Tidwell Park, off Pilgrim Mill Road, has been behind a construction fence since August 3, 2026. Forsyth County expects it to stay closed until 2029. The other Lake Lanier ramps on the Forsyth side are open as November begins. Five of the parks that used to be run only by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now go into the off-season under a county management agreement signed in June.
On this shore, Forsyth County now runs both the open gates and the closed one, and that decides where you can launch a boat between now and spring.
The ramp that closed is the county's own project
Tidwell sits on the shoreline for Forsyth County's new raw-water intake, and the county says the park stays closed while crews build the tunnel, shaft and intake. Forsyth News covered the closure on July 13, three weeks before the gate shut.
North Atlanta Star's August report explained why the work is happening here. Forsyth currently buys untreated lake water through an intake owned by the City of Cumming. A 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the regional water dispute cleared the way for the county to build its own. According to the same report, the system will include:
- An intake in deeper water, reached by a six-foot-wide tunnel running about 2,000 feet under the lakebed
- A pump station on the shoreline
- About three miles of 48-inch pipeline tying into the county system
- An initial capacity of 40 million gallons a day, with room to grow to 80 million
The county estimates the separate intake could save about $3 million a year in raw-water purchases. In plain terms, Forsyth is giving up one well-known launch for about three years so it no longer depends on another government's intake.
Last fall, the gatekeeper made the difference
You can see why it matters who runs these parks by looking back at last year. On October 31, 2025, the Corps closed its Forsyth County parks immediately and indefinitely because of the federal government shutdown. That list included Tidwell, Little Ridge, Two Mile Creek, Vann's Tavern and West Bank. Keith Bridge and Long Hollow had already closed for the season. On the same day, Forsyth County said all of its parks, ramps and campgrounds on the lake were open: Charleston, Mary Alice, Six Mile Creek, Young Deer Creek, plus the Sawnee, Bald Ridge and Shady Grove campgrounds.
Seven months later, the county and the Corps signed a Challenge Cost-Sharing Cooperative Management Agreement. It moves certain duties at Tidwell, Vann's Tavern, Two Mile Creek, Keith's Bridge and Long Hollow from the Corps to the county. The county handles maintenance and visitor services. The Corps keeps the major capital work. Assistant County Manager Tony Tarnacki summed up the goal in the county's June announcement:
"We anticipate being able to offset the maintenance costs needed through usage fee collection. Ultimately, being able to ensure these parks remain open to the public with a great experience for visitors while allowing the Corps to focus more on their key areas of management on Lake Lanier is a win."
In the same release, USACE Lake Lanier Operations Project Manager Tim Rainey said the agreement "helps keep these parks open, maintained and available for visitors." The new agreement adds to arrangements that already had the county running 12 Lake Lanier parks, campgrounds and water access sites.
Where things stand heading into November
The Corps' live operating-status table, last updated October 16, 2026, shows something different from last year. Keith's Bridge and Long Hollow have their boat ramps open. A year ago, both had already closed for the season by Halloween. Each is listed as partially open, with the beach closed for the season and no restroom service. Two Mile, Vann's Tavern and Little Ridge are listed as open with working ramps. Tidwell is listed as closed. West Bank is open with reduced services and has a beach but no ramp.
Here's how the Forsyth County fee schedule, last updated in September, lines up with that status table:
| Park | Vehicle fee | Ramp fee | Annual pass accepted | Status in Oct. 16 Corps table |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Park | No fee | $10 | Forsyth County, ramp only | Not in Corps table |
| Mary Alice Park | $10 | $10 | Forsyth County | Not in Corps table |
| Six Mile Creek Park | No fee | $10 | Forsyth County, ramp only | Not in Corps table |
| Young Deer Creek Park | No fee | $10 | Forsyth County, ramp only | Not in Corps table |
| Keith Bridge Park | $8 | $8 | USACE | Partially open, ramp open |
| Long Hollow Park | $8 | $8 | USACE | Partially open, ramp open |
| Two Mile Creek Park | $8 | $8 | USACE | Open |
| Vann's Tavern Park | No fee | $8 | USACE, ramp only | Open |
| Tidwell Park | No fee | $8 | USACE, ramp only | Closed until about 2029 |
You buy day passes at the park kiosks, and they're good only on the day you buy them. If a park charges a fee, display the pass on the dashboard or mirror. Vehicles without one can be fined.
Two annual passes, one shoreline
The county took over day-to-day care at the five former Corps parks, but the pass system still follows the old split. The county page lists two annual passes, and they don't overlap:
- Forsyth County Annual Pass, $60. Good at Mary Alice Park, and at the boat ramps only at Charleston, Six Mile Creek and Young Deer. You redeem it at the Central Park, Fowler Park or Old Atlanta recreation centers.
- USACE Annual Pass, $40. Good at Keith Bridge, Long Hollow and Two Mile, and at the ramps only at Tidwell and Vann's Tavern. You redeem it at the U.S.A.C.E. office, 1050 Buford Dam Road in Buford, (770) 945-9531.
Temporary annual passes are sold at each park's kiosk and then redeemed at the locations above. Two of the five ramps on the USACE list are now Tidwell, which is closed, and Long Hollow, which is open without restrooms for the season. So if you launch from one regular spot, it helps to know which list that spot is on before you renew.
Winter hours start Sunday
At the four parks the county has run longest, the posted schedule changes on November 1. Charleston, Mary Alice, Six Mile Creek and Young Deer Creek all list day-use hours of 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from March through October, and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. from November through February. Each lists its boat ramp as open 24 hours. Mary Alice adds one condition: the ramp can close when the park reaches capacity.
North Atlanta Star's piece on Tidwell matched each of those four parks to a part of the county. Mary Alice is the closest to the City of Cumming and the GA 400 corridor. Six Mile Creek suits south Forsyth. Charleston works for people coming from the north and east. Young Deer Creek serves boaters from GA 141 and eastern Forsyth. The same report warned that the remaining ramps may get busier on warm-weather weekends now that Tidwell is gone.
The Corps posts its 2026 schedule page under the heading "2026 Park Operating Dates," but it sends visitors to the live status table instead of listing closing dates park by park. Campers should check the county's campground reservation portal for Sawnee, Bald Ridge and Shady Grove. For comparison, last year Sawnee Campground closed for the season on November 1 and Bald Ridge on November 30.
Pilgrim Mill Road, and what Tidwell comes back with
The intake project reaches past the park gate. North Atlanta Star reported that the pipeline has to connect along Pilgrim Mill Road. Earlier survey work has already caused intermittent lane closures between Holtzclaw Road and Tidwell Park, and more construction notices are expected as the project moves into pipeline work. The county says message boards along Pilgrim Mill Road will mark the closure. The county posts project updates on its water intake facility page, which also has the July 8 community open house presentation.
When Tidwell reopens, the county says it will have new park benches, a resurfaced parking lot, guardrails, signage, trash cans, a bulletin board and a traffic counter. It will also get shoreline and surface erosion control, a new osprey platform, and stabilization of the boat ramp's foundation.
If you're weighing a lake-access neighborhood, or a home near the Pilgrim Mill Road corridor, it helps to know which ramps are close by now and which won't be back for a few years. Call or text Sarah for a personalized market consultation. Stovall Properties Group can walk you through the access points near any address on the Forsyth shore.
