Outdoor Lifestyle

Get Out and Play

Enjoy the best of both worlds with the Blue Ridge Mountains less than a 30-minute drive away and Lake Sidney Lanier next door. Lake Lanier's 38,000 acres and 607 miles of shoreline attract more than 16 million visitors each year. In fact, Gainesville was home to the 1996 Olympic Rowing and Spring Canoe/Kayaking competition and the venue still hosts world-class rowing events.

It All Adds Up to Fun

Forty-seven public parks – more than any other county – eight championship golf courses, 34 tennis courts, 10 marinas and more than 450 campsites let you take advantage of the great outdoors in whatever setting suits your mood. Mild winters, moderate spring and fall weather and surprisingly temperate summers allow residents to make the most of their surroundings. And for those who seek the thrill of quality snow skiing in winter and the ocean surf in summer, both are within four to six hour drives of Gainesville and Hall County.

While Atlanta, the South's premier city with its abundance of sports including the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, Falcons, and Thrashers, and entertainment attractions, lies less than an hour to the south, Gainesville and Hall County offer ample pleasures to suit almost any lifestyle.