Beautiful and historic. The shoals are so much fun to slide and play in the water. Once a year in…read morethe fall they have a festival called Art in the Park! Believe me, you do not want to miss it! Be sure to save a lot of time for the awesome Village of historical buildings that have been moved to the site and restored. It's well worth many visits!!!!

park is nice but unstaffed most of the time and the area is bare bones. parking isn't convenient…read morefor the pavilions and having to cross the street to large hills with no stairs to access them from the parking areas is difficult for handicapped or limited mobility individuals. The river is fun for the kids but a lack of even a single park employee leads to many insatnces of crowds of loud violent groups taking over and running families out.

A hidden staycation opportunity that flies under the radar. Known for their boating and lake…read moreactivities but the other side offers a relaxed environment. Lodge/hotel lodging with spacious rooms with the treat of a Keurig in each room. A truly heated pool with poolside service or indoor or patio eating. Onsite restaurant with outdoor lake views offering buffet breakfast and menu dinners. A coffee nook offering fresh coffee/lattes along with patries. The topper is an onsite spa. Plenty of options on the property with golf, pickle ball, game room and water park.

I'm very surprised Lake Lanier has so few reviews. After all, it was one of the water sport venues…read moreof the 1996 Olympics, one of the most popular summertime destinations in the state. Most any warm season holiday is celebrated at Lake Lanier making it a popular place for vacation rental homes. Here you can go boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, golfing, as well as experience a fabulous fireworks show in the summer or Christmas lights and snow sleds in the winter. There is a spa, a beach, a waterpark, a luxury resort and good times @ Margaritaville. You can rent jet skis, go horseback riding, charter a fishing boat, rent a house boat, go camping or take a hot air balloon ride nearby. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and named for Confederate Army poet Sidney Lanier. Its primary purpose was for flood control and water supplies and has a water volume of about 1,049,400 acre-ft. The narrative will tell you its construction destroyed more than 50,000 acres of farmland and displaced more than 250 families, 15 businesses, and relocated 20 cemeteries along with their corpses in the process. But I want to pause here and dive a little deeper under the surface of its waters and introduce you to: [ OSCARVILLE, GEORGIA ] "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." ― Oscar Wilde Lake Lanier is partially located in Forsyth county. It is a county that prided itself on not having black residence so much that Oprah came to film an episode of her Emmy Award-winning talk show here in 1987 (trigger warning): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WErjPmFulQ0 The show makes mention that "no black person had lived in the county for 75 years", which was a direct reference to a predominantly African-American community known as Oscarville. It was home to 1,100 black people prior to a racial conflict in 1912 which was so brutally violent that it caused blacks to flee the county... even those who were landowners. "According to Elliot Jaspin, a historian and journalist quoted by the Digital Library of Georgia and the New Georgia Encyclopedia, only about 24 of the nearly 40 Black landowners in Forsyth County at the time were able to sell their land. The other properties have no record of sale, and some believe the abandoned land was simply taken by White residents." - The Times Oscarville began as a small farming town around 1870, but after so many fled the county in 1912, it was practically a ghost town. Those still claiming ownership of their land either had it seized or were "asked" to to forfeit their land to build the Buford Dam by Newport Dam Development according to an article published on April 6, 2021 by The Signal. Prior to the violence, Oscarville was actually known for its agricultural prowess in fighting off the boll weevil infestation that hindered many farm crops and enriching the soil with chicken feces. A technique that has been duplicated to this day to revive poor farming/gardening soil. "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." ― Aldous Huxley [ MUST WATCH ] Link to Oscarville | The Town Submerged by Lake Lanier (Intrigued Mind): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifMKfBO_R6s [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Lake Lanier is a beautiful lake and a rich resource for Atlanta. It provides approx. 70% of the drinking water for Metro Atlanta as well as power, recreation and businesses. But there is more than what meets the eye as you look across its glistening surface. An entire town is buried by its waters and has been nearly forgotten, and the hard truth is this is not an isolated story. There are several other towns across the country who suffered the same fate. They include: Kowaliga (Benson), Alabama Seneca Village In New York City Susannah, Alabama and Vanport, Oregon The story of Lake Lanier and Oscarville will be featured in an upcoming TV series called Oscarville - Below the Surface. Here is the link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVux8Y96cok Thanks for reading. 2022 / 59 #BlackHistorySeries

When searching for a good sunset view of Lake Lanier - we came up empty...or trespassing!?...until…read morewe found Holly Park! This is a FREE park in Gainesville for beautiful, lakeside sunset views! The park includes reservable pavilions, picnic tables and grills, sandy beach and fishing areas, and a small boat launch. Highly recommended for sunset views! Just be careful of the bumpy road with some major potholes here and there.

