North Georgia's Lake Lanier offers fishing, boating, swimming, and...ghosts?
One of the most popular lakes in the Southeast, Lake Lanier is an ideal spot for fishing, boating, swimming, and other water-based fun. But this popular destination is relatively new. Completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1956, Lake Lanier submerged over 50,000 acres of churches, homes, farmland, and even cemeteries. This dramatic transformation not only reshaped the landscape but birthed chilling legends that linger to this day.
The Lady of Lake Lanier
The lady of the lake is one of Lake Lanier’s most infamous ghost tales. On April 16, 1958, Delia Parker Young and Susie Roberts vanished during a night out in Dawsonville, Georgia. No one knew where the women had gone, though skid marks on the two-lane Dawsonville Highway bridge suggested the worst. Police searched the water below but found nothing.
A year later, fishermen discovered the decomposing body of a woman in a tattered blue dress floating near the lake’s shore. Though some wondered if it was Susie or Delia, there was no way to be certain. The corpse was missing hands and all distinguishing facial features. The woman’s identity remained a mystery and a family mortuary stored the body for 20 years hoping someone would claim her. No one ever did, and she was buried in an unmarked grave in the 1970s.
Over 30 years later, in 1990, construction workers discovered a car and skeletal remains submerged at the bottom of Lake Lanier. Personal belongings in the vehicle – including a purse, rings, and watch – confirmed what officials suspected. It was Susie. Over 30 years after her disappearance, officials determined Susie had perished in the lake that fateful April night. Delia's fate remained unknown until someone remembered the unidentified woman decades earlier. The lady floating in the lake had to be Delia.
It wasn’t long before this real-life tragedy morphed into a haunting legend. Over the years, witnesses have reported seeing a thin woman in a pale blue dress walking along what is now the Jerry D. Jackson Bridge. Some say the woman is missing her hands. Others claim they've seen the woman floating just beneath the water's surface. Those who saw pictures of Delia after the ghostly encounter reported the woman in the photo was the same woman they’d seen.
Mysterious Drownings
Lake Lanier has an unusually high number of drownings, more than 700 in its 70+ year history. And while murky water and sudden drop-offs contribute to the danger, some locals believe the supernatural quite literally has a hand in the lake’s high death toll.
Swimmers report the chilling sensation of unseen hands attempting to pull them underwater. These reports fuel speculation about restless spirits. Are the ghosts of drowning victims looking for company? Did the lake's creation disturb an angry spirit? The legend of "The Lady of Lake Lanier" adds another layer to the mystery. Are Delia and Susie haunting the watery site of their demise? Skeptics offer a more grounded explanation, attributing frightening encounters to swimmers brushing against submerged trees or hidden debris.
Ghostly Boats
Phantom vessels also bob along the murky surface of Lake Lanier. The boats appear old, sometimes period-specific, and suddenly emerge from the foggy waters of the lake. They’re visible for just a few moments and then vanish as quickly as they appeared. The boats are eerily silent with no humming motor or the sound of splashing oars. Most lack a visible crew. Who, or what, is behind the mysterious boats? And why do they haunt the lake?
Is Lake Lanier Haunted?
Whether hauntings or hoaxes, the stories of Lake Lanier endure, a chilling reminder that the lake's history continues to shape its present. For some, a swim in Lake Lanier is a refreshing escape. For others, it's a dip into the unknown.
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