The Mountain Traveler • Summer 2014
Habersham County
59
Lakes provide water fun in Habersham By KIMBERLY BROWN, The Northeast Georgian
V
isitors and residents of Habersham County enjoy the magnificent outdoor recreation options available in
the area. For summer fun, Habersham County has several lake options for swimming, picnicking, boating and fishing. L ake Russell is part of the Chattooga River Ranger District, and is located off Dick’s Hill Parkway in Mt. Airy. It’s a 100-acre lake open for swimming and picnicking May 1-Nov. 1. It offers 4 2 campsites that accommodate both tents and RVs, as well as a picnic shelter with seating for 30. It has a large, grass-covered beach and swimming area, fishing, hiking trails and a boat ramp. Camping at L ake Russell is $14 per site, per night for single, $16 for double; parking for picnic and swimming is $6 for a non-commercial vehicle up to four people, $1 per person over four people in
Shown is a dock at Lake Russell in Mt. Airy. Part of the Chattooga River Ranger District, Lake Russell, located off Dick’s Hill Parkway, is a 100-acre lake open for swimming and picnicking May 1-Nov. 1. It also offers hiking trails, fishing and a boat ramp. Photo/Kimberly Brown
a non-commercial vehicle; boat launch parking is $4 per vehicle per day. A half mile from L ake Russell is Nancytown L ake, with its popular annual Fishing Rodeo for Kids held every spring. In spite of rainy weather, this year’s rodeo attracted about 60 children and youth, as well as their families. A few days before the rodeo, the lake is stocked with several thousand brown, brook and rainbow trout, to almost assure success for the participants. The event is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Foothills Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The lake is open May 3-Oct. 1. Tallulah L ake, located at Tallulah Gorge State Park, which is shared by Habersham and Rabun counties, offers swimming in season, fishing and trails throughout the park. Nearby is the spectacular Tallulah Gorge, which runs two
miles and is nearly 1,000 feet deep. Parking in the day use area of TGSP is $5 per vehicle. Also shared by Habersham and Rabun counties is Moccasin Creek State Park, located on state Route 197 north of Clarkesville. Moccasin Creek is located on the shores of the 2 ,7 7 5-acre L ake Burton, a Georgia Power L ake, and offers fishing for all ages. The park has camping, a boat dock/ramp, fishing pier and lakeside picnicking. Parking at MCSP costs $5. L ake Tugalo, also a Georgia Power lake, is located off U.S. Highway 4 4 1, north of Clarkesville. It is a 597 -acre undeveloped reservoir with 18 miles of shoreline. Visitors to the lake can enjoy boating and fishing. Parking is free. For information about Chattooga River Ranger District recreation, see fs.usda.gov/ conf. For information about Georgia Power lakes, see georgiapower.com/ in-your-community/ lakes-andrecreation. ■