Lake Burton in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Lake Burton is the big, deep, clear one: 2,775 acres of mountain water in Rabun County, with 62 miles of shoreline mostly lined with private homes. You can't just wander down to the shore, but you can launch a boat, rent a pontoon, camp beside the lake, or tour a trout hatchery. It's about 35 minutes from Helen on the way to Rabun County.

The lake belongs to Georgia Power. Public access is concentrated at Moccasin Creek State Park and at marinas such as LaPrade's. For a trip-planning checklist, see our companion page on things to do at Lake Burton.

Burton was built as part of the North Georgia hydroelectric system on the Tallulah River. The dam, a gravity concrete structure 128 feet high and 1,100 feet long, was completed in December 1919, and the lake reached full pool in August 1920. It's one of the earliest large links in a chain of six Georgia Power lakes on the Tallulah, with Seed, Rabun, Tallulah Falls, Tugalo and Yonah downstream. The valley held the town of Burton, which the Rabun County Historical Society calls the county's largest, and it was cleared before the water rose.

Of the chain, Burton is the largest. Lake Rabun (835 acres) is the smaller, older-feeling lake with the wooden boats, and Lake Seed (240 acres) sits between them.

Moccasin Creek State Park charges the Georgia ParkPass: $10 per vehicle per day, $70 a year. Hours verified with Georgia State Parks and the marina's own site.

Moccasin Creek State Park covers 32 acres on the lake's west shore, and it's unusually flat, so it's easy to get around with a wheelchair, a bike or an RV. There are 53 tent, trailer and RV campsites with electric hookups, a boat ramp and dock, a wildlife observation tower, a playground and Wi-Fi in the office and campground. In warm months the park rents kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and canoes.

The park's fishing pier is accessible and sits over a trout-filled creek. It's reserved for anglers 65 and older, children 11 and younger, and people with a Georgia disability fishing license. Next door, the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery is free to tour on the hours above.

LaPrade's Marina started as housing for the men who built the dam and has been on the water for close to a century. Today it has a rental fleet, boat storage, and three places to eat: Lake Burton Grill (the full-service restaurant), Bowline Takeaway and Bar, and Billy Goat Island Pizza Bar, plus an ice cream parlor. Hours are posted as Thursday through Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and they're seasonal, so call 706-947-0010 before you plan a meal around it.

Pair the trip with our Moccasin Creek guide or head over to Lake Rabun.