Searching for a tent camping spot near Athens? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Athens with tent camping. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
This recreation area is part of Lake Sidney Lanier
Buford Dam Park lies just north of Buford Dam on Lake Sidney Lanier. The site features beautiful views of the lake as well as excellent access to swimming, picnicking and boating.
The lake, named for the poet, Sidney Lanier, is well known for its aqua-blue colored water, spectacular scenery and variety of recreational activities. Each year, over 7.5 million people come to visit.
Lake Lanier boasts 38,000 surface acres, 690 miles of shoreline and over 100 small islands. Its location in the forested foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains, makes for a beautiful backdrop to any activity.
Visitors can access the Laurel Ridge Hiking Trail from multiple locations and parks. The trail is a 3.5 mile loop that offers great views of the lake and Chattahoochee River. Fisherman can expect to catch a variety of species including bass, catfish and panfish. Activities include fishing, swimming, wake boarding, kayaking and hiking.
Bolding Mill Park offers access to a designated swim beach and the Laurel Ridge Hiking Trail. The park also offers a basketball court, soccer field, playground, picnic areas and restrooms.
Nearby attractions include boat ramps, other USACE parks, and Lake Lanier Islands.
Experience the magic of our 14-acre oasis in Greensboro, GA. - once a chic wedding venue now a campers dream. Sleep beneath stars, wander through history: antebellum home, cabins, and barns. Find solace by your own private fire pit, or join the pavilion's communal fire. Roast marshmallows and retell stories beneath the Southern sky. This isn't camping; it's a journey into a living, breathing storybook. Welcome to your unique escape!
$50 / night
Upper Overlook Park lies just south of Buford Dam on Lake Sidney Lanier. The site features beautiful views of the lake as well as excellent access to swimming, picnicking and boating.
The lake, named for the poet, Sidney Lanier, is well known for its aqua-blue colored water, spectacular scenery and variety of recreational activities. Each year, over 7.5 million people come to visit.
Lake Lanier boasts 38,000 surface acres, 690 miles of shoreline and over 100 small islands. Its location in the forested foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains, makes for a beautiful backdrop to any activity.
Visitors can access the Laurel Ridge Hiking Trail from multiple locations and parks. The trail is a 3.5 mile loop that offers great views of the lake and Chattahoochee River. Fisherman can expect to catch a variety of species including bass, catfish and panfish. Activities include fishing, swimming, wake boarding, kayaking and hiking.
Lanier Park offers access to a designated swim beach, picnic areas and restrooms.
Nearby attractions include boat ramps, other USACE parks, and Lake Lanier Islands.
Fern Springs day-use picnic area sits in the lush forests of northern Georgia. It is home to historical hand-constructed stone pavilions, walkways, bridges, water rills and stairways. The diverse and secluded area is large enough to accommodate group picnicking and is available by reservation only.
Fern Springs is cradled by white pines, hemlocks and old growth oak trees and has a large grassy lawn and rich understory. The conditions provide a wonderful habitat for many bird species and animals, making the area a perfect spot for viewing wildlife.
The picnic area was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lake Russell Recreation Area, located just five miles from the picnic area, offers a popular swimming beach and ample fishing opportunities.
The area offers three picnic shelters, complete with tables, benches, campfire circles and group grills. The site can accommodate up to 100 guests. There is also a large lawn space used for a variety of activities.
A parking area is located adjacent to the shelters. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.
Guide
Amazing place. We went in the winter so it wasn't too crowded. Sites are waterfront and spacious
Guide
Very good spot near the lake. Awesome views and good signal at least for Verizon. Water pressure was a bit inconsistent so watch out for any issues that may cause
ScoutVery rude and unhelpful said he would call me back to let me know if there was any openings. He never called back.
