Nestled between Athens and Atlanta, Fort Yargo is a 1,816-acre park located in Georgia state. Its namesake comes from a log fort that was constructed by settlers who, at the time, built it to protect themselves against the Creek and Cherokee. Nowadays, visitors flock to this park to enjoy the variety of outdoor recreation and activities. 

 Apart from all the recreation the park has to offer, it also provides some of the most gorgeous views in the Eastern region of the United States. Here, folks can enjoy over 20 miles of hiking and bike trails. Fort Yargo State Park is also a common location for outdoor weddings and other types of special events and celebrations. 

 Those looking to stay overnight have an abundance of options to choose from. The park offers 12 walk-in campsites, 13 “adventure” cabins, 40 RV and tent campsites, group shelters, and even lakeside yurts for anyone wanting a true “glamping” experience. The fees for staying overnight range from $25-135, and do not include the ParkPass fee. The ParkPass fee is $5 per day for passenger vehicles carrying a maximum of 12 people, and for passenger vehicles with additional occupants the fee is $30 per day. Additionally, there is an annual option for $50-75 per year. Luckily, visitors are only required to pay for a ParkPass once during the entirety of their stay. 

 The main attractions to this park are the variety of activities such as disc golf, mini golf, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, swimming, fishing, and geocaching. Disc golf has proven to be a challenge for many visitors, at least partly due to the fact that it's a densely wooded course. This park is also home to a gorgeous 260-acre lake with a seasonal beach. Visitors can enjoy a day at the lake on one of the two beach pavilions and fishing is a welcome activity as well.

Fort Yargo State Park Campground

**Ranger Review:  Darn Tough Socks @ Fort Yargo State Park**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally receive outdoor gear to review.  During my stay at Fort Yargo State Park, I tested Darn Tough socks and fell in love with them.  

  

**Campground Review:** 

Fort Yargo State Park has lots to do. There is disc golf, nature programs, gift shop, putt-putt golf, playgrounds, hiking, mountain biking, and a 260-acre lake offers swimming, boating, paddling, and fishing. Overnight accommodations include fully equipped cottages, adventure cabins, yurts, and campsites. We visited in late April and could only find a campsite during the week. Despite Covid-19, the park was open for day-use and overnight guests. The visitor center was closed but bathrooms were open. 

  

We loved the hiking. Most of the trails are mixed mountain biking and hiking but when we were there, we only saw two mountain bikes. We took a picnic lunch with us and found one of the many picnic areas to have lunch and enjoy the lake views. 

  

The roads are a little hilly and twisting but if you have a big rig and go slow you will be fine. All the campsite driveways are angled so backing in is pretty easy. The campground is treed and many sites have nice shade. Sites 7-12 in Loop 1 are very nice with lake views and access. They are also close to the boat launch. We did not have trouble getting level in our site (#17). We enjoyed the beautiful spring weather which was sunny during the day and cool enough at night to have fires. The campground was very peaceful during the week when we were there but can imagine it gets pretty busy on the weekends and during the summer. Most of the sites have pretty good separation between them so you don’t feel like you are on top of someone. There are train tracks nearby so expect some train noise. This is a great campground and definitely worth a visit.  

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**Gear Review: Darn Tough Socks**

I really LOVE these socks! I know, having a love affair with socks is weird but they are so amazingly soft and make my feet feel so good. Darn Tough socks are 100% made in America (Vermont to be exact) and stand out among other brands because they have an unconditional lifetime guarantee (which I actually tested). If the heel wears out, they get a hole in the toe, or they simply are not the most comfortable sock you've ever worn, just send them back and they will be replaced, no questions asked. With a guarantee like that, you know they have to be comfortable and well-made socks. 

  

Darn Tough socks come in an array of heights, thickness, styles and designs (many of which have cool outdoorsy themes). So whether you want a thicker hiking/working sock or a thinner running sock you will find it. If you like low cut socks to prevent tan lines or need a high calf sock to fit in your tall boots, they have those too. Their [website](https://darntough.com/) has a nice guide to sizing and sock height so you know exactly how they will fit and look which is helpful for choosing the right sock for you. Free shipping on orders of two or more pairs is an added bonus.  My socks arrived in a cardboard box so it can be recycled. 

  

Darn Tough socks fit perfectly. I wear a size 8 so I land in the middle of the medium size which covers (7.5– 9.5). Sometimes socks are too long, bunch up in the toe, too wide and sloppy, or slide down in the back, all of which have never happened with any Darn Tough socks I own. They are made with a seamless toe stitching which eliminates bulkiness in the toe box which causes a tight, cramped fit. After multiple washings, they still look and feel the same with no fading or shrinking. I like the fact that these socks are made from Merino wool which is not itchy on your skin like other types of wool. A couple other great features of Merino is that they are insulating in the cold but function great in hot weather as they are breathable and wick moisture from your skin. I find that these socks dry very quickly and even when they get wet on hikes I’ve never gotten blisters. Merino wool is said to naturally repel odor and bacteria which is a great feature of a hiking sock where your shoes constantly get wet and dirty. 

