Lake Russell Recreation Area is a U.S. Forest Service day-use and camping area on Lake Russell, a 100-acre reservoir in the Chattooga River Ranger District of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. It sits in Habersham County a couple of miles south of Mt. Airy and about 12 miles from Cornelia, surrounded by the hardwood and pine ridges of the Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area. The Forest Service runs the swim beach and boat launch as one fee site, called the Lake Russell Boat Launch and Beach Areas, next to the 42-site Lake Russell Campground.

From US 441/23, take the Old Hwy 197 exit at Mt. Airy and follow Old Hwy 197 about 3.2 miles to the stop sign at Dicks Hill Parkway. Turn right, cross the bridge, then turn left onto paved Lake Russell Road and follow it about 4 miles to the recreation area entrance on the left. The fee tube is on the right just past the bridge. The Forest Service lists the physical address as 3034 Lake Russell Road, Mt. Airy. Parking at the adjoining Nancytown Day Use area is included for Lake Russell day visitors.

The swim beach is a grassy lawn rather than sand, on a point along the lake's north side near the boat ramp parking loop, with a designated swimming area marked off the bank and picnic tables and grills close by. The water is not shallow everywhere inside that boundary. A 12-year-old drowned here in June 2023 and was found in about 10 feet of water inside the designated swimming area, so weak swimmers and children need close supervision. The Forest Service does not list lifeguards, so plan on swimming at your own risk. Dogs are not allowed on the beach, and shore fishing is not allowed inside the swim area boundary. Gas motors are banned on the lake, so the only boat traffic is paddlers and electric trolling motors.

Day use costs $5 per non-commercial vehicle per day, a federal standard amenity fee. The Forest Service's current page no longer prints the amount and simply links to the Recreation.gov pass, but its listing earlier in 2026 gave $5 per vehicle for both the picnic and swim site and the boat launch. Pay ahead on Recreation.gov or scan the QR code at the kiosk with the Recreation.gov app (cell service is spotty, so download the app first), then display the confirmation on your dashboard. America the Beautiful passes are accepted. The boat ramp is open year-round, but beach facilities only operate during the summer season, and the day-use areas are closed from sunset to sunrise. The Forest Service lists no potable water at the day-use site, so bring your own.

The Lake Russell Loop Trail (FS Trail 73) circles the lake, and the Sourwood and Rhododendron trails connect to the smaller Nancytown Lake, which Georgia DNR stocks with trout, and to the Chenocetah Fire Tower on the ridge above. The Lady Slipper trail system nearby is open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Campsites at Lake Russell Campground are reservation only through Recreation.gov. The surrounding WMA holds managed deer and turkey hunts; hunters must stay 150 yards from developed recreation sites, though forest road traffic picks up during hunt dates. The district office in Lakemont can be reached at 706-754-6221.