Buford Dam Beach
Buford, Georgia · on Lake Sidney Lanier · Sidney Lanier Recreation Area
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $4 per vehicle
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Buford Dam Beach
Buford Dam Beach is the designated swim beach at Buford Dam Park, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers day-use area on Lake Sidney Lanier just below Buford Dam near Buford, Georgia. For a lake to swim in near Buford, it is an official, actively managed swimming hole with a protected cove, sand beach, and supporting picnic and playground facilities.
The beach sits in a protected cove of Lake Sidney Lanier immediately north of Buford Dam, where the Chattahoochee River was impounded by the Corps of Engineers. The setting is a sandy, day-use park shoreline with the dam and lake's characteristic aqua-blue water nearby, adjoined by the Laurel Ridge hiking trail corridor that runs along the lake and river.
Swimming at Buford Dam Beach
Swimming is in a reservoir cove kept calm because motorized boats and jet skis are excluded from the immediate swim area, making it a family-friendly, gentle-water spot rather than open-lake swimming. The shoreline is sandy and shallow near the beach, suited to children and casual swimmers rather than long-distance or deep-water swimmers.
How to get to this swimming hole
From GA-400: take Exit 14 to Highway 20 east, turn left on Sanders Road, then right on Buford Dam Road after the first stop sign, then left after crossing the dam at the Lanier Project Management Office sign. From I-85: take Exit 111 north on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, continue about 10 miles to Buford Dam Road, turn left, then right at the Lanier Project Management Office sign.
Parking: On-site parking lot at the park; described as ample on typical days but fills quickly on holiday weekends (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day), when the area operates first-come, first-served.
The hike in
The beach is a drive-up/walk-up spot from the on-site parking lot; no hike is needed to reach the swimming area. The Laurel Ridge Trail (roughly a 3.5-3.8 mile loop through the park along the lake and river) starts nearby and can be hiked separately, but it is a bonus activity, not a required approach to the beach.
Short walk from parking lot to sand beach only.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Good for kids
Sandy, shallow-entry beach in a protected cove where motorboats and jet skis are excluded, so the water stays calm; on-site playground, basketball/volleyball, and picnic areas make it a family day-use spot. No source confirms lifeguards on duty, and Lake Lanier overall carries a lake-wide reputation for submerged hazards (old flooded structures/stumps) outside the designated swim area, so normal open-water caution still applies.
Parking
Paid, $4 per vehicle (one directory also lists $1 per pedestrian entry)
On-site first-come, first-served parking lot; described as ample on typical days but fills quickly on holiday weekends (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day). Local guide advice is to arrive before 10am, especially on weekends.
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms are on site at the park near the beach/picnic areas; the exact building location isn't detailed in any source found, though one visiting parent simply notes 'a restroom nearby.'
Water clarity
Clear
Lake Sidney Lanier is described by regional sources as having characteristic aqua-blue, clear reservoir water. The Swim Guide beach page (checked live) shows the site currently meeting water-quality standards, based on a weekly E. coli sample most recently taken July 30, 2026 by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's Neighborhood Water Watch program (EPA Beach Action Value threshold 235 MPN/100ml).
Hours
Sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year
On the water
Restrictions: Motorboats and jet skis are excluded from the protected swim cove to keep the water calm for swimmers; the broader park/lake supports other activities including wakeboarding per Recreation.gov's general activity list, but that applies outside the designated swim beach, not within it.
City of Buford's park page states the park itself rents out kayaks and offers stand-up paddleboarding ('the park rents out kayaks for those who need them'); no mention of canoes specifically. No independent confirmation found of whether kayaks/paddleboards are used inside the roped swim cove itself versus launched from an adjacent shoreline.
Rentals nearby
Kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, run by the park itself rather than a separate outfitter
At Buford Dam Park, 1200 Buford Dam Rd, Buford, GA 30518
Backstory
Lake Sidney Lanier is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir formed by Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River, named for 19th-century Georgia poet Sidney Lanier. Buford Dam Park sits on the lake immediately above the dam.
Buford Dam Beach: FAQ
Does Buford Dam Beach charge a fee?
$4 per vehicle day-use fee (one directory source also lists $1 per pedestrian); park is open sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year. Shelter/pavilion reservations are separate and booked through Recreation.gov.
Is Buford Dam Beach kid friendly?
Sandy, shallow-entry beach in a protected cove where motorboats and jet skis are excluded, so the water stays calm; on-site playground, basketball/volleyball, and picnic areas make it a family day-use spot. No source confirms lifeguards on duty, and Lake Lanier overall carries a lake-wide reputation for submerged hazards (old flooded structures/stumps) outside the designated swim area, so normal open-water caution still applies.
Do I need to hike to reach Buford Dam Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Buford Dam Beach?
On-site first-come, first-served parking lot; described as ample on typical days but fills quickly on holiday weekends (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day). Local guide advice is to arrive before 10am, especially on weekends.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Buford Dam Beach?
City of Buford's park page states the park itself rents out kayaks and offers stand-up paddleboarding ('the park rents out kayaks for those who need them'); no mention of canoes specifically. No independent confirmation found of whether kayaks/paddleboards are used inside the roped swim cove itself versus launched from an adjacent shoreline.
When is the best time to visit Buford Dam Beach?
Summer (the beach's water quality is actively monitored weekly from May 31 through October 1, indicating the official swim season).
What are the rules at Buford Dam Beach?
No pets, no alcohol, no fireworks, and no amplified music/PA systems at shelters; shelters limited to one per event and reserved in advance via Recreation.gov (no in-person bookings); trailers prohibited in shelter areas.
What water body is Buford Dam Beach on?
Buford Dam Beach is on Lake Sidney Lanier, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
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