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The Mountain Traveler • Fall 2013
Campers have set up their home in the outdoors while camping at Amicalola Falls campground. File photo
A camper’s paradise
Camping options are numerous in Northeast Georgia
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all is the ideal season for camping in the North Georgia mountains, offering perfect weather, fewer bugs, brilliant foliage, and a variety of public campgrounds to suit every need. Georgia’s state parks (georgiastateparks.org) usually provide a full range of amenities in their campgrounds, including hot showers, flush toilets, dump stations and electrical hook-ups. Some parks also have low-budget walk-in sites for tents only. In the Chattahoochee National Forest (fs.usda.gov/conf), campgrounds tend to be in slightly more remote locations and sometimes have fewer amenities, but they feature gorgeous scenery and can make you feel as if you’re truly in the wilderness. Some of the best Forest Service campgrounds include Lake Win-
By DEBBIE GILBERT, White County News
field Scott near Blairsville; DeSoto Falls and Andrews Cove, both near Helen; Lake Rabun Beach near Clayton; and Lake Russell near Cornelia. Among the state parks, campgrounds you’ll enjoy include Amicalola Falls, Black Rock Mountain, Don Carter (on Lake Lanier), Moccasin Creek (on Lake Burton), Tallulah Gorge, Unicoi and Vogel. Black Rock is the highest state park in Georgia, with breathtaking vistas when the leaves change color in the fall. Moccasin Creek has quiet campsites on the lake and relatively level terrain. It’s a good choice for families with young children or handicapped members. Unicoi, just outside the town of Helen, offers camping options from primitive to luxurious, plus enough recreational activities to
keep everyone busy and happy. Be aware fees, reservation policies and operation schedules vary among campgrounds, so always call ahead or check the websites to get the latest information. Recommended campgrounds State parks (georgiastateparks. org): Amicalola Falls Black Rock Mountain Don Carter Moccasin Creek Tallulah Gorge Unicoi Vogel Chattahoochee National Forest (fs.usda.gov/conf): Andrews Cove DeSoto Falls Lake Rabun Beach Lake Russell Lake Winfield Scott ■