Operated and maintained by Georgia Power Company. Due to its elevated location above the lake, this park serves as a scenic overlook for travelers along U.S. Highway 76. There is ample parking and two picnic shelters with tables. Jones Bridge Park is located on the northern edge of Lake Burton off U.S. Highway 76.
Amenities:
- 30 acres
- Pavilions
- Playground
- Good Age Community Room
- Sand volleyball court
- Three soccer fields
- Restrooms
- River overlook areas for fishing
- Grill
Park Hours: Sunrise until sunset unless posted otherwise
Lake Burton is the first and largest reservoir in a series of lakes managed by Georgia Power Company, called the North Georgia Hydro Group. Its 2,775 acres and 62 miles of shoreline are nestled in a deep valley of the Appalachian Mountains providing a multitude of coves and shoreline locations for scenic recreational use. In appreciation of his services, Jeremiah Burton, a sometimes bailiff and popular local citizen, supplied the name of the lake and the town of Burton (now under the lake’s surface). The Lake Burton Civic Association helps control development. There are some 1,200 residences around Lake Burton, and many civic events such as the large Fourth of July celebration are heavily attended.
Lake Burton is one of five hydroelectric power reservoirs in the North Georgia Hydro Group of Georgia Power created in the early 1900s for power generation. The Group’s electricity output now mostly serves Atlanta only for peak loads. Water storage and use by nearby communities is now a significant function. Lake Burton is the largest of the five reservoirs, and was created by the impoundment of the Tallulah River by Burton Dam’s completion in 1919. The Dam is a gravity concrete dam, and the powerhouse was placed into operation in 1927 with a height of 128 feet and a span of 1100 feet. Two hydroelectric generators have provided a capacity of 6,120 kilowatts throughout Lake Burton’s history. The whole hydro group’s construction is considered to be a major engineering feat for the time, and the Dam and Powerhouse are in the National Engineering Registry. Georgia Power lowers lake levels during winter for shoreline maintenance, except during periods of prolonged drought.
