Are you planning a tent camping trip to Dalton? We've got you covered. The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Dalton with tent camping. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Dalton's most popular destinations.
30 Walk-In Campsites
$25 / night
View of Big Frog Mountain Area of Cherokee National Forest This area is known for solitude and backcountry adventure, with Big Frog Wilderness being a destination for backpacking, day-hiking and hunting. The area offers about 35 miles of backcountry trails, some of which climb to over 4,000 feet. In addition to the backcountry hiking opportunities, the area is also managed as a Black Bear reserve. Try snorkeling at Conasauga River, renowned for remarkable fish viewing. Pitch a tent at Tumbling Creek or Sylco Campgrounds. Big Frog Area Map Big Frog Area Guide
This recreation area is part of Carters Lake
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).
Totally Off-grid, Offline, Private, Natural retreat weekend
Enjoy your completely private, secluded camping experience on over 20 forested acres in the foothills of Blueridge Mountains. We are in Northern Georgia near the tiny town of Fairmount, between Jasper, Cartersville, and Calhoun, GA. You will be our ONLY GUESTS for the entire weekend!
When you arrive, your tent will already be set up, and your air mattress bed turned down, welcoming you to enjoy your first night under the stars. That evening, we suggest winding down by maybe reading a book, or curling up by the fire to be mesmerized by its flames. With no traffic or light pollution, you may find some of the best star gazing ever. Then the night sounds of the forest will soothe you into a night of restful sleep.
We love kids, but this is a retreat designed for ADULTS. There are cliffs and drop-offs near the campsite that are not safe for children. Adults with disabilities should contact us in advance of booking to make sure you are comfortable with the physical demands of spending the weekend camping on this raw, wild property. Pathways and trails are uneven and rocky in spots, and some trails are steep.
MUST LOVE DOGS! Our property is owned by four dogs, two goats, and a cat who let us live with them! Our dogs and cat roam freely on the property and the goats may be offended if you don’t at least say hello.
Off-grid and Offline means: NO electricity, NO indoor plumbing, NO Wi-Fi
(This kind of weekend is not for everyone, and that’s OK!)
Off-grid and Offline also means: You will be staying on a ridge with a panoramic view of the forest and mountains like none other. You will experience no traffic, no city noise. Just quiet, peace, and wild nature.
We live in our tiny, off-grid house on the first ridge. You will be able to see it from your campsite on the second ridge. Please do let us know before you stop by though, because we shower outside! We will provide a walkie-talkie should you need to contact us, and otherwise, we will respect your privacy and the entire second ridge will be yours! If you would like to hike to the creek or explore the rest of the 20 acres, just let us know and we will direct you to the trailhead.
Going without your phone is encouraged, but optional, of course, though you may not have a signal either way. We provide walkie-talkies for safety, and we personally have phone service in case of emergencies.
You may bring your own alcohol and we are 420 friendly. Please just keep it at your campsite, consume responsibly and in moderation to preserve your nature experience. There are steep inclines, rocks and stumps that may cause injury to an inebriated camper! Also, clean up cans/bottles and any other waste every day and night.
On this lovely weekend, you may want to hike, bird watch, meditate, sketch, read or just relax on the ridge with the scenic overlook that is all yours.
Please call us to book your weekend! We can’t wait to hear from you and help you plan the most relaxing, natural, off-grid weekend you can have!
What is included:
o One or two four person tents.
o A large canopy shelter with table and two chairs to keep you out of the weather. (Bring your own camping chairs.)
o 5 gallons of water
o 1 bundle of firewood each night (No firewood may be brought in. We don’t want to introduce new bugs to our natural environment)
o A fire pit
o A bucket toilet with toilet seat. (Remember, this is off-grid!)
o Cooler with ice
Some items to remember to bring:
o All food for the weekend. We are a remote location, so you won’t be able to just run into town for supplies.
o Sleeping bags or sheets, blankets, pillows. It sometimes gets cold on the mountain at night, so prepare to bundle up.
o Dishwashing supplies. Dawn soap is the only soap allowed for dish washing, as it is safe for the environment.
Add on’s (please try to request in advance):
$10 - Coffee bundle: Camp style coffee percolator, Coffee mugs, coffee grounds, sugar, sweetener, powdered creamer
$5 – Extra firewood – per bundle
$15 – Smore’s package
$15 – Guided tour to creek, and other sites (note: The creek is usually dry from October until February, which provides the opportunity to search for artifacts. From March until September, the creek is usually flowing, which provides the opportunity to play in the creek, or sit by the water and listen to the sounds.)
$20 - for a trip into town to pick up forgotten supplies
Penalty Fees: Please avoid these at all costs. We are assuming the kind of people who want to camp off-grid and offline are also the kind of people who will respect nature and others.
$80 - $100 / night
Scout
We had 3 couples who spent the long weekend for 4th of July (2016) on two sites in the walk-in tent camping area. There are (non-flush) potties at the tent camping area, but if you're grossed out by those, it's a couple of minutes drive to the closest bath house. The bath house was very satisfactory and pretty clean, plus plenty of hot water. There's a (steep!) trail from the tent camping area down to the lake with some good places for swimming. It would probably be tough to walk a kayak down to the water from tent sites, though. We found the gravel tent pads well maintained and clean.
The location near Ellijay is great. We visited a couple of area wineries, and there's a fun mountain bike trail at Woodring Branch rec area (directly across the lake from Doll Mtn. Campground, but no direct route to get there, so it's about a 45 minute drive.)
