Boat Ramp Guide

Best Boat Ramps on Lake Lanier: Free & Paid Access Guide

| 8 min read Guide
Lake Lanier, Georgia — boat ramps and lake access
Photo: Mahin Gonela via Google Maps

When the Army Corps of Engineers finished Buford Dam in 1956, they dammed the Chattahoochee River and flooded 38,000 acres of north Georgia farmland. Over 250 families had to relocate. Twenty cemeteries were moved. What they got in return was Lake Lanier — 692 miles of shoreline and the most popular lake in the Southeast, pulling in several million visitors a year.

That kind of traffic means ramp choice matters. Lanier has 57 public boat ramps, and exactly one of them is free. The rest charge a launch fee. Pick the wrong ramp on a July Saturday and you're sitting in a line for 45 minutes. Pick the right one and you're on the water before anyone else has their drain plug in.

Quick Answer

Lake Lanier has 57 public boat ramps across 4 counties in north Georgia. Only 1 is free — the rest charge a launch fee. The lake covers 38,000 acres with 692 miles of shoreline. 53 ramps are concrete, 74 are ADA accessible, and 155 have parking.

161
Ramps
1
Free
154
Paid
74
ADA
155
Parking
4
Counties

Every Boat Ramp on Lake Lanier

Sorted A–Z. Click any ramp name for directions, hours, and current conditions.

Ramp Name Type Fee ADA Parking Trailer
Aqualand Marina concrete Paid — ✓ —
Aquamarina Lazy Days concrete Paid — ✓ —
Bald Ridge Creek concrete Paid — ✓ —
Bald Ridge Marina concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Balus Creek Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Bethel Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Big Creek concrete Paid — ✓ —
Bolding Mill Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Burton Mill concrete Paid — ✓ —
Charleston Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Clarks Bridge Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Don Carter SP #1 concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Don Carter SP #2 concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Duckett Mill Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Flowery Branch Bay Park unknown Free ✓ ✓ —
Gainesville Marina concrete Paid — ✓ —
Habersham Marina unknown Paid ✓ ✓ —
Harbor Landing Marina unknown Paid — ✓ —
Hideaway Bay Marina concrete Paid — ✓ —
Holiday Marina On Lake Lanier concrete Paid — ✓ —
Holly Park concrete Paid — — —
Keith's Bridge concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Lanier Harbor concrete Paid — ✓ —
Lanier Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Lanier Point Pk concrete Paid — ✓ —
Laurel Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Little Hall Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Little Ridge Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Little River Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Long Hollow Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Lula Bridge WMA South unknown Paid ✓ ✓ —
Mary Alice Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Mountain View Park concrete Paid — — —
Nix Bridge Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Old Federal concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Old Federal Day Use concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Port Royale Marina concrete Paid — ✓ —
River Forks concrete Paid — ✓ —
Robinson Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Sardis Creek Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Sawnee Campground concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Shady Grove Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Shoal Creek Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Simpson Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Six Mile Creek Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Sunrise Cove Marina concrete Paid — ✓ —
Thompson Bridge Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Thompson Creek Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Tidwell Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Toto Creek Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Two Mile Creek Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
Van Pugh North concrete Paid — ✓ —
Van Pugh South concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Vanns Tavern concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Wahoo Creek Park concrete Paid — ✓ —
War Hill Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —
Young Deer Park concrete Paid ✓ ✓ —

Free Boat Ramps on Lake Lanier

One free ramp. Out of 57. That's it. Flowery Branch Bay Park is the only ramp on Lanier that won't charge you to launch, which makes it pretty special — and pretty crowded.

It's a unknown ramp with parking and ADA access. You'll want to get there early on weekends — before 8 AM during summer if you don't want to wait. Check the Flowery Branch Bay Park page for directions and conditions.

Paid Boat Ramps & What to Expect

52 of Lanier's 57 ramps charge a fee. Most are run by the Army Corps of Engineers or county parks, and fees range from a few bucks for a day pass to annual permits that pay for themselves after four or five trips.

