The drought is starting to expose many of Lake Lanier’s secrets, from the mundane to the surprising. As the lake recedes, it reveals trash and other items dumped into it by visitors.

When Lake Lanier was filled in the 1950s, it covered whole forests, roads, bridges and even a race track.

The racetrack was called the Gainesville Speedway. It was a dirt track where stock cars once ran. With the drought, visitors can see some crumbling concrete foundations for the Speedway’s bleachers.

See the rest of Lake Lanier’s surprises in the gallery above.

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(Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Getty, OpenStreetMap)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com