George L Smith II State Park Campground

Read through all the reviews and it seems to have come a long ways. There are more hiking trails, really nice docks and boats for rent and slightly better Verizon service. My Tesla wireless worked barely and without the cell phone extender I wouldn't have been able to work here. All in though they do a very nice job of providing private spaces and the cabins look amazing. It was in the teens outside so not floating on the lake for me but I would love to do that. The lake looks incredible.

We stayed at George L. Smith State Park in Oct. 2023. We had a large, level, pull-thru site with water and 50 amp service. No sewer. There are sites on the water that some are large and some are close. Those do have a view and some are private. 

The park was quite and peaceful for our visit. We really enjoyed paddling the pond and checking out the grist mill and covered bridge. The pond is black water with tons of cypress and tupelo trees throughout. Kind of mystical.

General: Small (25-site) campground, all with electric/water plus a fire ring, lantern hook, and picnic table. There are also 8 cottages and four primitive campsites. Most have a water view. An interesting thing about Georgia state parks is that when you arrive and check in, you become eligible for a senior or military/veteran “rebate” which is not available when reserving. 

Site Quality: All sites are gravel and level. Most sites had a step-down area with a picnic table, fire ring/grill, and lantern hook with plenty of room for a tent. 

Bathhouse: Was very clean. Lights are on a timer so make sure you don’t end up in the dark too soon! Did not use the showers but they looked to be very clean as well.

Activities: Fishing, boating (kayaks are available for rent), and some short hiking/walking paths. There is an 1880s grist mill/covered bridge with self-guided tours but it was scheduled to close for renovations on October 31 (not sure for how long) so we were lucky we arrived on the 30th and were able to see it. The hosts were very available and friendly. The campground was about half full and very quiet. 

Note that there is a sketchy RV “park” across the street from the campground. When we asked, the host said they keep a close watch on it and make sure no one from there accesses the campground; we did not experience any problems. 

We were told the colors were early this year and they were like nothing we’d seen before so as a photographer, I loved shooting something entirely different! Also, we were pleasantly surprised there were no bugs so close to a swamp!