Guide
I loved everything about this campground. The sites all have beautiful views and lake access, they are decently apart from each other. And has great signal! I was getting consistent 5G 3 bars at least with Verizon. The bathrooms don't have showers so plan accordingly
Guide
Site 7 is separate from the others and has the whole point except there is a trail behind the site. No easy, sandy water access unless you go to the nice beach they have.
Traveler
Nice campsites with water and electricity. Almost all the sites have view of lake and many have access to the lake for swimming or paddle boarding or boating. Nice breeze off the lake. Will be back many times.
Legend
Beautiful location with a train themed well organized and super helpful staff. Tiered topography lends to beautiful lake and sunset views Used showers and laundry and both were great
Traveler
We stayed in site 7 and we really enjoyed it. The site was clean and the pad was very level.
We had a minor issue popping the 30amp breaker but switched over to the 50 amp adapter and all worked fine.
Didn’t use the bath house but I did go check them out and they looked clean.
I would caution big rigs on the first loop (sites 2 - 9) the loop at the back is pretty tight. We did fine with our 28’ TT but anyone over 30’ might want to consider the other loops.
Driving through and looking at the other sites some of the picnic areas need to be reworked or at the very least mowed and weeded. If it wasn’t for that sort of stuff I would give it 5 stars.
LegendWe’ve camped here multiple times. We are always impressed with the spacious sites, lake access, quiet relaxing atmosphere.
LegendOn my way back from Florida to the NC mountains, I spent a night at the KOA campground on Lake Oconee in Greensboro, GA. I was in a full hook-up pull-through site#44. As you can see from the photos, the campground is right on the lake and has many campsites. The campground staff was accommodating during check-in and when getting to my site. However, the campground itself is pretty worn. Roads are poor. Decking at sites needs repair. At $108.90, for one night, there is little reinvestment in the campground grounds and facilities. The local area is proliferating with many upscale homes and businesses. I expected a more updated set of facilities. Site#44 has a lake view, which is nice, but it is one of 3 sites butted up end to end on the side of the road, with the site to my left currently unusable with some repair work going on. The site has a sizeable two-tier deck, grill, and firepit, but it had not been cleaned off in some time, with chairs and tree debris strewn around. I would skip this campground if I were back in the area.
Legend
We live in NC and have camped all over the eastern US. By far Georgia is a state with some of the very best infrastructure. Roads are great. State Parks are some of the best and we’ve camped at many. Tugaloo State Park is a nice park. Right on the lake. Lots of lake related activities. This area of the campground (sites 73-105) has a unique layout in that a large number of sites are pull through and arranged sideways along the access roads. This makes the sites long and narrow and results in close neighbors. The elongated sites mean the picnic table and fire pit are at far end and feel disconnected from the site. Roads are well maintained and sites all seemed pretty level. We were in site 97 with W/E. The bathhouse was very close, but we did not use it. We were a few rows back from the lake but had a view of the lake through the tall pines that provided some shade. We’ve camped here a couple of other times and would come back again.
Guide
Great little place to camp. Beautiful lake. Bathrooms and showers are on site.
TravelerMy family and I camped here for the weekend. Our campsite was beautiful and level. We could easily accommodate our pop-up camper and a 4-person tent with room to spare! My son was able to play and explore. My only critic would be that we were a little let down at the condition of the beach and that there was no playground when there was one listed on the grounds map. We will definitely be returning nonetheless.
Scout
Cabin 3 stars- Older cabin, clean, spacious with very large living area, loft area small and a bit dingy, shared porch Campground 3 stars-wooded, shady, hilly Amenities 3 stars- a bit run down Staff 3 stars-average
ScoutGreat camp ground. Very clean and well maintained.
TravelerCame here for the first time last year and I love that it’s in the middle of no where. We had a great place next to the beach and the gate workers were so sweet!
Traveler
Been going here since I was a kid and now I take my kids every year. It’s quiet but it could use more campsites with a beach area and maybe updated bathrooms. Still love it though
Guide
This was my second time here and I wasn’t a huge fan of this site. Otherwise, beautiful campground with lots of shade and plenty of trails. Limited to no service out here.
