Lake Walter George, Georgia

Situated on the scenic and historic Chattahoochee River, Lake Walter George provides plenty of recreation for family fun. Perfect for boating, fishing, and camping, the lake is in the rolling sandhills of Southwest Georgia 167 miles from Atlanta and 60 miles directly south of Columbus. This part of the state is rich in both natural beauty and history, dotted with small towns featuring antebellum architecture.

The lake was formed by the dam of the same name. The project took six years, and the lake opened in 1963 for recreation. The flooding covered several prehistoric and historic sites of indigenous culture. The state even evacuated a Native American area known as Oketeyeconne in the 1950s to fill the lake.

The part of Lake Walter George in Georgia was named in honor of a Georgia Senator, but the Alabama legislature passed a resolution that same year to name the lake on their state’s side after the historic town of Eufaula making it a lake with two names. The 46,000-acre lake flows for 85 miles on the Chattahoochee and has a 640-mile shoreline.

The lake is mostly controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers while the two states control and protect certain parts of the surrounding land including the George T. Bagby state park and the Florence Marina in Georgia and the Lakepoint State Park and Eufaula Natural Wildlife refuge in Alabama.

The land around the lake is densely forested with a variety of hardwoods and is home to lots of interesting wildlife. You’ll spot deer, squirrels, rabbits, eagles, hawks, several species of waterfowl and songbirds, and the occasional bobcat. Anglers on the lake haul in largemouth and white bass, hybrid bass, bream, crappie, and channel catfish.

Visitors have access to 13 clean, safe day-use parks and four campgrounds. All of the campgrounds have tent and RV sites with camping amenities that include drinking water, flush toilets, showers, and a dump station. Bluff Creek campground has 77 sites with water and electricity hookups. There’s a handy fish cleaning station for guests to use, and a group picnic shelter is available. Cotton Hill Campground has 91 hookup sites, 10 primitive sites, and features a boat ramp for boaters and a playground for the youngsters. Hardrige Creek has 74 sites and group camping for 16 people. White Oak Creek Campground has 129 sites, all with hookups, a playground, and lots of open space.