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The lake

Lake Lanier from Flowery Branch: the lake, the parks and who runs them

The short answer

Flowery Branch sits on Lake Lanier, the Corps of Engineers reservoir behind Buford Dam, with 38,000 surface acres and 690 miles of shoreline. The City runs Flowery Branch Bay Park, which has pier fishing but no boat ramp. Safe Harbor runs two marinas in town, Hideaway Bay and Aqualand. The City points boaters to the ramps at Hideaway Bay, and Corps parks managed with Hall County have paid ramps nearby.

Last checked October 17, 2026

Through bare early-spring trees and pines on a leaf-covered slope, a wide blue arm of the lake opens toward wooded points with exposed red-clay shorelines under a blue sky with white cumulus clouds; a single boat leaves a white wake, and a guard-railed lakeside road crosses the foreground.
Photo: Thomson200, CC0

Looking for a boat ramp?

Flowery Branch Bay Park has no boat ramp. Ramps, swim beaches, fees and seasons near town are on our Lake Lanier access page, with a matcher that finds the right spot for what you want to do.

The lake in numbers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the lake and still operates it. A Corps listing on Recreation.gov gives 38,000 surface acres, 690 miles of shoreline and over 100 small islands. The Corps counts 76 recreation areas, including 37 Corps-operated parks and campgrounds and 10 marinas. It also says the lake welcomes over 7.5 million people a year, which it calls the most of any Corps project. The lake is fed by the Chattahoochee and Chestatee rivers.

How the lake was made

Congress authorized Buford Dam in 1946. The Corps built it from 1951 to 1956 on the Chattahoochee River, about 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, and its power plant came online in 1958. The deepest water, near the dam, is 160 feet at full pool.

A downtown on the water

The City says Flowery Branch is one of the only, if not the only, historic Georgia downtowns on a lake. That is the City’s claim, and we print it as the City makes it. Old Town and the shoreline are close: Safe Harbor lists downtown about a mile from each of its two marinas, and Bay Park is about 870 m from the depot in a straight line. A train still runs along the water’s edge by Bay Park, on the rail line the town grew up around. The story is on the history page.

Flowery Branch Bay Park

  • Flowery Branch Bay Park has shore and pier fishing but no boat ramp. The City says there are boat ramps next door at Hideaway Bay Marina, formerly Starboard Cove Marina, and a train runs along the water's edge by the park. City of Flowery Branch: Flowery Branch Bay Park
  • The City's directions to Bay Park: take I-985 to Exit 12, go west on Phil Niekro Blvd. to Atlanta Highway, cross the railroad tracks and follow the signs. The park pavilion can be reserved; it has no lights. City of Flowery Branch: Flowery Branch Bay Park

Bay Park is the City of Flowery Branch’s lake park. You can fish from the shore or the pier and watch the boats. The pavilion can be reserved through the City, but it has no lights and the restroom is downhill. There is no boat ramp. The City’s directions: take I-985 to Exit 12, go west on Phil Niekro Blvd. to Atlanta Highway, cross the railroad tracks and follow the signs.

The two marinas

  • Safe Harbor Hideaway Bay is at 6334 Mitchell St., Flowery Branch, with wet slips, dry storage, a fuel dock and the FishTales restaurant. It lists Flowery Branch Park 0.3 miles away and downtown 1 mile away. Safe Harbor Hideaway Bay (official marina page)
  • Safe Harbor Aqualand is at 6800 Lights Ferry Rd., Flowery Branch. It offers wet slips, dry storage, a fuel dock and the Pig Tales restaurant, and lists downtown Flowery Branch as 1 mile away. Safe Harbor Aqualand (official marina page)
  • The City says Old Town is very close to several marinas, including Aqualand, which it calls the largest inland marina in the United States. City of Flowery Branch: History

Safe Harbor Hideaway Bay, 6334 Mitchell Street, is next to Bay Park. It was Starboard Cove Marina, then Hideaway Bay Marina. It has wet slips, dry storage, a fuel dock open daily 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, a ship’s store and the FishTales restaurant.

Safe Harbor Aqualand, 6800 Lights Ferry Road, has larger slips, dry storage, fuel, a service yard and the Pig Tales restaurant. It lists boat rentals through Freedom Boat Club and charters with Lord Nelson Boat Charter. The City calls Aqualand the largest inland marina in the United States. That is the City’s description.