I was curious why these socks are so soft, so durable, and just so perfect so I turned to their website to get the story. According to their website, Darn Tough socks “are knit on small needle, fine gauge knitting machines. This approach produces durable, high density stitching without bulk. Less bulk means a better fit. The better the sock fits, the longer it will last.” So there you have it. 

  

I tested a variety of Darn Tough socks in different shoes and during different activities. For the days when I am standing on my feet for hours in Danskos, I chose the bridge no show light. The no show socks are just that, one’s that do not show in your shoe. These socks are thin enough to fit perfectly in shoes that don’t have much room to play around.  During the eight hours I wore them they never slipped in the heel and stayed perfectly in place. The no show light cushion sock is perfect for my 3-4 mile runs. The sock has enough cushion that I never got blisters but not too thick to cramp my feet. Compared to the bridge no show sock this particular style did show a little bit above my running shoe. For hiking, I prefer more cushioning and a slightly taller sock so I choose the hiker¼ cushion sock. This sock has added cushioning that fairs well for long hikes scrambling up and down hills and mountains and over rocks.  Despite the hot weather and six miles, my feet never felt “hot.”  The¼ hiker is the perfect height to cover the high tongue on my hiking shoes. 

  

Alas, I found a problem and had to test their warranty with the treeline micro crew cushion socks that I ordered.  One sock was considerably taller than the other. You can file a warranty claim on the Darn Tough webpage but I didn’t want to have to pay for the packaging and shipping cost to return these brand new socks. So I clicked on the online chat box and was in touch with someone from customer service immediately. I explained the issue and sent a few pictures illustrating the discrepancy. The representative agreed there was a problem and offered to send me a new pair and within ten minutes of ending my chat I received an email confirming a new pair was on the way.  The representative asked if she could follow-up with email (of which I agreed) and said that the quality control team may want to examine them (of which they would pay for shipping). This is the first time I have tested the Darn Tough warranty and was quite pleased with the process and result. 

  

From now on the only socks I will buy are Darn Tough. The price is comparable to other name brand wool hiking socks but the feel and quality are so much better. And, the 100% guarantee seals the deal.  I think you will find these to be the most comfortable, well-made socks on the market.

Great Campground with Lots to Do in Park

[http://www.alaneinthewoods.com/adventures/ft-yargo-state-park-winder-ga-2017/](http://www.alaneinthewoods.com/adventures/ft-yargo-state-park-winder-ga-2017/)

Ft. Yargo is a great park in the middle of suburbia. It has a little bit of everything. We camped in the walk-in sites and they were clean and well spaced. We had fun at the beach and did some dishing. They have great walking trails and biking trails. There is a charge for the biking trial but they are worth it. We spend many of summer afternoons kayaking the lake. The park does off kayak and paddle boat rentals. This is a great park that we will revisit!

Ft. Yargo Camping 2017

This was our it’s time camping with our popup. Had a great time. Beautiful park on a gorgeous lake.

Our first time camping with our popup

Fort Yargo is a nice park with campsites, yurts and cabins.  We camped by the lake and enjoyed ourselves.  

Nice park

This is one of my favorite Georgia state parks. The outer loop trail is 11-12 miles long (the extra mile is your choice of including the "monster mile" or not). The inner loop is 5 miles. So there is plenty of hiking and biking trails. You can bring your own boat or rent one of many styles from the boat house. There are new boat ramps and docks at both ends of the park along with new bridges. There are even more improvements in the works for the entrance and welcome center. A negative aspect for me is that the sites are reserved on a first come first serve basis (not site specific). This leads to increased anxiety of trying to find a site and folks stalking sites days and hours prior to you leaving- it can be a bit creepy. Both bath houses are new though and kept very clean. The hosts are friendly and fire wood is available for a wider time range than other parks. Hosts also take their duties seriously keeping the sites ready for the next guests. They try their best to get to every site to rake the rocks free of litter or debris. We've stayed early spring, late spring and mid fall. We love the sites with water access but they are hard to come by. You are close to restaurants if you'd rather not cook or stores if you've forgotten something, but once you're in the park the outside world melts away.

Convenient yet Secluded

large sites, lake view, walk up sites, showers

beautiful 

It has history. A beautiful lake with many activities. Great primitive camp sites as well as spacious pull through lake front spots for RVs. They also have cute yurts on the lake with a movie night for kids!

Absolutely beautiful!!!! I wanted to never go home!! 

