Planning a dispersed camping trip near Carters Lake? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. Find dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots from other campers.
A large grassy field located approximately 1 mile from Lake Conasauga Recreation area. Primitive camping--no amenities. Campers may utilitize Lake Conasauga recreation opportunities by parking in the picnic area parking lot, which has a $5 parking fee, or the boat ramp parking area. Emery Creek trail departs from the Ball Field, and Tearbritches Trailhead is just across the road for those interested in Cohutta Wilderness hiking.
Lost Creek Campground is located along the banks of Big Lost Creek. This primitive campground offers remote camping and is surrounded by dense forest and creeks. Lost Creek Campground is open year round. Sites are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. While staying at Lost Creek, campers can enjoy fishing in Big Lost Creek (note: special regulations are in effect for fishing in Big Lost Creek).
The 37,000 acre Cohutta Wilderness contains 90 miles of hiking and backpacking trails, two of which follow the Jacks and Conasauga Rivers. Trailhead parking lots located around the wilderness perimeter provide foot access to the trails. Three Forks, Betty Gap, Chestnut Lead and Tearbritches Trailheads are open early March through December 31 each year due to winter road closures. The trails associated with these parking areas remain open, but must accessed from alternate trailheads. Some trails are open to horses. A map of the Cohutta/Big Frog Wilderness is available for $5, showing trails, topography, parking lots and access roads (purchase of map is strongly recommended). Hikers and backpackers should leave a detailed trip plan with someone expecting their return since cell service is unpredictable in this mountainous area.
For visitors wanting to get away from it all, dispersed camping outside of developed campgrounds is allowed throughout Cherokee National Forest unless posted otherwise. Camping is not allowed within 100 feet of water, trails, trailhead parking lots and developed recreation areas. Dispersed camping is free and no permits are required.
Guide
Land pass required. No alcohol is permitted. This is a wildlife management area. The camp sites are first come, first serve. They are free. Only 2 sites with tables. If you like dispersed camping you'll probably enjoy it. If you prefer a campground, this is not for you.
Guide
No picnic tables or pit toilets. Flat campsites next to a very nice creek.
Guide
Can be crowded on the weekends. Right on the river and pit toilets close by.
Traveler
Overall we enjoyed this stay! GPS wants to take you to where the road dead ends but the actual turn off is before the end of the road on the right where the big wood sign is. The first road is pretty nice but then the road forks. We went right which goes up, passed an open gate followed the road LOTS OF DEEP POTHOLES. The road then opens up to a four way, we kept going straight, followed the road down and then came to three sites all empty. It was quiet and we were alone so overall we enjoyed other than the deep potholes. Our truck is pretty high and 4x4 so wasn’t too bad for us but a low car may not fair as well. We were there on a Friday
Guide
I had 3 bars of AT&T which worked well. The view from the shore was amazing and in my opinion comparable to some spots in Hawaii. It was nice and quiet, chilly at night, and not too far from murphy. We also hiked up to a nearby fire tower and it was a fun little hike. 10/10 will be returning.
(I just got a new drone and I made a fun little video of the campsite and the hike we did.)
Guide
Great quietly secluded. Made an effort to go as far as I could. And even through the water in my 2015 Toyota sienna mobbed right on through. Enjoy the views!
TravelerA little farther off the highway than I wanted to go, but definitely a solid free campsite. There are a few substantial pot holes, so wouldn’t recommend for someone driving a super low vehicle. Also GPS isn’t perfect. It will take u to someone’s private property next door. Look for the big wooden sign that indicates that it is for public use.
Traveler
Dont park where the map tells you, you can drive to the locations on a decent narrow dirt road.
When we first arrived, the camp site we chose was on the river, but also off the main road. This area seems to be popular for local dirt bikers, but we seen people fishing and relaxing all the same.
I would have gave 5 stars, but these sites are well used and has years of careless debris around. We also heard some folks shooting guns( in the distance), which isn’t a problem for us, but reduced the relaxing nature of the visit with all this combined.
