Discover Lake Acworth

This charming lakeside town is one of metro-Atlanta's best kept secrets

One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon is exploring a town I’ve never been to before. So when I got the invitation to visit this lakeside town just 35 miles from Atlanta, I jumped at the chance and asked my dad to join me.

Disclaimer: This content was created in paid partnership with The City of Acworth. As always all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting this page!

Left to right: A train passes by the historic depot museum, downtown main street and pedestrian bridge.

Upon arriving in Acworth, we were greeted by a charming downtown area with shops and restaurants, as well as a historic depot museum and an impressive pedestrian bridge that spanned the tracks, connecting the neighborhoods on either side. We then drove a short distance to Cauble Park on the shores of Lake Acworth, passing by historic homes and quaint cottages along the way.

Cauble Park is a full facility park with a swimming beach, a large playground, gazebo, picnic area, benches, bathrooms and several docks and bridges.

The lake itself is beautiful, with a large swimming beach, playground, pavilion, multiple bridges, fishing docks and thoughtfully landscaped shorelines blooming with flowers, cattails, and lily pads. The lovely, laid back vibe made us feel right at home. In fact, when we arrived, my dad surveyed the scene, hands on hips, and declared, “I could live here.”

We rented kayaks through Appalachian Outfitters, who had the boats waiting for us on the shore when we arrived. This made exploring the lake so easy! No need to lug our own equipment, as they provide kayaks (and paddle boards) ready to go, so we just hopped in the water and started exploring.

We paddled out to watch some golfers teeing off on the nearby course, then we circled under a bridge, watching anglers fish and paused to enjoy the sights of the lily pad flowers before heading back to shore. It was such a peaceful outing that I look forward to doing it again and trying a paddle board next time. There are no motors on the lake, so I watched people comfortably jump from their boards into the lake and it looked so refreshing!

After our lake excursion, we headed to the Acworth Farmers Market, an open-air market that runs every Friday from 8AM-12PM from April through October. This farmers market had absolutely everything from fresh flowers and artisanal breads, to gourmet mushrooms, homemade dog treats, specialty coffee, farm-sourced goods, and sweet treats. I was really impressed with the assortment of high-quality vendors here. This is definitely a farmers market to add to your list!

Next it was lunchtime, so we headed to Pizza by Fuscos. Growing up in Boston, my family would go to the North End on Fridays for authentic Italian pizza, so I knew this was the right place for us. Not only do they have a massive wood-fired pizza oven (with a beautiful mosaic on it that reads "Testarossa," or "redhead" in Italian), but they also make their dough fresh daily - a difference you can taste. The place was bustling when we arrived, which is a testament to just how beloved this pizzeria is. If you go, I highly recommend capping off your meal with some of the delicious Voga Italian gelato.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon exploring the downtown area. Our first stop was Vintage & Vinyl, an amazing collection of records, vintage t-shirts, VHS tapes and other curiosities - including a coffin that housed their “killer sale” items. We then wandered into Serendipity House, a beautiful gingerbread-style home with a wonderful Christmas room upstairs.  Our last stop was Hippie Kids Women’s Boutique featuring pretty clothes and a cozy coffee counter tucked inside.

Vintage & Vinyl, Serendipity House and Hippie Kids

Our final destination was Flavors of Hawaii where we treated ourselves to their signature shave ice. While one might think of shave ice as a kid’s treat, I promise you, you are missing out if you don’t give it a try! They import their flavors from Hawaii and on the staff’s recommendation, we ordered the Pineapple Delight - a heavenly combination of vanilla ice cream, shave ice, pineapple chunks, and a drizzle of condensed milk. It was one of the best desserts I've eaten in recent memory, and we slurped that Pineapple Delight until there wasn't a drop left.

Thank you again to the City of Acworth for having us!

If you enjoy spending the day on the water, exploring a charming downtown, and indulging in good food and sweet treats, make sure to give Acworth a visit!

xoKerry