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

We always stop here when we visit family. This place has everything from great views of the lake,…read moresunsets, if you are lucky enough you can see rainbows, trails, swimming to boats! Honestly, you can spend an entire day here and will be asking to return the next day.

Nice little park near Lake Lanier dam. Lots of pavilions, park benches and grilling stations. You…read morecan spend an entire day here. Plenty of parking, but you have to pay a small fee at the entrance.....I think it's $4.00 for cars. During summer time, this park gets really busy and crowded....obviously very noisy too, as kids are running around and having fun in the water. This place is not too far from my place, so early mornings, especially on weekends, I come over here, with my comfy chair, a nice cup of coffee and something to read. Nice, very clean and beautiful place. There are several boat rental companies, with small and large boats, ski jets and all other kind of fun stuff. Highly recommended!

Very chill and nice place to come hang out and swim. We went on a Saturday and I was surprised it…read morewasn't more packed during a summer weekend. There is a $5 for parking, unless you have a park pass (the America the beautiful one), which we did. You can't have alcohol and have to pick up after yourself. There's a little beach area and then a roped off part of the water that you can swim in. The water is nice and the view is nice and peaceful.

Stayed there last spring with a group of men. This campground need better restroom facilities in…read morefurthest areas of the camp ground. and a store!...

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.

I love this lake, u will catch something in a day if u go! Very friendly people! In the store as…read morewell very helpful! Its a very laid back place and please throw your trash in trash can or bring some kroger bags!!

Went here several times and spent a minimum of 8 hours each time. A waste of 8 hours. No fish or…read moreeven bites on most trips. The time I did they were very small catfish. The lake is supposed to be known for its monster cats but despite having the gear and bait for it, I have yet to see one. I don't see others pulling any in either. The owner seems nice enough and they do have overnight camping on the weekend but the fishing isn't good. I might give it 1 more shot at an overnight stay as other places I go the catfish do seem to bite better at night. Especially the bigger ones.

Nice park. I think the river and the playground area could use a bit of a clean up. There was a lot…read moreof over growth and fallen trees in the river. There was a lot of teenagers on the playground and there was teenagers disregarding the posted no swimming in the water.

We found a ring 11/30/2024. If you lost one message me with a description…read more We had a nice walk but I don't particularly care that everyone has to walk so close to the playground even if they are going to use it.

This park was beautiful. It is hilly in parts and the trails aren't marked well in my opinion. I…read moreenjoyed my walk overall and views.

Beautiful park, perfect for running or training. If you have kids, they'll love the playground,…read moretoo. I've been running the trail daily for the past week, and there's still so much to explore!

I contacted Wake Lanier 2 months ago to hire them for an afternoon with guests in mid-October…read more They confirmed the appt from 3pm to 6pm. I called that morning to confirm and did not hear back. They then no-call, no-showed and haven't yet followed up afterwards (2 weeks ago). It was pretty disappointing for our kids and guests. Maybe it was just an oversight as they were very friendly on the phone and we were slightly off season.

Wake Lanier is a really special and unique camp. This is the only one I know of where you spend…read moreevery day on a boat. My son had a blast. He developed social skills, athletic skills like balance and coordination, and tons of self confidence. Andy Still is the owner and runs the camp. Andy is a great leader and teacher on top of being a daring and skilled wake boarder. He makes sure the environment at the lake house is wholesome despite being filled with teenagers. Another bonus is that my picky eater was exposed to a lot of new foods and developed a liking for them. I was shocked when my son won the most improved award and got an Oculus Go!! That is the absolute best prize he's ever gotten. I'm so proud that I found this camp despite them doing little advertising. JD came back looking tan with new little muscles on his arms. I was initially afraid about him getting hurt doing so much high speed activity on the lake but now I think he was safer there than just about anywhere else. Wake Lanier earns 5++ stars!!

What a great place for a day outing or a week long stay on the clear waters of Lake Lanier…read more Facilities are what you expect from a Georgia State Park ..... excellent! Proximity to some of the islands makes it a great place to kayak from without to much worry from boats and jet skis. Although our time spent here is during the week I imagine the lake can be somewhat hazardous on weekends with boats everywhere. Regardless it is a great spot to spend time in the warm waters and just relax. One of our favorite Georgia spots.

As a desperation to get out, we decided to learn a new hobby - fishing. We specifically went to Van…read morePugh North Park. Park is nearby a couple of bait shops if needed and had plenty of boat ramps for use. No fees till October due to COVID. We've been fishing at various spots prior to Van Pugh. Finally lucked out when we were able to catch a couple of catfish and bass as big as my forearms. Tables and grill placements were spaced far away from each other as well. There is a beach area that's closed off, but the right side is open. Groups were respectful and kept their distance. Restroom were clean and park overall was well-kept. Great spot for fishing, camping, and playing in the water.