If you're out more than a couple times a season, get an annual pass. A lot of the Corps ramps accept the America the Beautiful pass — same one that gets you into national parks and other federal sites. It's one of the better deals in boating.

Who runs what:

  • COE — 29 ramps
  • Private — 8 ramps
  • Forsyth County — 4 ramps
  • City of Gainesville — 3 ramps
  • DNR-PRHS — 2 ramps
  • Hall County — 2 ramps
  • YMCA — 1 ramp
  • County — 1 ramp
  • City of Cumming — 1 ramp
  • Dawson County — 1 ramp

Payment varies — some ramps have self-pay envelopes (bring cash or a check), others have kiosks that take cards. Check the ramp page before you drive out so you're not caught off guard.

Best Ramps by Activity

Fishing

Lanier's spotted bass fishing is what puts it on the map — the lake consistently produces fish in the 4–5 pound range, and the state record spotted bass came from here. For a fishing trip, you want a concrete ramp with parking that won't be full at dawn. There are 53 concrete ramps spread across different arms of the lake, so you can pick one close to the structure you want to fish.

Good starting points: Aqualand Marina, Aquamarina Lazy Days, Bald Ridge Creek, Bald Ridge Marina, and Balus Creek Park — all concrete with parking. Work the creek channels and points off the main lake for your best shot.

Water Skiing & Tubing

Skiing and tubing on Lanier means dealing with crowds, and a multi-lane ramp saves you real time on a Saturday morning. 33 ramps have more than one lane.

Best bets for water sports: Aqualand Marina (2 lanes), Aquamarina Lazy Days (2 lanes), Bald Ridge Marina (2 lanes), Balus Creek Park (4 lanes), and Bethel Park (3 lanes). Stay on the wider parts of the lake and away from no-wake zones near marinas.

Kayaking & Paddling

While Lake Lanier doesn't have dedicated carry-in ramps listed, most concrete ramps will work fine for launching a kayak or canoe. Look for ramps in quieter coves away from the main channel, and aim for early mornings or weekdays when powerboat traffic is lighter.

Tips for Launching on Lake Lanier

Get there early. Several million people visit Lanier every year, and a good chunk of them show up on summer Saturdays. Popular ramps can have 30-minute waits by 9 AM. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 7 AM is late.

Check the water level first. The Corps manages Lanier's level and it moves around — droughts and winter drawdowns can leave ramps too shallow or completely out of the water. A two-minute check before you hitch the trailer saves you a wasted drive.

Prep before you back in. Gear loaded, tie-downs off, drain plug in, trailer lights disconnected — do all of it in the staging area, not on the ramp. Everyone behind you in line is watching. Be the person who launches in two minutes, not ten.

Have a backup plan for parking. 155 of Lanier's 57 ramps have designated parking, but on big weekends it fills fast. If the ramp page says parking's limited, pick a second option before you leave the house. With 57 ramps, you've got plenty of alternatives.

Explore More

The Lake Lanier page has an interactive map, ramp filters, weather, and water level data.

Other lakes in the area — all Georgia boat ramps or pick one nearby:

Chestatee River (2) Fort Yargo Lake (2) Unicoi Lake (2) Toccoa River (6) Lake Oconee (14)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many boat ramps are on Lake Lanier?
Lake Lanier has 57 public boat ramps across 4 counties. 1 are free, 154 charge a fee, and 74 are ADA accessible.
Are there free boat ramps on Lake Lanier?
There is 1 free boat ramp on Lake Lanier out of 57 total. The remaining 52 ramps charge a launch fee, most managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
What is the best boat ramp on Lake Lanier?
It depends on what you're doing. For fishing, look for one of the 53 concrete ramps with parking. For water skiing, the 33 multi-lane ramps handle weekend crowds best. For kayaking, the 0 carry-in ramps are your best bet.

Explore Georgia Lakes

Georgia has hundreds of lakes with public boat ramps. Find your next launch spot.

All Georgia Ramps Lake Lanier Details

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