This river is amazing, low current makes its easy to walk in and there are a few little water falls we enjoyed hanging on for a bit.
Scout
Be safe it's deep in woods high up in MT has bathroom facilities water stream very beautiful Had strang vibes ended up leaving my stuff in middle of night just be save I was a single woman camping alone. $5.00 day
TravelerGreat spot right on the little lake. You can hear the gun range from the Camp Spot, but it is barely noticeable. There are two main spots right on the lake that are set up for tent camping. My overland rig fit in the small parking area fine, but I had to find a few rocks to level my truck so the rooftop tent was level. It is obviously a spot that locals come to party on the weekends but I had no issues. There looks like there are only 2 primary camping spots with fire rings and tent pads. My spot had a picnic table and two tent pads, a pole for your lantern and was just feet from the lake. Lots of fish jumping and I caught a 1 pound large mouth bass on a silver spinning lure. Over all a great spot. No bugs, but you will likely need to bring firewood, as all of the fallen trees had been scavenged. Since there are only two spot, definitely have a backup plan, especially on the weekends.
GuideI loved it there. So peaceful! A couple of other people there and a little bit of trash, but I picked it up. Leave it better than you found it right? It rained, so no bugs, but that’s prob not true for the dry days…
TravelerThe campground was beyond capacity. Went to the Ada site and it looked like it was a cruel joke? Unsure. But there's no way. The spring looked amazing but couldn't camp. Can't add pics atm. Also, stepped out just to see the clearance on a turn and got in with 4 ticks on me.
GuideWe stayed 3 days 2 nights here in our 21’ pop up camper with our generator. Road is pretty well maintained, spots are good size, some only large enough for tent/car camping. We were never bothered and it’s right down the road from blue hole and Ellison Cave trail.
Traveler
First location was Hickey Gap, we got there around 1 on a Friday and it was full so we headed to the primitive group camping site. Gravel road, lots of rocks included, and dust but if your not worried about your car do it! We had an suv but I saw a handful of sedans that made it up. We got to the group site at 1:20 or so and there was only one person at first but slowly people start trickling in. We stayed 2 nights but a lot of people stayed for 1. The look out driving up is awesome and the lake it gorgeous. Watch out for bears.
Legend
This is an ok option if there are no other sites available. It is just a cleared-out area near the trail but doesn’t have an established fire pit. The only nice feature is that it is further up the trail and more private as well as has easy access to water.
ScoutIt has a blue hole an caves no electricity or running water but the camp sites are pretty good. An the do have a handicap access area for rvs to do disperse camping also an parking for the bluehole ...no one to bother you!
Legend
This is a great off grid camping spot along a creek. There are about 7 spots here with most of them each able to hold multiple vehicles and set ups. We had 3 vehicles (two with rooftop tents and one with a small teardrop trailer) and we still had room for more set ups in the spot we set up in. All the sites have at least 1 fire ring, most had multiple.
This is primitive camping, so there are no facilities (no bathhouse, no power, no dump station, no trash, ect). It's all pack it in, pack it out. We had no service with Verizon.
This is also bear country, so you need to practice bear safety with your food and trash. We did not see any bears in camp, but did spot one just down the road the morning we were leaving.
There is hiking in the area and there are areas in the creek deep enough for wading and soaking.
This is along Forest Service Road 221 which this section of FS 221 shares driving trails such as the Big Frog Loop, the Georgia Traverse, and the Trans America Trail (TAT), so there could be lots of traffic with overlanders, adventure bikers, and off-roaders.
LegendThis is a large field for dispersed camping along Conasauga Lake Road that is popular with both hikers (Emery Creek Trail and Tear Britches Trail both have trailheads here) and Overlanders (site is on the Big Frog Loop and Georgia Traverse). There are multiple fire rings established around the field and this field can handle many groups. No water or facilities here, but you can go down to the Lake Conasauga Campground about a mile away and use their facilities for a $5 fee. The field is fairly sloped, so you want to have some shoring if you are in a trailer, roof top tent, or van.
