Things to do at Lake Lanier 31
The water park, the light shows, the dam, the state park, golf and the venues people book.
Two separate winter light events get confused constantly. Magical Nights of Lights is the drive-through. Lakeside Lights Spectacular is a walking show on a different ticket, and it is not included in a Snow Island pass.
North end 9
Gainesville, Clermont and up the Chattahoochee and Chestatee arms.
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Atlanta Botanical Garden Gainesville
The Gainesville campus of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, on Sweetbay Drive a few minutes from downtown, open Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets are sold online and an Atlanta membership covers admission here too.
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Chattahoochee Golf Club
City-owned public course on the bank of Lanier, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. layout open since 1960 and walkable. Renovated in 2021 to restore the original greens. Summer hours 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., winter 7:30 to 5:30, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pro shop, range, putting lab and the Chattahoochee Grill on site.
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Chestatee Golf Club
Public course right on the Lanier shoreline at the upper Chestatee end, designed by Denis Griffiths, about 35 minutes north of Alpharetta on GA-400. Call or check the rates page, since weekend pricing is well above weekday.
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Chicopee Woods Golf Course
Public 27-hole course a few minutes off I-985, three nines called The Village, The School and The Mill, built with no houses on the course. Daily rates are posted on their site; good value and usually easier to get on than Chattahoochee.
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Elachee Nature Science Center
Nature museum with live native animals and hands-on exhibits, sitting at the front of the 1,440-acre Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve and its 12-plus miles of trails. Public hours are limited, Wednesday to Friday noon to 3 and Saturday 10 to 4, so check before you drive over. The trails are the main draw for locals.
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Georgia Racing Hall of Fame
Small museum in Dawsonville covering the moonshine-running roots of stock car racing and the drivers who came out of this county, with racing simulators and a gift shop. Also rents out as an event space. Call ahead for current hours.
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Lake Lanier Olympic Park
The 1996 Olympic rowing and paddling venue on Clarks Bridge Road, and the only Atlanta Olympic site still used for its original purpose. Free to walk around, with a beach and swim area, regattas most spring and fall weekends, and learn-to-row and paddling classes through the two resident clubs. Kayak and paddleboard rentals on site come from Lake Fun, walk-ups welcome.
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North Georgia Premium Outlets
Outlet center with 140-plus stores right off GA-400 in Dawsonville, the standard rain-day or shopping detour for people staying on the north and west side of the lake. Typical hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Northeast Georgia History Center
Regional history museum on the Brenau campus with historic buildings on site, including the 18th-century cabin of Cherokee leader White Path. Open Wednesday to Saturday 10 to 5; admission runs about $8 for adults, $7 senior and military, $6 student and free under six.
Mid lake 6
Flowery Branch, Cumming and the middle of the lake.
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Chateau Elan Golf Club
Forty-five holes across two 18s and a par 3 at the Chateau Elan resort, about 20 minutes east of the lake. Tee times book online and resort stay-and-play packages are the common route.
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INK, Interactive Neighborhood for Kids
Indoor children's museum built as a pretend town with a grocery store, fire truck, bank and dentist office. The standard rainy-day or too-hot-for-the-lake stop for families with kids under about 10.
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Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Road course about 20 minutes east of the lake that hosts Petit Le Mans, MotoAmerica, Ferrari Challenge and Drift Atlanta, plus club track days. Spectator events run most of the year and kids 12 and under get in free; race weekends fill the Buford and Braselton hotels, so book lodging early.
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Royal Lakes Golf and Country Club
Semi-private club in south Hall County near the mid lake. Public tee times are available for now, but the club has said it will go members-only once charter memberships fill, so call before you drive out.
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Van Pugh South Day Use Park
Corps day use area and boat ramp on the Gaines Ferry peninsula, one of the handier mid-lake launches. Day use fee applies.
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Windermere Golf Club
Davis Love III course from 2000 inside the Windermere community near the Forsyth County side of the lake. Private, so you need a member to get on.
South end 16
Buford, the islands and the water near the dam.
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Big Creek Park
Corps day use park on the south end with a sandy swim beach. Day use fee per vehicle; quieter alternative to Buford Dam Park on a busy weekend.
