The state’s inland sea provides a convenient and affordable alternative to beach getaways with a vineyard, resort, hiking, U-pick flowers, farm-to-table dining and more
LAKE LANIER, GEORGIA—MAY 2026—The weather’s warming, flowers are blooming and farms are reaping their bounty, all of which make for a great trip to Lake Lanier and its regional cities in North Georgia. The region only 45 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta offers unbridled natural beauty and outdoors adventure, a unique combination of resort life and exciting water fun with farmer’s markets and farm tours that deliver summer’s bounty in both fun and imaginative ways.
Here, visitors experience a one-of-a-kind welcome to this must-experience lakeside destination. A new kind of welcome center is redefining the road trip stop in Flowery Branch. The Porch on Main blends a full-service visitor information hub with the charm of a front-porch gathering place, giving travelers a reason to slow down and stay awhile. More than just maps and brochures, the space showcases Georgia Made and Georgia Grown products, creating a retail experience that doubles as a celebration of local culture. Thoughtfully designed patios and porches invite visitors to rest, recharge, and connect—offering a fresh take on what a “rest stop” can be. With extended evening hours and a focus on both hospitality and storytelling, The Porch on Main reflects a growing trend in tourism: destinations creating immersive, community-driven welcome experiences that go beyond the basics.
Lake Lanier
After getting bearings at The Porch on Main, visitors can experience Georgia’s largest lake, also the most visited U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake—which means it’s truly something special. Surrounded by the North Georgia Mountains, Lake Lanier features 50-plus lakeside parks and 10 full-service marinas, including Safe Harbor Aqualand Marina, the largest inland marina in the world. Visitors will have year-round access to boating, kayaking, trophy fishing, swimming, sailing and stand-up paddleboarding but summer provides the ideal experience.
Lanier Islands Resort
Lanier Islands Resort (7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, Georgia 30518; 770-945-8787) is exactly that, islands within the lake featuring a resort that covers 1,200 acres and 27 miles of Lake Lanier shoreline. The resort includes paved hiking trails, pools, six new pickleball courts and boating excursions on the lake. Visitors may also enjoy more than 60 amusement games at the innovative GameChanger (7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, Georgia 30518; 678-318-2027), the resort’s family-friendly 23,000-square-foot entertainment facility with hours of fun that includes a dedicated kids’ arcade, restaurant, axe throwing lanes, escape room and more.
Golf
Now opened at Lanier Islands Resort is “The Six,” a unique six-hole, night-lit par-3 course offering gorgeous water views. The Six joins the resort’s championship-level 18-hole Legacy Golf Course ranked among Georgia’s Top 5 Public Courses by GolfPass.com and named Atlanta’s Best Golf Course by The Atlantan Magazine. Legacy and its clubhouse offers spectacular views of the lake as well as peaceful wooded landscapes.
The region includes several golf courses in addition to Lanier Islands Resort: the Robert Trent Jones, Sr.’s Chattahoochee Golf Club, the Chicopee Woods Golf Course in Gainesville, and the Royal Lakes Golf & Country Club in Flowery Branch. In Buford, Topgolf Atlanta (2935 Buford Drive, Buford, Georgia 30519; 470-822-1711) lets golf enthusiasts get their fill inside heated, climate-controlled bays that also features HDTVs, a full restaurant and a sports bar.
Margaritaville at Lanier Island
You can get a cheeseburger in paradise and drink Jimmy Buffett’s favorite spirit at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands (7650 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, Georgia 30518; 470-323-3440). This time of year, the resort gears up its Fins Up Water Park to deliver Apocalypso, Georgia’s first waterslide coaster with a 418-foot drop; Georgia’s largest wave pool; and Serpentine Storm, Dreamsicle Dive and Mango Mania water slides–plus so much more! Live music happens all summer as well. And yes, there’s plenty of water fun for the little ones and those who desire a quieter experience.
Hiking
In 1956, the U.S. Corps of Engineers dammed the Chattahoochee River, creating a reservoir lake that provided energy, flood control and water to Atlanta and other states. Corps, state, county and city parks line much of its massive shoreline, which means excellent hiking year-round. In addition, miles of peaceful trails surround the Elachee Nature Science Center (2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, Georgia 30504; 770-535-1976) and at Don Carter State Park (5000 North Browning Bridge Road, Gainesville, Georgia; 678-450-7726) on the north end of the lake.
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
The world-class Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta motorsports facility in Braselton (5300 Winder Highway, Braselton, Georgia 30517) is a short drive from Lake Lanier, attracting 500,000 spectators each year and hosting Motul Petit Le Mans in October. “Car and Drive” magazine chose Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta was one of the top six road racing courses in the United States.
Down on the Farm
Pick your own flowers and seasonal produce such as peaches and berries at Jaemor Farms (5340 Cornelia Highway/Georgia Highway 365, Alto, Georgia 30510; 770-869-3999). The farm now in its third generation sells a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, gifts. and plants as well as serves up delicious fare in its market and deli.
Visitors may tour Mountain Fresh Creamery (6615 Cleveland Highway, Clermont, Georgia 30527; 770-983-1MOO) to learn how their cows provide an all-natural, award-winning product, then sample their milk, butter and refreshing ice cream.
For a more spirited experience, visit Cloudland Vineyards and Winery (3796 North Bogan Road, Buford, Georgia 30519; 678-765-7945) to sip premium wines from their estate-grown vineyard on the centerline of the Eastern Continental Divide just above the Chattahoochee River Valley and the quaint town of Buford. Cloudland offer routine special events such as live music and visiting food trucks.
Events
Nothing says summer more than shopping for organic, locally produced foods at the Flowery Branch Farmers Market (5210 Railroad Avenue, Flowery Branch, Georgia 30542; 770-967-6371). This weekly market that runs May through September (and the second and fourth Thursdays October through April) specializes in local and regional artisans, crafters, bakers and food purveyors, in addition to the farmers.
If you go
A wide variety of accommodations may be found at Lake Lanier and its surrounding cities, from rustic campgrounds and RV sites to upscale resorts and rentals. For a unique experience, try a farmhouse stay, such as Heritage Home Place, an 1870s-farm house on a Gainesville family farm dating to 1802, or the Poplar Springs House on a 15-acre horse ranch. For information on these and other accommodations, click here. For a taste of the region, restaurants such as the award-winning Antebellum in Flowery Branch serve up exquisite dishes sourced from local farms.
For a list of summer events happening at Lake Lanier, click here. Journalists: for more ideas and downloadable photos go to https://www.travelmediapressroom.com/lake-lanier-georgia/.