GuideThis is a primitive group camping area close to Lake Conasauga. GPS is 34.86064073010609,-84.63659794105651. (Photos and this review are from my last stay here on 31 Oct- 02 Nov 2021.)
The camping field is at the base of Bald Mountain, altitude 4005'. Nearby Tearbritches Trail will take you to the summit of Bald Mountain and then down to the Conasauga River. The Emery Creek Trail is at the back of the camping area. There are some fire pits in the open field.
The cell connection is intermittent and usually only one bar(or no cell).
This area is fairly remote and the rough gravel forest service roads are best traveled by a higher clearance vehicle. 2x2 usually works ok though. (It takes patience and a while to get here.) This is a popular mountain bike area and the cyclists can easily hit speeds of 30MPH on the sketchy downhills.
Guide34.860688452654024,-84.63670121000321
Stayed here a number of times during each of the four seasons. Fairly remote for eastern U.S, (but I have watched, over the past 2 decades, Atlanta grow northward, and a lot of development in Ellijay and Blue Ridge areas, and it is a little depressing). Access is by gravel roads. There are bears in the area and they love food. (A fed bear is a dead bear-please don't leave any food out and scare them away if they come around.)
No amenities. Lake Conasauga is nearby which has some amenities. One can hike up to the top of nearby Bald Mountain and then hike down to the Conasauga River. One can look for butterflies, other insects, birds, flowers, etc. There are many trails in the Cohutta Wilderness, which is just to the north.
I will post some photos of nearby Bald Mountain and the trail head for Tearbritches Trail. Other photos of the area here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbinv/albums/72157634085883873
(N34 51.670 W84 38.120) This leads over the highest western-most mountain in the eastern U.S., and then down to Bray Field at the junction of Tearbritches Creek and the Conasauga River(N34 53.897 W84 37.296)- It is a long steep grade down to the Conasauga(1-way distance is 3.4 miles)| 30 August 2013
Here are some notes I took about the vegetation in the area:
The north-northeasterly facing slope of Bald Mountain within a half-mile of the summit, elevation 4005'. Mostly New York Fern(Thelypteris noveboracensis) here, but also saw Hay-scented(Dennstaedtia punctilobula), Cinnamon(Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), and Interrupted Ferns(Osmunda claytoniana) in this immediate area. New York Ferns are common throughout the widerness| Tearbritches Trail, Cohutta Wilderness, N. Georgia Mountains| 30 August 2013
Guide
Parking lot is very small so be on the lookout for it. Must hike in!!!
Legend
This was the smallest and worst site in my opinion along this trail. I would continue on to the next site. However, if you are concerned about crowds this spot will most likely be available. Check out my video below to get a better idea of the space.
Legend
This is a much smaller site along the trail with enough space for a single tent or a couple of hammocks. My suggestion would be to keep heading further up the trail if the first 2 sites are occupied. This one does have a nice firepit and easy access to water but so do all the other sites along the trail.
Legend
This is another large campsite that sits further up the creek and is pretty easy to find from the main trail. It is more open than site A but also a good option. The photos and videos below will give you a good feel for the space. This is also a good option for anyone who has trouble sleeping with loud water sounds since this site is much quieter than some of the others.
LegendThis campsite is a backcountry site located along the Goforth Creek trail and is the closest to the parking area. It is also the largest of the sites with room for several tents. The site has really easy access to water for purifying or swimming. There is also a very large established fire pit. The hike up the creek is really beautiful and a much less traveled trail than others in the area. I highly suggest going all the way to the end and taking a little dip. The water feels wonderful on a hot summer day.
Guide
Although there is a Murray's Lake in TN, as you'll note on the location map, this campsite is in Georgia.
GuideThere is a lake, but it's not all that pretty. There's a boat ramp, but the lake is small and I doubt it's worth the trouble. There are 2 drive in tent spots, with 2 more at the end of a trail. Secluded. The road in can be handled by a sedan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Carters Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Carters Lake is Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area with a 4.6-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Carters Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 27 dispersed camping locations near Carters Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