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Buford Dam and Buford Dam Park
The dam that made the lake, with a Corps park on the water side that has a swim beach, playground, picnic shelters and the 3.5-mile Laurel Ridge Trail. Day use fees apply to everyone, parking is first-come and fills early on summer weekends, and shelters are reserved through Recreation.gov except on the three big holiday weekends.
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Game Changer at Lanier Islands
Indoor entertainment center and restaurant on the Lanier Islands property with an arcade, the usual rainy-day backup when the water park is closed. Winter lodging packages sometimes include a play card for it.
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Harbor Landing Marina at Lanier Islands
The Lanier Islands marina, with daily pontoon rentals booked online through the resort marina site and houseboat slips. Day rentals only, no overnights, and the islands gate fee applies on top.
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Holiday Marina and Aqua Sports Adventures
Nearly 1,300 wet slips on the south end plus the main boat rental operation at that end of the lake, Aqua Sports Adventures, and two sailing academies. The Twisted Oar restaurant is on site. Rentals book out on summer weekends, so reserve a pontoon well ahead.
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Lake Lanier Luxury Houseboat and Yacht Rentals
Captained houseboat and yacht charters out of Harbor Landing Marina at Lanier Islands, with a fleet that includes The Fantasy, The Stardust and a smaller houseboat. These are timed cruises, about five hours including loading, not overnight stays; day trips end by 6 p.m. and night cruises start after 7 p.m. Deposits are non-refundable and there is a gate fee to get onto the islands.
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Lake Sidney Lanier Project Management Office and Visitor Center
The Army Corps office at the dam, worth knowing about because it is where you call for lake level, water release and park questions. Lake level is on a recorded line at 770-945-1467 and release schedule at 770-945-1466, which matters if you are fishing or paddling the river below the dam.
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Lazy Days Marina
South-end marina on the Buford side with slips and storage, close to the dam.
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Legacy Golf Course at Lanier Islands
The only course actually on the Lanier Islands resort property, 18 holes with lake views, plus The Six, a lighted par-3 course you can play at night. Tee times book online and a round includes range balls. Stay-and-play packages with Legacy Lodge are the usual way people play it.
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Margaritaville at Lanier Islands
The resort side of Lanier Islands and the main paid attraction on the lake, running the water park in summer and Snow Island and the light show in winter. There is a $20 per vehicle gate and parking fee on top of attraction tickets unless you hold a season pass, and the place is cashless.
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Tranquility Spa at Legacy Lodge
Spa inside Legacy Lodge at Lanier Islands, open to resort guests and to day visitors by appointment. Book ahead, especially on wedding weekends.
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Fins Up Water Park
The lake's water park, on the Margaritaville side of Lanier Islands, with a wave pool, lazy river, the Apocolypso watercoaster, an inflatable obstacle course, a kids' splash area and sand beach. Summer season, with the 2026 summer pass season starting May 9. Tickets start around $44.99 bought at least a day ahead versus $59.99 same day, kids three and under free, plus $20 per vehicle to park. Cashless, and lockers run $12 to $20.
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License to Chill Snow Island
Winter park on the same footprint as the water park, opening November 20, with the 575-foot Parrot Mountain snow tubing slide, an ice rink, carnival rides and bumper cars, and a snow play area with fresh snow blown daily. Buy adult tickets online in advance to save, and expect weather closures. The winter half of the combo season pass starts in early November.
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Magical Nights of Lights
Drive-through holiday light show at Lanier Islands, about six miles of displays with a radio soundtrack, running from mid-November into early January, nightly from 5 p.m. Priced per carload rather than per person, starting around $25 online in advance or $35 at the gate for a standard vehicle, with higher weekend and peak pricing, plus the $20 parking fee. Vans and buses pay more. Buy online and go on a weeknight if you want to avoid the backup on Lanier Islands Parkway.
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Lakeside Lights Spectacular
Walking holiday light show at Lanier Islands set to music, opening November 27. It is not included with a Snow Island pass, so check what your ticket covers before you go.
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Songwriters at the Lake Festival
Three-day songwriter festival at Lanier Islands, November 13 to 15 in 2026, with performances spread across venues on the resort property. Lodging on site sells out for the weekend, so book a room at the same time as tickets.
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