like coffee almond fudge and maple walnut, and as many "special" flavors, like Caramalt and Sunset on the Peach (with a raspberry swirl).  This is not a nut-free facility.

Farmland surrounds this spacious creamery, which serves what many locals consider to be the best ice cream in Lancaster County. Flavors range from classics like cookies 'n cream to creations like honey-lavender; order yours in a waffle cone bowl. A complete coffee selection and a lunch menu of burgers, sandwiches, and salads are also available.

Proper Italian gelato and sorbetto here come in traditional flavors as well as more offbeat varieties like torched marshmallow s'more, mascarpone pistachio caramel, and mint brownie cookie. It's all made of milk from family farms, and there are new flavors every day, along with espresso and other hot drinks. If you are overwhelmed by all the choices, get the "mystery pint" and have the selection made for you.

This red-roofed sugarhouse on the edge of Lake Rescue has one of the best maple creemees in the state of Vermont. Locals Ann and Doug Rose have owned the sugaring house since 1985, and almost four decades later continue to uphold their destination-worthy reputation for award-winning maple syrup. Grab a jug of rich amber syrup to bring home, or try it spun into on-site treats like fudge and soft-serve ice cream.

This summer-only stand serves luscious artisanal ice cream made with local ingredients like fireweed, blueberries, and cranberries. Near the university, it's a favorite of locals—it can take a few minutes before you get your scoop, but the fun ambience makes the time go fast.

Lines can get long at this local, family-owned favorite for good reason: the lengthy, rotating list of ice cream flavors, from classic (coffee, black cherry, butter pecan) to creative (lime, banana peanut-butter fluff, cotton candy), means there's something for every taste and mood. The owner was inspired by the fresh, high-quality ingredients used in the rich, creamy ice cream and tropical fruit popsicles of the Mexican state of Michoacán.

This cute ice cream spot considers itself "farm-to-spoon," and makes everything entirely from scratch. A paper-scroll menu rolls out new flavors every day, including shop favorites SlumDoug Millionaire (curried peanut butter), goat-milk gelato, and Garden Basil, which has earned national acclaim for its unexpected, fresh-from-the-backyard taste.

Begun by a pastry chef from acclaimed HSL restaurant, this off-beat artisan icecream shop turns out exceptional all-natural soft-serve ice cream in a riot of interesting flavors (brown butter, spruce tip with salted caramel, apple cider sorbet, olive oil), along with "composed" cones with interesting toppings mixed in—like house-made cake bits, gingersnap cookies, and honeycomb. If you're looking for sweet picnic treats, pick up a pint or a slice of ice-cream cake. 

This spot serves locally made vegan and old-school ice cream done right, plus nitro cold brew.

Made in nearby Bucks County, Pennsylvania, since 2009, Owowcow's ice cream uses local and organic ingredients including milk and cream, fruits and vegetables, and cage-free eggs to create 12 signature flavors year-round and a dozen rotating specials. One of the company's five shops, the industrial-style space is worth the half-mile walk (it's a nice one) up Union Street for scrumptious flavors such as cashew caramel, blueberry lemon, and honey lavender. The creamery is one of a limited number of ice-cream companies licensed by the Department of Agriculture to make its ice-cream base from scratch.  

A chef and a sommelier turned losing their jobs during the COVID shutdown into a pandemic silver lining by starting this French-style frozen-custard company out of an adorable chrome trailer. Not only do they collaborate with local coffee, toffee, honey, and date purveyors, but they also offer unique flavors like lemon-blackberry streusel, kaffir-lime piña colada, and peppermint cookies-n-cream—all served by the pint and half-pint out.

This tiny parlor in historic downtown produces ice cream in big, bold flavors—think black currant tea–caramel, blueberry chip, and classic cookies-and-cream. They also bake dense and chewy cookies in interesting flavors, which you can enjoy on their own or in an ice cream sandwich.

Have an open mind and an adventurous palate when you walk inside this tiny shop as you won't find plain vanilla or chocolate on the menu. Rococo's has a rotating rooster of internationally inspired flavors that range from olive oil, rosemary, caramel, and pepitas to goat cheese, blackberry, and Chambord.