Who runs what

Rules on Lake Lanier depend on who manages the spot you are standing on. Check with the right operator before you go.

  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: the lake, Buford Dam and the Corps parks. Van Pugh South Day Use Facility is run by the Corps alone and booked through Recreation.gov.
  • Corps parks jointly managed with Hall County Parks & Leisure: Old Federal Day Use Park and Old Federal Campground, Van Pugh North, Burton Mill, and the Balus Creek and Mountain View water access points. Hall County publishes the fees and pet rules for these.
  • City of Flowery Branch: Bay Park and its pavilion.
  • Safe Harbor Marinas: Hideaway Bay and Aqualand.
  • Lanier Islands Resort: a private resort across the lake by road, with Land Shark Beach and boating, paddleboarding and kayaking run by Margaritaville at Lanier Islands. Prices were not on the pages we checked.
  • Shoal Creek Campground, near Lanier Islands: the Corps’ operating schedule lists Lake Lanier Islands as the managing agency.

Lake places near downtown

What we do not print

We do not print lake levels, ramp closures or water notices, because they change from day to day. Check the Corps’ Lake Lanier day-use pages before a trip. To combine the lake with Main Street, use the day planner. Thinking of living near the water? See living in Flowery Branch.

Questions

Is the railroad still running through Flowery Branch?

Trains still run through town, but they no longer stop. The City says scheduled stops ended in 1957 and the depot was a flag stop until the late 1960s. The City's Bay Park page notes that a train runs along the edge of the water beside the park, and the New Georgia Encyclopedia says the line later became Norfolk Southern.

Source: City of Flowery Branch: Historic Train Depot

Can you get on Lake Lanier from Flowery Branch?

Yes. The City's Flowery Branch Bay Park has shore and pier fishing, but no boat ramp. The City says boat ramps are right next door at Hideaway Bay Marina. Two Safe Harbor marinas, Aqualand on Lights Ferry Road and Hideaway Bay on Mitchell Street, are in Flowery Branch and each list downtown as about a mile away.

Source: City of Flowery Branch: Flowery Branch Bay Park

How do you get to Flowery Branch Bay Park?

The City's directions are to take I-985 to Exit 12, go west toward Lake Lanier on Phil Niekro Blvd. to Atlanta Highway, cross the railroad tracks, and follow the signs for Flowery Branch Park, Hideaway Bay Marina or Fish Tales Lakeside Grill. The park pavilion can be reserved through the City, but it has no lights.

Source: City of Flowery Branch: Flowery Branch Bay Park

Which marinas are near downtown Flowery Branch?

Safe Harbor Aqualand is at 6800 Lights Ferry Rd. and has wet slips, dry storage, a fuel dock and the Pig Tales restaurant. Safe Harbor Hideaway Bay is at 6334 Mitchell St. and has slips, dry storage, a fuel dock and the FishTales restaurant. Both list downtown Flowery Branch as about 1 mile away.

Source: Safe Harbor Aqualand and Safe Harbor Hideaway Bay (official marina pages)

How big is Lake Lanier?

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers listing on Recreation.gov gives Lake Lanier 38,000 surface acres, 690 miles of shoreline and over 100 small islands. The Corps says it welcomes over 7.5 million people a year, which makes it the most-visited Corps project in the country. The lake is fed by the Chattahoochee and Chestatee rivers.

Source: Recreation.gov: Buford Dam Park Shelters (USACE listing); visitor figure from USACE Mobile District Hydropower page (Internet Archive capture of April 22, 2021)

When was Lake Lanier built?

The Corps of Engineers says Congress authorized Buford Dam in 1946, and construction ran from 1951 to 1956. The dam holds back the Chattahoochee River about 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta and created Lake Sidney Lanier. The dam's power plant came online in 1958. The Corps still operates the lake.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District: Hydropower (Internet Archive capture of April 22, 2021; live site returns 403)

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Flowery Branch

Living here

Like a Thursday at the market? See what living near it looks like.

Gold Peach Realty is the North Georgia brokerage behind this guide. If a day downtown has you thinking about a house in South Hall, a place near the lake or an easier drive to the mountains, our agents will show you what is actually for sale around Flowery Branch.

Visit Gold Peach Realty Call Gold Peach Realty (770) 283-1223

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