If this was my property I would build a new dock with some nice seating at it to make it look like part of your property and stop worrying about privacy any solution for privacy will look odd and block some view

Excellent advice from Patricia. By "public" do you mean residents only? Investigate and obtain written permission. Beautiful home and gorgeous setting.

The panoramic view is often overrated. Your deck is kind of agoraphobic to me. I would rather see the implementation of the Japanese style unfolding view. A directed view can be much more interesting than a wide open desert style view. In my work I design a lot of lofts and I've learned that more is less. If you can see everything all the time it gets boring. Layered space makes a room look bigger because you don't know what's around the corner.

I would create some pavilions such as a gazebo, a palapa, an outdoor kitchen or a lanai to give some privacy and interest to this huge deck.

@Patricia - Forgive me for being blunt, but how responsible is it to suggest that someone spend the money to replace a public dock that's not theirs, and putting seating there, to "make it look like yours"?! And what are these people to do, if neighbors find the seating so pleasant, they begin using it .. and next thing the furniture "vanishes", when one of the neighbors has a party, and moves it over there?!

Thanks everyone for your advice! The dock and lake belongs to the association and is for resident use only. However, it's a nice spot for fishing , canoeing etc. I don't think in 5 years I've asked anyone to leave. I wouldn't want to prevent someone from a nice time with their family. That being said. I certainly would like to find a solution that works for everyone.

I don't know how long you have lived here but you might want to give it some time. I have a similar situation in that there is a public/homeowners only boat ramp right beside my driveway. At first I thought I would need more privacy but over the years I've found I don't mind at all. We do keep an eye on the property to make sure no strangers are coming around and in return our neighbors keep an eye out for us if we are gone. Living on the water seems to be generally more communal than elsewhere. If you want some barrier then I agree with tall grasses or some landscaping that looks natural. Your home is beautiful. I also have open windows without drapery and a visually minimal railing on my deck. I've just gotten in the habit of having a robe handy for walking around inside. Like you, I want my neighbors to be happy and as long as there's no big disruption I'm fine.

I would focus on "the view" from your upper dock, and use landscaping for not only privacy but also for visual interest around the ground floor deck. Awnings and shades are also nice not only for privacy but for shade to make being outside more enjoyable during certain times of the day.

The view from your upstairs deck is gorgeous. I'd suggest a nicely landscaped mix of tall grasses and evergreen shrubbery, maybe a few tall skinny arborvitae trees, just to mark the border and block the direct sight line from your first floor/basement(?) patio to the dock. I also like cpaul1's suggestion of awnings. A pagoda type arrangement might also work for you, especially with trellises. Try searching 'garden privacy'?

Update! The association decided to add railings to the dock on the weekend. Unfortunately, now the dock really draws the eye from the view on the main floor and blocks the view from the lower deck as seen in the picture attached.

I was thinking now of transplanting two white spruce trees that I already have on the front of the property. One is 21' high and 17' wide and the other is 17' high and 13' wide. I have attached pictures below. Thoughts?

My first thought when seeing the photo you posted was to use landscaping as a natural barrier for privacy. It would subtly give you what you need without seeming like you're trying to fence off your whole property.

The spruce trees are forest trees - they grow to 60-80' tall, and will block the view of the lake. They also may drop their lower branches eventually, and be expensive to take down. If you want evergreens, arbor vitae or something similar will not be as tall, wide, or lake view blocking. I presume the lake is what drew you to your lovely home! Good luck in balancing privacy and view - it can be tricky, but worthwhile in the end.

We have a cabin which also borders association right of way. The first thing I did was to start planting evergreen bushes along the property line. I understand how you want an instant screen but your spruce tree thought is not a good one. If they survive the move they will quickly grow far to big. I also am not a fan of arborvitae. If you get snow they seldom hold their shape. My goal would not be completely block the path and dock but to instead break up the uninterrupted line of sight. If you do a little research you should be able to find a list of evergreen native plants that would grow 6 to 12 feet. Then go find the largest ones that would fit your budget. If you feel the need for a real instant screen you could try transplanting your spruce on the outer edge of your property and then plant more suitable evergreens behind them. Allow the secondary screen to grow a few years and then cut down the spruce trees before they grow to large. With careful planning I have used fast growing sacrificial plants to fill a garden space "hole" until the plant I really want to fill the "hole" grow to size.

Perhaps hire a landscape architect??? These types of challenges are their business, education, & training. They should also work with the association should there be any concerns of what you are doing & why.