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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At Lake Lanier’s deepest depths, exceeding 100 feet, a backwoods Atlantis survives.