Timpson Cove Beach
Clayton, Georgia · on Lake Burton
Verified · 3 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Timpson Cove Beach
Timpson Cove Beach is a designated swimming beach and picnic area on Lake Burton, a 2,775-acre Georgia Power reservoir in the mountains near Clayton, Georgia. One of Georgia Power's public recreation areas on the lake, it pairs a white sand beach with a marked swimming area, a straightforward mountain swimming hole for anyone hunting public places to swim on Burton.
The beach sits on the Timpson Creek arm of Lake Burton in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Rabun County, with an overlook noted for views of the cove and surrounding mountains.
Swimming at Timpson Cove Beach
A white sand beach with a designated swimming area on the reservoir, suited to casual lake swimming and picnicking rather than a wilderness swimming-hole experience; no depth or water-clarity details were found in sources.
How to get to this swimming hole
Accessible from U.S. Highway 76 via Charlie Mountain Road, on the western side of Lake Burton.
Parking: On-site parking is available at the park.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up Georgia Power recreation beach with an on-site parking lot right at Lake Burton; no trail or hike is needed to reach the water. No source specifies the exact walk distance from the lot to the sand, but it reads as a short, flat walk typical of a car-accessible day-use beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
A Georgia Power-maintained designated swimming beach with sandy entry, which suits kids, but no source confirms lifeguards on duty, and the cove sits directly beside Anchorage Boat Dock/Marina (adjacent on Timpson Cove Rd) so motorboat and ski-boat traffic can be nearby; supervise closely.
Parking
Lot
On-site parking lot at the beach, reached via US-76 and Charlie Mountain Road; a separate overlook pull-off with its own parking is about 0.25 mi further south on Charlie Mountain Road (per n-georgia.com).
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms are on-site at the park, alongside picnic tables (per explorerabun.com and n-georgia.com); no detail on vault vs. flush type.
On the water
Lake Burton broadly supports boating, water skiing, tubing, and wakeboarding in addition to fishing (per explorerabun.com), and canoes/kayaks/paddleboards are rented at marinas around the lake. No source states a specific no-wake or watercraft restriction for the Timpson Cove swimming area itself, so restrictions are left null rather than assumed.
Rentals nearby
Pontoon/tritoon and ski boat rentals; family-owned marina since 1967 also offering slip rentals, dry storage, boat repair, gas dock, and a marina store/restaurant
75 Timpson Cove Rd, Clayton, GA, on the same road as Timpson Cove Beach, effectively next door to the swim spot · Anchorage Boat Dock marina open seasonally Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, daily 8am-6pm; Anchorage Marine Inc.'s separate rental office (55 Anchor Ln) lists 9am-5pm
LaPrade's Marina
Marina on Lake Burton with a marina store; canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards are available at some Lake Burton marina locations including this one per local tourism site descriptions
On Lake Burton, GA (exact address not confirmed; lapradesmarina.com returned a 403 error and could not be verified directly)
Delivered rentals of pontoons (20-24ft, 10-14 person capacity), 2-person canoes, single/tandem kayaks, and YOLO paddleboards, servicing Lake Burton, Lake Rabun, and Lake Seed
Prices: Pontoon $325/full day or $225/half day (4 hrs); canoe $35/day; single kayak $30/day; tandem kayak $50/day; paddleboard $50/day
Based in Lakemont, GA; services Lake Burton (sister company of Big Mountain Transportation Shuttles); renters must be 27+ with valid license, credit card, and completed GA boat safety video
Backstory
Lake Burton is the largest of Georgia Power's five North Georgia lakes; the Georgia state-record spotted bass (8 lbs, 2 oz) was caught in the lake in February 2005.
Timpson Cove Beach: FAQ
Is Timpson Cove Beach kid friendly?
A Georgia Power-maintained designated swimming beach with sandy entry, which suits kids, but no source confirms lifeguards on duty, and the cove sits directly beside Anchorage Boat Dock/Marina (adjacent on Timpson Cove Rd) so motorboat and ski-boat traffic can be nearby; supervise closely.
Do I need to hike to reach Timpson Cove Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Timpson Cove Beach?
On-site parking lot at the beach, reached via US-76 and Charlie Mountain Road; a separate overlook pull-off with its own parking is about 0.25 mi further south on Charlie Mountain Road (per n-georgia.com).
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Timpson Cove Beach?
Lake Burton broadly supports boating, water skiing, tubing, and wakeboarding in addition to fishing (per explorerabun.com), and canoes/kayaks/paddleboards are rented at marinas around the lake. No source states a specific no-wake or watercraft restriction for the Timpson Cove swimming area itself, so restrictions are left null rather than assumed.
What water body is Timpson Cove Beach on?
Timpson Cove Beach is on Lake Burton, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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