This now nationally known artisanal ice-cream shop began here with this still always-packed café in the Alberta Arts District and continues to wow the public with its wildly inventive classics as well as seasonal flavors (freckled-chocolate zucchini bread and green fennel and maple are a couple of recent examples). Locally produced Woodblock chocolate bars and homemade salted-caramel sauce are among the toppings. Expect a long line, but take heart in knowing that the patient staff works fast and cheerfully encourages patrons to sample the different flavors.

Sister company to next door neighbor Pop Pie, Stella Jeans scoops seasonal and signature flavors inspired by flavors from around the world, like mango sticky rice, ube and pandesal toffee, and Madagascar vanilla. It's a little pricier than the average ice cream shop, but even "standard" flavors like double chocolate and brown butter pecan are made with premium ingredients for exceptional flavor.

It may have the word "secret" in its name, but this artisan ice cream shop with a walk-up window and deck as well as a spacious indoor seating area has a devoted following—let's just say the cat's out of the bag. This is some of the richest and most delicious ice cream in the state, and there's always a great lineup of unusual flavors, such as Thai tea, roasted cherry chip, honeycomb, and strawberry buttermilk.

What started as a bright-yellow truck slinging out scoops and cones on NYC streets back in 2008 is now a Gotham ice-cream superpower, including two outposts on the Upper West Side (the other store is a few blocks away at  253 Columbus Ave.). Van Leeuwen produces all of its flavors just across the East River in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Favorites like vanilla, strawberry, honeycomb, and cookies and cream are made with fresh milk and cream, cane sugar, and egg yolks, but it's often the unique and downright weird flavors that keep ice-cream lovers coming back, like Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese flavors. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the vegan versions of chocolate, salted caramel, and mint chip, just to name a few, are made entirely dairy free using house-made cashew milk, organic coconut milk, and organic extra-virgin coconut oil. Of course, don’t forget to add hot fudge.

It's hard to miss this funky truck serving vanilla and chocolate ice cream in floats and sundaes.

Right in the town center, a hop and a skip from popular Hammonasset Beach State Park, Ashley's has flavors of homemade ice cream to tempt every tastebud. The business that began in New Haven in 1979 was named for the owner's champion Frisbee-catching dog, Ashley Whippet, whose favorite flavor was chocolate banana; if you're inclined to buy a pup-size treat—and even though Ashley Whippett loved it—chocolate is not recommended for dogs!

This build-your-own ice-cream-sandwich shop a block from Pacific Beach is a local favorite thanks to its homemade cookies and diverse array of ice-cream flavors, from mint chip to the bright blue "Bear Batter" made with brownies and sprinkles. Don't miss out on their hot pressed ice-cream sandwiches!

The Concord outpost of the long-running Bedford Farms Ice Cream shop offers many tasty, locally made ice creams. "Always Making" flavors include chunky chocolate pudding, green monster, and black raspberry, but there is also a list of "Sometimes Making" flavors, sorbets, and sherbets. You can also order custom ice cream cakes and pies with advance notice.

Ogling the assorted goodies makes for a fun wait in the often long line—likely running out the door—at this cheeky, old-fashioned candy and ice-cream shop. Most of the candy, including numerous varieties of fine chocolates and fudge, is made right here, as is the ice cream (60-plus flavors) and gelato (8 flavors). Folks congregate, generously scooped cone in hand, by the large "lobster" out front. Be forewarned: kids will clamor for "penny candy" and a cone.

Things can get weird on the flavor front at this cheerful Ukrainian Village scoop shop---goat cheese, moscato, and even basil have been known to make appearances. Suspend disbelief and give it a go; flavors rotate throughout the year, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a dud in the mix.

An updated ice-cream parlor that combines the best of American and Italian coffee and ice cream seems like a revelation: what took so long to come up with this idea? This is dessert adultified, but the kids will be happy, too.

You know your host loves you when they take you to this local favorite (with multiple locations). The Creamery incorporates only the best ingredients in its ice cream, including Madagascar vanilla and French cocoa; this year-round location also serves sandwiches and chowder. The mini-scoop sampler is a popular choice for newbies, featuring six flavors served in a banana boat dish. There are seasonal locations in South Yarmouth, Dennis, and at the Hy-Line ferry terminal on Ocean Street in Hyannis.

Just off the highway amid a small strip of shops with million-dollar views, Dave Berry and team serve pastries, coffee, milkshakes, and cups and cones of Oregon-based Cascade Glacier ice cream. Affogato (espresso with ice cream) is a best-seller year-round.