Fort Yargo is in the Winder Ga area and is close to Helen, Jefferson, Athens and Atlanta. Entering the campground is a nice paved road and leads to tent camping, cabins, yurts and RV sites.

Very clean park and has Historical area, playground, tennis court, bike and hike trails. Not to mention beach and boating area.

Picnics, camping, boating biking and camping or just day use areas. Pet friendly and all around great park.

There is a small general store, but you are so close to everything if you need it, it's there.

Gread for the Georgia Bulldog crowd as its less then 30 minutes!

I recommend this park highly.

Relaxation in The Woods

One of my best state park, we travel with Rv and sites was clean &amp; including water &amp; electric. The roads are good, it was raining wen we stay their, we had a wonderful time. We're from Israel and we travel the USA with an RV, so this park was just fantastic.

Fantastic views, 

Primitive sites. Very quiet-not crowded when we were there.

Quiet camping

This campground is literally amazing! There are bike trails,  hiking trails, beautiful beaches,  boating and kayaking. I wish that I had a week to spend here. This is also a historic area, so there is much to explore, without leaving the campground. There is a store with souvenirs and local goodies. The staff were very helpful and sweet. Our site #36 was perfectly level. The only thing it didn't have was sewer hookup,  but the dump station was easy to get to. Definitely would go back!
******RANGER REVIEW OF BANNER AND OAK HAT********
Being a Ranger with The Dyrt, I have the privilege to review awesome products! I received this really nice hat from Bannee and Oak. The material is a really nice blue, and soft like a well worn pair of jeans. I believe that this will become my new go to hat! Thank you,  @thedyrt and Banner and Oak!!! https://bannerandoak.com

CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL 

We love fairly close to this State Park and LOVE the disc golf course. The trails are nice. The beach was a perfect spot for our kids to cool off from the heat. Camp ground was extremely clean. When we were there they had a historic fair that the kids really enjoyed.

Quiet little place right outside of town

This is a gorgeous state park with plenty of great campsites. I recently had a campsite right by the lake with a great view. It is dog friendly. I just wish they would fence in an off-leash dog area. 

Lakeside Camping 

We did a day trip here and did not stay overnight (as it’s practically next door to us). The facilities were great, mini golf and beach were nice, and campground looked to be laid out well when we went through. The waterfront sites had awesome views. 

Due to the recent construction, it was kind of confusing where to go (they changed the entrance). 

Nice to visit 

Nice large gravel site.   Water access but no swimming allowed at campground. 
Parking lot is a short walk to campsite. Bathhouse is at the parking area. 
Picnic table and fire pit at site. 

Wooded area but not secluded, limited shade on table.  Will need a canopy for daytime table use. Neighbors lights will definitely be seen. 

Nice site but probably won’t stay at this site again. 

Walk in tent site 44

Beautiful state park nestled in the GA pines. More than seven miles of hiking trails and 12 miles of biking trails. Canoeing and kayaking available too. Sites are spacious and mostly level gravel sites and long enough that we were able to stay hooked up to the truck. 

Beautiful & Quiet

Ft Yargo is located  about 45 miles NE of Atlanta in Winder, Ga.  We camped there for four nights and while the weather was cold the campground was full.  Plenty of things to do here that include bike and hiking trails, boat rentals, mini golf, geocaching and more!  Walmart and several restaurants are minutes away should you need them. 

State Park with plenty to do

Paddle boats, kayaks and the beach, grilling out and having fun with friends and our kids 

Yargo 

Myself and 2 friends stayed in one of the 5 Yurts on the lake.
Every morning we watched the sun rise over the trees, to start our days. Every evening, we gathered on the back deck to watch the sun setting. Let me tell you, absolutely breathtaking!

Plenty of room inside the structure for 3 adults, but only 2 outlets inside and 1 covered, out front.

The walking paths (over 11 miles worth) were excellent and well maintained.

We saw several does, lots of squirrels and a small flock of domestic ducks.

We were also graced with some beautiful owls, and a young eagle.

Four days, 3 nights delight!

We had a few nights in the yurt and a few nights camping at a walk in site. I preferred the walk in campsite directly on the lake over the yurts. The yurts were tightly packed and not very private. 

Camping on the lake 

So excited we found a park in this area open in the winter! Excellent facilities and everyone very helpful. Beautiful water front sites and multiple full throughs. They even have laundry on site! Some trails closed due to snow and muddy conditions. Will definitely revisit!

Beautiful park 

Fort Yargo had became our home away from home. With all the home like amenities we felt right in place and cosy as a storm came through while on our family camping trip.

At the Fort

Nice campground with a lake. When we were there the lake had been drained for maintenance and was just filling back up. Still good for paddle boarding. Bathrooms are handicap accessible. 