As of Wednesday, August 29, 2012
© Copyright 2013
Gwinnett Daily Post
GAINESVILLE — Construction has started at Lake Lanier on what will be Georgia's newest state park, authorities said.
Don Carter State Park is expected to open in the summer of 2013. The park is on the northeast part of the lake.
The park, which will be Hall County's first state park, will be about 1,040 acres, officials said. It will include 48 camp sites with water and electricity, eight two-bedroom cottages, a visitor center, playgrounds, two boat ramps and a beach/bathhouse in a cove off the Chattahoochee River.
"This is the second state park we've ever built from scratch," said Toby Evans, Northern Region manager for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, noting that the first one was Chattahoochee Bend in Newnan.
The park is named after Gainesville real estate executive Don Carter, who served nearly three decades on the DNR board.
Area and state dignitaries, including then-Gov. Sonny Perdue, gathered at the park site for a formal groundbreaking ceremony in August 2010.
"It will be a park that will benefit the working class of people," Carter said at the time. "There won't be any golf courses or any big motels. It will be Mother Nature in her splendor."
More like this story
- First bald eagle nest documented on Lake Lanier ( April 16, 2012 )
- Army Corps restricts water flow from Lake Lanier ( November 23, 2011 )
- Lake Lanier at lowest level since historic drought ( November 26, 2012 )
- Anglers eager for fishing season to kick into high gear ( March 30, 2013 )
- Gainesville man drowns on Lake Lanier ( August 7, 2012 )
Comments
teelee 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Wish Gwinnett would just keep their park in Buford open. I drove all the way up there last summer on a Sunday afternoon about 3 pm with the family and it was chained shut. I haven't been back since,but we do have baseball.
jjbod1 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Teelee, what park in Buford are you talking about? Gwinnett Co had not shut any parks down, infact they have been redoing many and also expanding several. Today it was just announced that there will be another expansion to Little Mulberry.
teelee 8 months, 3 weeks ago
It was the one with the beach off of Buford Damn Road. I guess they call it "Buford Park" directly off of Lanier Park Drive. Heck of a haul from Snellville just to find a chained gate. Who knows, maybe they were searching for another body??
jjbod1 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Thats a Army Corp park. its still open, They randomly open and close all the parks around the dam, it may have something to do with security.
gwinnhiker 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Is there a Friends' of State Parks chapter for this park yet?
toby 8 months, 3 weeks ago
This would be a good time to make 2 very long ramps since the government doesn't know how to manage water.
LoganvilleResident 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Excellent Idea! We can't properly fund the operations and maintenance of the parks we currently have in this state. Let's go out and build more to spread the dwindling tax money even thinner.
jjbod1 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Many of the parks that included mountain bike trails where making more than enough money to support themselves "Fort Yargo" was doing great. That was until this past year , when the state got even more greedy, and decided to not only charge us for parking, which we all did with out complaining. But then added a user fee to ride the trails WE BUILT AND MAINTAIN , not the state employes. Now thousands have stopped going, stopped buying the parking passes, and i hear they are really loosing money now. Good for them, idiots!!!
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