Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier is an artificial reservoir in northern Georgia that spreads across several counties and offers more than 690 miles of shoreline. The water ranges from shallow coves to deep channels lined with wooded hills and small islands.

Buford Dam was built in the 1950s to control flooding and generate power, submerging several small communities. The flooding reshaped the region and created a new recreational landscape that has drawn millions of visitors since.

The name honors Sidney Lanier, a 19th-century poet who grew up in Georgia and celebrated southern landscapes in his work. Today families from surrounding towns gather on weekends along the shore to fish, picnic, or take boats out on the water.

Boat ramps and swimming spots are scattered around the shoreline, some equipped with restrooms and picnic tables. The best time to visit runs from spring through fall, when the weather is warm enough for swimming and campsites remain open.

Beneath the surface lie foundations of old houses and bridges that sometimes become visible during low water levels. Divers report submerged roads and stone walls that recall the communities that once stood here.