Cooling off with a trip to Georgia’s former capital

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - It’s a 15,300-acre lake and only about two hours southeast of Atlanta — so for families looking for a place to cool off from the oppressive heat and humidity of late August, Lake Sinclair might just be the perfect place to dive in and chill out.

We spent the morning along the shores of Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, taking a little trip out on the water with the team from Oconee Outfitters.  The company is locally-owned and has been operating in Milledgeville since 1999, currently offering kayak, canoe, paddleboard, and bicycle rentals along with retail and repair service.  

Kayaking is available on the lake, but staffers say the most popular rental excursion is actually the two-and-a-half to three hour journey on the Oconee River from Oconee Greenway to Central State, which they say is a good one for beginners and costs $35 for a solo kayak or $60 for a tandem kayak or canoe.  Lake Sinclair was created by Georgia Power back in 1953 by damming the Oconee River to create a hydroelectric generating station.

Of course, there are also several businesses which offer boat and jet ski rentals on the lake, along with beaches and picnic areas for those who prefer to stay on dry land.  And Milledgeville itself hosts a wide variety of tourist destinations, including Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion (the city was once the state capital), and Flannery O’Connor’s Farm, Andalusia.

For more information on things to do in Milledgeville, click over to the Visit Milledgeville website here.  And to check out our morning on the water, click the video player in this article!