An official website of the State of Georgia.
"The Chattahoochee River, flowing from the north Georgia Mountains, meets Lake Lanier at Don Carter State Park, creating a unique opportunity for recreation and outdoor appreciation on the northern edge of metro-Atlanta."
Don Carter is the only state park on 38,000-acre Lake Lanier. Situated on the north end of the reservoir, the park offers outstanding recreation for water lovers. Boat ramps provide quick access to the lake and Chattahoochee River, while a multi-use trail welcomes hikers and bikers to explore the hardwood forest. Guests can stay cool at a large, sand swimming beach with bath house.
This park offers several choices for overnight getaways as well. Two-bedroom cabins are perched on wooded hillsides near the lake. One campground is designed specifically for RVs, while another primitive camping area is just for tents and hammocks. The campground and cottage loop is gated, providing access to overnight guests.
The park is named in honor of real-estate executive Don Carter who served on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources board for 29 years and worked to establish Lake Lanier’s first state park.
Reservations, Accommodations & Facilities
- 1,316 Acres
- 38,000 Acre Lake Lanier
- 8 Cottages
- 44 Tent, Trailer & RV Campsites
- 14 Primitive Tent Campsites
- 4 Picnic Shelters (Before making reservations, call park for capacity limits.)
- Boat Ramps
- Docks
- Fish Cleaning Station
- Sand Beach
- Playground
- Outdoor Fitness Equipment
- Gift Shop
Things To Do & See
- Biking
- Boating — private boats permitted
- Educational Programs
- Fishing
- Hiking — 14.5 miles of trails
- Horseback Riding (trail fee, weather permitting, check for availability) — 14.5 miles of trails
- Paddling — 8 miles of trails
- Picnicking
- Swimming
- Water Skiing
- Kayak, Paddleboard & Aquacycle Rentals — seasonal
- All-Terrain Georgia Action Trackchair
Nearby Attractions
- Chattahoochee Golf Club
- Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site
- Elachee Nature Science Center
- Flowery Branch, GA
- Gainesville, GA
- Hardman Farm State Historic Site
- Jaemor Farm Market
- Lake Lanier Islands Resort
- Moccasin Creek State Park
- Northeast Georgia History Center
- Quinlan Visual Arts Center
- Road Atlanta
- Smithgall Woods State Park
- Lula Bridge WMA
- Wilson Shoals WMA
Quota Hunt
Safety Zones Map PDF - If you have the Avenza PDF reader app on your phone, you can download the map, open it in that app, and it should be able to give you a location when you are at that site. Geo-Referenced maps are not always 100% accurate. They should be used in conjunction with, and not in place of, other traditional methods of navigation or personal familiarity of an area.
