Forsyth County takes over five more Lake Lanier recreation sites

Forsyth County is taking on day-to-day control of five more Lake Lanier recreation sites, a shift that could mean steadier upkeep, clearer operations and a more visible county presence at some of the lake’s busiest access points. The new arrangement covers Tidwell Water Access Point, Vann’s Tavern Water Access Point, Two Mile Creek Day Use Park, Keith’s Bridge Day Use Park and Long Hollow Day Use Park.

County officials said the new Challenge Cost-Sharing Cooperative Management Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was designed to improve recreation access, raise maintenance standards and strengthen the visitor experience while leaving the Corps more room to focus on capital improvements. Assistant County Manager Tony Tarnacki said the deal had been in development for months and would help Forsyth County bring the parks up to the standard residents expect while offsetting maintenance costs through user fees.

The five sites add to a broader county role already in place around the lake. Forsyth County said it already manages 12 other Lake Lanier parks, campgrounds and water access facilities, including Sawnee Campground, Bald Ridge Campground, Charleston Park, Mary Alice Park, Shady Grove Campground, Six Mile Creek Park and Young Deer Creek Park. That matters for regular lake users because some county-run facilities already require reservations or fees, including Sawnee Campground and Shady Grove Campground, showing how the county has used fee-based access to support operations at heavily used sites.

The agreement lands on a lake that draws several million visitors a year, according to the Corps. Lake Lanier has 76 recreation areas, including 37 Corps-operated parks and campgrounds, 10 marinas, 33 day-use park areas and 7 campgrounds, with other sites leased to local governments and organizations. In July 2025, the Corps said seven more parks reopened under one-year Challenge Cost-Share Cooperative Management Agreements, and officials said 64 of 66 total parks around the lake were accessible for the July 4 weekend. That earlier reopening effort reflected the same pressure now shaping Forsyth County’s expanded role.

The practical effect for park users this season is likely to be more county oversight at long-used lakefront sites that already appear on the Corps’ 2026 operating schedule. For nearby businesses that rely on steady lake traffic, and for residents who use the lake for launches, fishing, swimming and day trips, the agreement signals a push to keep those access points open, functional and better maintained as demand on Lake Lanier remains high.