Best Tent Camping near Cherry Log, GA
The North Georgia mountains surrounding Cherry Log offer several tent camping options within Chattahoochee National Forest, featuring both established campgrounds and primitive sites. Long Creek Falls along the Appalachian Trail provides dispersed tent camping with creek-side sites that require a one-mile hike in from Forest Road 42. Your Toccoa River Cove offers private tent camping on a 12-acre wooded property with spring water access and a shelter. Nearby Hickory Flatts Cemetery provides free tent camping in an open field setting with vault toilets and picnic facilities.
Forest Service roads leading to many tent campsites near Cherry Log require careful planning, as some involve dirt road driving and stream crossings. Bear Creek Campground necessitates a stream crossing best attempted with high-clearance vehicles, followed by carrying gear 150-250 feet across a wooden bridge to reach the dispersed camping area. Sites typically lack amenities like running water or electricity. Vault toilets are available at some locations such as Hickory Flatts, but most require campers to practice proper waste disposal. Bear boxes are provided at certain sites including Springer Mountain Shelter, as black bears are active throughout the region.
Primitive tent sites in the Cohutta Wilderness area offer seclusion under towering trees with abundant water sources from mountain streams. Hickey Gap features five tent sites alongside a creek with access to a waterfall about a mile down the trail. Campers frequently mention the peaceful sound of flowing water that enhances the sleeping experience. The walk-in sites at Long Creek Falls provide good swimming holes during warmer months, with one reviewer noting that "campsites are dispersed in the area along the creek and often have remnants of thru hikers coming down from Springer Mountain in the first days of their hike." Tent campers should note that summer months bring increased bugs and humidity, while spring and fall provide more comfortable temperatures for backcountry tent camping.