Where to Camp in Georgia
Cloudland Canyon State Park
Directions: Located on Ga. Route 136, 8 miles east of Trenton and I-59, and 18 miles west of LaFayette.
Phone: 706-657-4050 Near Rising Fawn, GA
About 110 miles from Atlanta, Georgia sits Rising Fawn, a little known town with an exceptional Park. Plus its only 25 miles south of Chattanooga, this makes it readily accessible to Aquarium and Choo-Choo visitors. There are canyons in Georgia with higher waterfalls and much deeper ridges than Cloudland, but none match the beauty.
The park is over two thousand acres and incorporates Sitton Gulch Creek. There are twelve miles of trails, one of which is the five mile walking trail along the canyons edge. Hiking in autumn gives a majestic view of the waterfall with the backdrop of colors in varying shades of red, orange, green, and gold.
Although there is no swimming in the falls allowed, they do have a swimming pool where you can take a dip for a couple of dollars. Next to that are the tennis courts that visitors can use for recreation. The courts are free to use.
There is camping in 75 tent and trailers, 16 loaded 2-3 bedroom cottages, and 30 primitive “back to nature” sites. The cabins do usually need up to an 11 month reservation prior to your trip due to the high visitor count in the fall months.
Gates lock at 10 p.m. and do not reopen until 7 a.m. Park Passes are only $2 per car and $13 per tent. $60-$85 however for the fully equipped cabins is charged. Little country stores are nearby but the closest supermarket you will find is in Trenton, and that is eight miles away. Keep this in mind when packing for your trip.
Unicoi State Park
Directions: Located 2 miles northeast of Helen via Ga. Hwy. 356.
Phone: 706-878-3982 Near Helen, GA
Out of the 44 State parks in Georgia, Unicoi is one of my favorites. It is located in Helen, home of the Ocktoberfest the second and third week of October, and only 85 miles away from Atlanta.
Definitely make this a weekend trip at least, as many craft shops and general stores abound for wondrous shopping experiences. There is also Babyland General Hospital very near here, so you could see the “birth” of a Cabbage Patch Doll.
If you are staying in Unicoi there are many options: RV, camper, and tents, thirty cottages, a lodge, and the hotel in the mountains. Cottages must be rented for two night’s minimum and range from $65-$95 depending on time of year and how many bedrooms you would like. The lodge has great buffets and also selling quilts in the store beside it.
Unicoi State Park is open 24 hours, but reservations are took m-F between 9-5. There are 70 picnic sites, plenty of hiking, tennis, boating, swimming, fishing, camping, etc… There are also people just there to bird watch or collect leaves.
Children seem to really love getting back to nature in the park, with all the other options open to them, but leave the pets at home as they are not allowed inside the park.
Unicoi is a great site to see and visit, and reservations have been made up to 11 months in advance.