Guide
This is a very well maintained and popular campground on Lanier. I’ve come here since I was a kid. Tent sites are down some stairs, keep that in mind.
GuideI love this campground! It feels pretty secluded from the city because of the long drive in. Beautiful sites and plenty of trails nearby. My friend and I brought our hammocks and enjoyed a very peaceful weekend.
Scout
This was our first RV camping experience -- testing out a new pop-up camper during a two (2) night stay. Reservations were made through Campspot -- about $120 with fees. Communication with the main number for the campground went through the Margaritaville Campground nearby. Separate direct lines to the camp office and security were provided after arrival. Overall communication was good with both, and the staff were always polite.
We skipped our first night reservation due to high winds. We had concerns about damaging the pop-up roof during first-time setup. We decided, instead, to visit the campsite we'd reserved and pick up our paperwork. Site 56 was our first choice, and we were NOT happy with it. I selected the wrong size on the Campspot website -- a 20' campsite. It was not big enough to park both the camper AND the tow vehicle, AND the camper would've been facing away from the lake anyway with water and electrical hookups.
The next morning, we called to arrange for a different site. The camp office was very accommodating and blocked off four (4) available sites to choose from. We moved to site 55, which was a large circular pull through. Probably too big for our pop-up camper, but also probably too close to trees for a larger trailer or even a 5th wheel. The campsite was large, with the picnic table, fire ring and sand pit away from the camper. There was lots of room to set up and enjoy the beautiful lake views.
Electric and water hookups worked just fine. The camp office lent a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter free of charge. We had no issues with either service. The showers and bathrooms were about 2-3 sites down and up the road from 55, and they were reasonably clean for what they were.
I WAS disappointed that the main gate was broken, and the key code locks on the showers and bathrooms were duct taped shut. However, I did not feel that the campground was all that insecure, and there did not appear to be a lot of traffic coming through. Security DID come through overnight on Sunday morning -- probably due to some noise at 1-2 of the campsites across the cove from ours. Things quieted down after. The camp host was cleaning bathrooms on Sunday morning, and he was very polite when we talked. I saw him regularly coming through to check on campsites and clean up.
Overall, we liked this campground and will be going back. I will likely request to scout out some different sites in person before selecting one, as I don't want to be in a position to have to give up my spot when it's very busy.
Scout
We had a great experience. Space was easy to get the camper backed into and spaces were far enough apart for small kids to have room to play without bothering other campers. Only concern was the spot we chose was on an exposed point on the lake and was very windy. Would probably be great on a 90 degree summer day but was very cold when the temps dropped into the 40s on our last day.
LegendWe booked a last minute night here for Easter weekend to get out of the city. It one of the only places available due to our last minute decision. We stayed in Loop A. It’s smaller than Loop B. With plenty of trees for hammocks, we had plenty of room for both of our tents, 2 hammocks, and both cars. Loop A is in walking distance to the beach area/day use area. It was so peaceful! There’s one bathroom in Loop A. With 2 stalls and one shower in the women’s portion. I’m assuming then men’s is the same. I’d definitely stay here again! I have Verizon and I had one bar here. Enough to send/receive a text but that’s about it.
Scout
Guide
Long with plenty of space for 37' Trailer & two cars in drive. Concrete parking pad and for.pinic table and fire pit. Lake access but has stone riprap at this site so no shore to land boat. Water down maybe 3 to 4' at winter level rock sand dirt shore line.
Short drive to Hartwell to shop or eat
Scout
The park was quiet and clean. Bathroom and bath house area kept very clean with plenty of HOT water. Site 26 is a pull through with kinda odd connection placement but we made it work.
Ranger
Beautiful park with lots of activities available for the whole family. The park is well maintained and clean!
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Camping near Athens, Georgia, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled weekend, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping around Athens, Georgia, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Athens, GA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Athens, GA is Shady Grove Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 22 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Athens, GA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
