LAKE LIFE · KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Dogs, grills and day-use fees
Leashes, charcoal, coolers and Lake Lanier day use fees on your dashboard. This is the small print that decides whether a lake day goes smoothly.
Bringing the dog
SIX FEET OR SHORTER
Leashed, always
Dogs are welcome in Corps of Engineers day-use parks and in Forsyth County parks, on a leash no longer than six feet. Owners are expected to clean up and dispose of pet waste properly.
CHECK THE POSTED SIGN
Not everywhere, though
Pets are kept out of restrooms, playgrounds, picnic shelters and designated swim areas at Corps parks. Forsyth County also keeps them off playgrounds, athletic fields and courts, the skatepark and the splash pad, and off Sawnee Mountain Preserve trails entirely.
County beach rules allow leashed pets while county campground rules bar pets from designated swim areas, so the sign at the entrance is the one that counts. When in doubt, keep the dog off the sand.
Grills and coolers
CONTAINED, ALWAYS
Fires and grills
At Corps parks, fires have to be confined to a designated fire ring or grill. At Forsyth County pavilions, small gas grills are allowed and some pavilions have permanent charcoal grills you can cook on. Never dump grease or spent coals in a park receptacle or on the ground.
ALCOHOL AND GLASS
What to leave in the car
Alcohol is prohibited in Corps parks. Forsyth County prohibits alcohol, tobacco, smoking and vaping at its beaches, pavilions, trails, boat ramps and docks, dog parks and campgrounds, and bans glass bottles and containers at those same facilities.
Lake Lanier day use fees
Which agency runs the park decides what you pay and when the gate opens.
FORSYTH COUNTY PARKS
$10 a day, $60 a year
Annual passes are 10% off at 55 and over. Kiosks at Charleston, Mary Alice, Six Mile Creek and Young Deer Creek issue a temporary pass; redeem it within seven days at Central Park, Fowler Park, Old Atlanta Park or the Sawnee Mountain Preserve visitor center.
Day-use areas run 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. March through October and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. November through February.
CORPS OF ENGINEERS PARKS
$8 a vehicle, $3 on foot
Boat launching is $8 and the Corps annual day-use pass is $40. Senior and Access passes waive the day-use fee. Several parks, including Little Ridge and Bolding Mill, charge nothing at all.
Day-use areas run 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and some close entirely for the winter.
Passes do not cross over. Corps of Engineers passes are not accepted at Forsyth County facilities that charge for access. The county also waives its standard day-use fees on a handful of days each year, including Presidents Day, Independence Day weekend, National Public Lands Day and Veterans Day.
The park rules, in full
Forsyth County publishes its rules by facility type — beaches, pavilions, boat docks, campgrounds, trails and dog parks.