Georgia has many natural areas that are popular for recreation and sightseeing, and among the areas where people in this southern state enjoy the outdoors is around one of its many bodies of water. The state is full of rivers, lakes, ponds and streams and despite the majority of the population being inland, it has a beautiful coastal area to the east. Georgia residents and visitors frequent three of the largest bodies of water in the state regularly.
Clarks Hill Lake, also known as Lake Strom Thurmond, is in east central Georgia and southern South Carolina. It is one of the South's largest inland bodies of water, stretching 39 miles along the Savannah River and 36 miles along the Little River. Most of the lake lies in Georgia.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed this reservoir lake, and is its largest project east of the Mississippi River. The shoreline of Clarks Hill Lake totals more than 1,200 miles and is dotted with more than 200 islands. Hardwood trees, wildlife and some endangered species inhabit the area around the lake, according to the Great Lakes of Georgia website. It is a popular spot for boating, fishing and camping.
Lake Sidney Lanier was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s and has become one of America's favorite lakes, according to the Corps of Engineers website. Each year this lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains attracts 7.5 million visitors.
The lake's signature aqua-blue waters make it a popular place for swimming, boating, kayaking and many other water activities. Its shores stretch nearly 700 miles and the lake and its dam are responsible for providing flood protection, water supply and electricity for the area.
Lake Sidney Lanier has been named the best-operated lake of the year among Corps of Engineers lakes across the country three times.
From Savannah to St. Marys, there is a whole different side of Georgia to explore along the Atlantic Ocean. The coastal cities of Georgia and the small islands that line the coast make this an attractive spot to visit.
The Atlantic Ocean offers a variety of outdoor activities in Georgia including swimming, sailing and fishing.
