Adventure: Margaritaville at Lake Lanier
Summer of 2020 most certainly brought about some funky stuff. It also limited the number of trips that we took as a family. But the one trip that we were able to make, was to the Margaritaville Resort of Lake Lanier. We packed up our camper and boat, and headed to this "hidden gem" in Buford, Georgia.
Let me be clear when I say... you do not need a camper or boat to fully enjoy what the Margaritaville Resort has to offer. But in this travel guide, I want to highlight the very best things that we enjoyed in the RV resort, the water park and attractions, and most importantly at Lake Lanier.
Little did I know, that this resort is actually on little small islands on Lake Lanier, so when you cross over this massive bridge you are greeted by the most beautiful waters. Once past the bridge and past the attractions area, you come upon the campgrounds of Margaritaville. I have to say that these were some of the nicest campgrounds I have been to. You could really tell that there has been a lot of money and time invested into making this campground the very best. Each site has its own concrete pad with full hookups, and not to mention that you are able to have a view of the lake in any spot. Our camper spot backed up to the lake, so we had the best view of the evening sunset and boats passing by. Well kept up bathhouses and laundry are available, and there is also a small store in the office where you can get basic necessities. The best part about this campground was there was a courtesy dock. If you have a boat, then you are able to bring your boat and park it in the water right by the courtesy dock, which is what we did with our boat.
The one thing that I did not like about the campground was there were not many trees in between campsites. Privacy wasn't necessarily an issue, but if you are used to tying up your hammock beneath the trees, you won't be able to do this right by your camper. There are plenty of trees that border the lake, but not right by your camper. You may have an issue with shade during the warmer months, but if you are at the attractions or lake during the day, it shouldn't be an issue during the evening hours.
Click here for a map of the Margaritaville RV Resort.
No worries that you are on an island, there is plenty to do at the resort! There is a large sandy beach area that houses many restaurants, tiki bars, and the best view of the water park area. There are many rentals available for boats, kayaks, stand up paddle boards and more. Many of the restaurants like The Landshark Restaurant, offer dock side service so if you are feeling lunch on the boat, this is an option. It is $10 a day to have full beach access, but if you are staying at the RV resort, you are able to have access for free!
The resort also offers a water park which houses up to six or seven water slides, a kiddie area with splash pads and shade, and a wave pool. There are plenty of water attractions to keep you and your kiddos cool and entertained. Entrance to the water park area starts at $35, but if you need to leave for lunch or a quick nap, you are welcome to re-enter the park as long as you have your bracelet that they provide. If you are staying at the RV resort, you will receive discounts on your water park tickets, so be sure to ask! Children three years and younger are free, and Pre-K passes are available to some school aged children. During colder months, you can also find a snow island which has snow tubing fun, winter lights and an ice rink!
Click here for your map of the Margaritaville Resort Water Park.
Boating at Lake Lanier
If I can recommend one thing to you, it would be to find some time to adventure out on the beautiful waters of Lake Lanier. This lake has some of the prettiest lake waters I have ever seen, and too many natural beaches to count. Clear clean water and natural beach areas are the perfect combination for a great day out on the water. Lake Lanier is massive and when you are there you will see a ton of boats. But don't let that worry you. Despite the number of boats, there is a lot of space to venture out, and plenty of space for water sports like tubing and wake boarding. The natural beaches provide a spot for you to beach your boat, and to have a place for the kiddos to play in the sand, shade and water. The natural beach area was by far my favorite part about this area!
Need boat toys? There are plenty of marinas in the surrounding area, but we had the best luck with the West Marine Marina. They had plenty of boat toys in stock like your tubes, wake boards and more, and it was at an even better price than Amazon.
One other thing that was neat to see was the house that is used for the filming of the show The Ozarks from Netflix. The majority of the show was filmed in Georgia on Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier, so pull up your map, type in Ozarks house in Flowery Branch and take a boat ride to find this filming spot. Who knows? You might see them in the middle of filming!