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Don Carter State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,749 Google reviews · Running trail in Gainesville, Georgia · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- 14.5 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Don Carter State Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Green space with hiking paths, a lake for swimming & boating, plus campsites and cabin rentals.
What runners say about Don Carter State Park
“The park felt clean and well maintained, and it’s a nice place to relax, have a picnic, or spend some quiet time outdoors.”
“Don Carter State Park is close to Gainesville Ga, but the short drive from I-985 brings you to a beautiful park on the quiet, North end of Lake Lanier.”
“There are also RV sites with dedicated RV hosts to keep things safe and calm and of course, you can tent camp under the stars in both primitive sites and car camping sites too.”
Beautiful park with a lake. It has couple of beautiful moderate trails. Many decent spots for taking scenic clicks. Recommended for peaceful gateways, picnics, trails and camping . It has developed campsites with electric and water, nice restrooms with bath options, cottages and some raw campsites as well
Wonderful park! Very clean. Playground still under construction but the kids were able to use what wasn't roped off. The campground is very nice, large enough for us with a 37' 5th wheel. We had a spot right next to the lake, so we had a lake view for the winter.
This was a great park for walking! It's the only state park on Lake Lanier. The trails were beautiful and clean, and had great views of the lake. I only visited the trails near the tent camping. There are several to choose from. 🥰 Definitely recommend! There is a $5 parking fee for all vehicles.
We stayed here in our truck camper for 5 nights. My husband was selected for a 3 day deer hunt at the park. They close the park for 3 days to allow about 40 hunters to help control the deer population. I was not able to stay during the hunt due to safety reasons.
Trail conditions & character
“Don Carter State Park is close to Gainesville Ga, but the short drive from I-985 brings you to a beautiful park on the quiet, North end of Lake Lanier.”
“Don Carter State Park is close to Gainesville Ga, but the short drive from I-985 brings you to a beautiful park on the quiet, North end of Lake Lanier.”
“It has developed campsites with electric and water, nice restrooms with bath options, cottages and some raw campsites as well”
“We brought our dog along and appreciated that the park is pet-friendly.”
“The RV sites are mixed, meaning some are more spread out from others and some are very level while others are not quite level-close, but the area is generally a bit hilly.”
“Less friendly for tents at the sites that had water and electricity because of the asphalt surface.”
“There is a beach, day use area with picnic tables, playgrounds and ample parking.”
Plan your run at Don Carter State Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- Distance14.5 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitegastateparks.org
- Phone(678) 450-7726
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 7 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 7 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 7 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 7 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 7 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 7 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 7 AM–10 PM |
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Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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