DO IT: Swimming

Swimming: Cool Off in Georgia’s Pools, Lakes, & Ocean

Georgia summers tend to get hot – often in the 90s, and with high humidity – so there is no doubt that
swimming is a popular recreational activity for cooling off and there are plenty of places to do it.

Swimming pools and water parks abound, operated by the state’s resorts, hotels, municipal and county governments, and Georgia State Parks. The outdoor pools in Georgia are generally open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, whereas the indoor pools are often year-round facilities.

Many of the state’s public pools hold special events, such as “dive in” movies, tropical-themed parties, and water sports contests. Almost all offer swimming lessons. Guest passes can be purchased if you’re not a local resident. A couple of pools you might want to check out are the Georgia Tech Indoor Pool and the Liberty Bell pool at F.D. Roosevelt State Park. The Georgia Tech Indoor Pool in downtown Atlanta was constructed for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, where American Amy Van Dyken won four gold medals in the women’s events, and features a leisure pool with six-25-yard lanes, a water slide, lazy river, kids play area. The pool offers public swimming lessons; usage otherwise is restricted to Georgia Tech-affiliated members and their guests. The Liberty Bell pool at F.D. Roosevelt State Park is a beautiful, large, rock-lined, spring-fed pool built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Pool general admission is $3-$5 depending on the day of the week. Pools also are the main attraction at the state’s water parks, many of them an adjunct to theme parks such as Six Flags Over Georgia, Wild Adventures, and Lake Winnepesaukah.

Resort area water parks such as Margaritaville at Lanier Islands and Summer Waves on Jekyll Island ensure there are activities for every member of the family. One of the newest water parks in the state is Rigby’s Water World in Warner Robins which bills itself as having the world’s largest wet play structure. Or take your water fun indoors at the Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange with its indoor pools and slides, accessible to resort guests and those who purchase a day pass.

While pools and water parks are great, there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned swimming hole. Located in the midst of nature at its finest, these swimming spots are open year-round, and often free to access. Several Georgia waterfalls, including High Shoals Falls and Dukes Creek Falls near Helen, Blue Hole Falls near Hiawassee and Helton Creek Falls near Blairsville, plunge into pools that are swimmable. Just be aware, the water may be a chilly 40 degrees. And please swim with a buddy since there are no lifeguards at these swimming holes.

Lake swimming is also plentiful. Recreational facilities on the Army Corps of Engineers’ 10 Georgia lakes, Georgia Power’s 17 lakes and 20 Georgia State Parks lakes often feature sandy beaches and roped-off areas designated for swimming.

Wherever you go in Georgia, remember to pack a swimsuit.

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Swimming - Locations

Lake Tobesofkee Recreation Area

Historic Heartland
6600 Mosely Dixon Rd.
Macon, GA 31220
478-474-8770

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Lake Walter F. George

Plantation Trace
Off Hwy. 82
Fort Gaines, GA 39851
229-768-2516

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Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area

Northeast Georgia Mountains
GA Hwy. 180
Suches, GA 30572
706-745-6928

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LakePoint Sporting Community

Northwest Georgia Mountains
755 Georgia 293
Emerson, GA 30137
404-263-0495

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Lanier Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
1360 Lanier Park Rd.
Buford, GA 30518
770-945-9531

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Lawrence Shoals Recreation Area

Historic Heartland
123 Wallace Dam Rd.
Eatonton, GA 31024
706-485-5494

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Legion Park

Magnolia Midlands
816 N. Main St.
Fitzgerald, GA 31750
229-426-5050

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Leisure Acres Campground

Northeast Georgia Mountains
3840 Westmoreland Rd.
Cleveland, GA 30528
706-865-6466

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Lenora Park

Atlanta Metro
4515 Lenora Church Rd.
Snellville, GA 30058
770-814-6054

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Lenox River Ranch

Plantation Trace
140 Albert Brady Rd.
Lenox, GA 31637
229-563-3061

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Little Hall Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
3501 Dawsonville Hwy.
Gainesville, GA 30506
770-945-9531

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Little River Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
2665 Little River Park Rd.
Gainesville, GA 30507

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Little St. Simons Island

Georgia Coast
leave from Hampton River Club Marina
St. Simons Island, GA 31522
912-638-7472

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Lookout Mtn./Chattanooga West KOA

Northwest Georgia Mountains
930 Mountain Shadows Dr.
Trenton, GA 30752
706-657-6815

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Marcus Jewish Community Center

Atlanta Metro
5342 Tilly Mill Rd.
Dunwoody, GA 30338
678-812-4000

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Margaritaville at Lanier Islands Water Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
7000 Holiday Rd.
Buford, GA 30518
770-932-7200

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Martha Denton Swimming Pool

Northwest Georgia Mountains
406 Cotter St.
Ringgold, GA 30736
706-935-3061

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Massengale Park

Georgia Coast
1350 Ocean Blvd.
St. Simons Island, GA 31522
912-554-7780

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Mc Kinney Campground

Atlanta Metro
6659 Mc Kinney Campground Rd.
Acworth, GA 30102
678-721-6700

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McKaskey Creek Campground on Lake Allatoona

Northwest Georgia Mountains
358 McKaskey Creek Rd.
Cartersville, GA 30121
678-721-6700

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