Great way to beat the heat this summer! Met up with friends from school and ate lunch in the shade…read more They even have private tables of we wanted them.

Great small outdoor venue. They get national talent. In the summer there's a splash pad and in the…read morewinter there's an ice-skating rink. Fantastic coffee shop with brunch,Indigo brewing with music. Tavern with dinner and cocktails. A pizza and sub shop. Ice cream shop and taqueria and Margarita bar coming soon ! Sugar Hill distillery with a beer garden across the street. Fantastic little area

I randomly found this park driving around Buford and it is a little hidden, but so beautiful. There…read moreis a $5 parking fee that is honor-based-donation (at least during the week) and there are only two separate parking lots. On one lot is a boat ramp and the other has a trail to the hiking area. It is beautiful, because there is an amazing view of the water and then as you proceed on you get hiking/woodsy views. It is a nice mix if you want to see both one day and you're in the Buford area. Maybe more people will discover it!

Overall, the sites at Duckett Mill are really nice…read more I am taking off 2 stars because they have really stopped managing the location and it's turning into a bit of a free for all. When we camped last year we were limited to 2 cars, 2 tents, and we had to tell them how many people we would have at the site, and were limited (also reminded twice that no alcohol was allowed). This year, our neighbors have 3 boats, 4 tents, 3 cars, and 12 people, half of which are drinking heavily. And blasting music that you can probably hear across the entire peninsula. So it's definitely not as enjoyable the way it has been in the past. Still great views, but the rules are a joke.

Beautiful park surrounding by Lake Lanier. Lots of paved and mostly flat ground if you have a pet…read moreor to walk to enjoy cycling. Almost every campsite has a lovely view. There's a public boat ramp, beach area and grills. This park is a lovely one stop shop for all!

As a resident of Dawson county, I was excited to learn that my grandson's U10 All Star baseball…read moreteam played a weekend championship series at Rock Creek Park. I was so impressed to see the condition of the fields. Grass behind the home plate and in the infield was perfectly precision cut. Bathrooms were impeccably cleaned throughout the day and we arrived at 7:30 am until 6:30 in evening. The concession stands were well equipped with hot dogs, pork plates and an offering of candies as snacks at reasonable-prices, so proud of these facilities. I'd even go as far as saying best facilities I've ever seen in the baseball circuit.

This very tiny gym gets 5 stars from me because it costs $25 for your ENTIRE FAMILY to join for SIX…read moreMONTHS. No contract and no monthly payments. It is super small- 2 treadmills, an elliptical, a few weight machines, a mat, and a yoga ball. I've never had to wait to use anything. Sometimes I have seen a couple of other people in there. The hours are good too. They have a TV. This cost does not include the classes that are sometimes offered. I have taken yoga classes with two different instructors and those have both been really great. My sister attends boot camp and it is also an amazing workout. The classes are usually cheaper if you pay for the whole month in advance. I think they run on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. So, they don't offer classes like LA Fitness or anything with a rotation of constant classes based on varying interests. I think they also offer other classes though. They have a great trail, and at the front of the park- like, it's hard to know it is even attached- their is a pavilion and a place to put in a kayak. Me and the mister have painted in the little pavilion. You don't have to pay to use the front part/boat launch, or the outside trail- just the weight room and classes. Also has a play area.

Aside from the Confederate Monument here, this square at the center of downtown Gainesville…read moreincludes several artworks. I recommend the "Solar System Walking Tour" that includes the planets and Sun with captions and information. The park includes benches and shade trees which were welcome on a warm late Summer morning. Street parking is all around and I had no trouble finding a spot for the Sprinter van. A parking deck is nearby - the van is over 9 feet tall so I couldn't fit. Lots of restaurants and shopping and coffee shops. [Review 20349 overall - 684 in Georgia - 1327 of 2023.]

It's calm and restorative! Also very quiet and therapeutic. It's a good place to walk looks like.read more