Guide
We love camping at Fort Mountain. Its usually a good bit cooler due to the elevation, and the private wooded campsites make tent camping in Georgia’s summer heat much more enjoyable. Good hiking and things to do nearby.
Traveler
If you are into boating and have a 30’ or less camper or like to tent camp this is the place for you. There are several lake front sites, both with power/water hookups and primitive tent sites. If you have a larger RV (35’ or bigger) your choice of sites is limited. There are only 2 sites (59 & 60) with full hookups (which are not near the water) but are very spacious. Many of the sites that are advertised as fitting larger rigs would be very challenging to get into and some would be impossible. The bathhouse was in good shape but dated as would be expected for an older COE. The camp hosts were very friendly and helpful. We probably won’t be back as we are not lake type folks but will leave space open for other to enjoy.
Legend
As exclusively tent campers, I have always steered away from KOAs. But given how close this one is to my home city of Chattanooga, and how beautiful the Lookout Mountain region is, I decided to do a drive-thru tour just to check out a campground within 30 minutes of home, and this is definitely a place I would love to camp, even in a tent!
Convenient to I-59, this KOA is in an extremely rural part of northern Georgia, giving it a backcountry feel despite how easy it is to access. And while it is still primarily for RV campers, they do have a some designated tent-only sites that are on their own leg of the road, and spaced out to provide some privacy--site D in particular had more of a feel of a private campground to it.
There are two distinct sections to this campground; when you first enter, there is a turnoff to the right that takes you to lower elevation. These sites are more spaced out, have trees (or bamboo!) in between them, and are generally larger. This is also the side where the tent and group camping sites are. Group camp sites allow one tent per site, and RV sites are all 50A full service except for sites 60 and 61 which are 30A. Tent sites have water and electric available but are for one vehicle and tent only.
To the left of the welcome center upon entering sites are closer together, with a combination of 30A and 50A full services hookups. There are still plenty of trees, particularly along the uppermost loop (sites 16, 18, 20, and 22). This side is also where the majority of the cabins are.
The coolest aspect of this campground for me was the massive jumping pad they have, and I had to promise my kids we would take an overnight trip here just so they could use it! It is restricted to ages 16 and under (and appeared to be closed, along with the playground and saltwater pool, due to COVID-19), but looked like an amazing addition, especially for families who may be staying here long-term and need a way for their kids to get some energy out without leaving the campground!
This would still not be my primary choice for tent camping as it is still largely geared towards RVs, however the group camping, the wooded feel, and the convenience to Chattanooga make this an amazing play to stay, whether it is folks in the city looking to get into nature without a long drive, fulltimers who want long-term accommodations while they take advantage of all the region has to offer, or travelers just looking for a quiet place to stay while passing through.
Legend
Adventures Unlimited is located in Ocoee, TN, just outside of Chattanooga, and is one of the coolest river towns I’ve been to. The Ocoee River was the site for the 1996 Olympics whitewater events. There are numerous outfitters for everything you can do on the river, and this place is the best we’ve visited. We did the Classic Middle Ocoee Rafting Adventure, with Leon as our guide. He was awesome! He wore a Viking helmet (which looks really cool in our pics!) and had vast knowledge of the river and area, and said he’s been guiding for 20 years, so yeah, the best! I would highly recommend Leon if you take a trip!
The campground is HUGE for tent camping. There are hundreds of great tent sites, and the whole place has a great vibe. I wouldn’t really recommend it for children, it feels more like a grown up place, as the area is filled with kayakers, guides, college kids, etc., and these people have FUN! And there’s the Bus Bar, which I’ll cover in a bit. We stayed in site 13 on the rv sites, and it was nice. All the sites are spacious, most have plenty of shade, except for 6,7,8, they are in the middle and not much shade there. The rv sites have water and electric, and they have a dump station. The bath house is at the front entrance, it was very clean, with 4 restrooms and showers. They also have bungalows, and they looked awesome.
This place has two restaurants, The Cafe was closed, I’m assuming due to covid, I believe they serve breakfast and lunch there. And The Bus Bar- this place is a must! They have literally converted two yellow school busses into a bar! The restrooms are in one of the busses and the other is where the actual bar is. They have live music on weekends, and there is a very eclectic vibe. Great people watching! You will hear music from your campsite until around midnight. We didn’t try the food, but they have pizza and wings on their menu, so what else do you need?!
The office is where you check in for rafting, they also sell ice, water shoes, t-shirts, etc. and the people in there were super friendly. This is one of my favorite “fun” places we’ve stayed, it truly was an adventure! We will definitely be returning!
Scout
Nice pull in paved spots for every tent site. Playgrounds and bath houses were kept nice and clean. The loops where the tent sites are can’t be quite busy so keep an eye on the kiddos
Traveler
Conasauga Lake campground is heaven on earth for this country boy. On top of Grassy mountain in North Georgia it is a great small camper / tent camp. Lots of large hemlocks and rotadendren on the trail aroundthe lake. The gravel road up the mountain is not for the faint of heart but worth the effort.
Guide
Campground Review:
Red Top Mountain State Park is located in Acworth, GA. The park is located around 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona, which made it perfect for summer camping. The park has about 15 miles worth of shaded trails for hiking and mountain biking. The park also has RV, yurt, and cottage options for camping. We rented a first come first serve RV/Tent campsite during our visit, and the price was $35 for one night. The campsite was gate access and had electric/water hookups with 2 car spaces, a BBQ grill, picnic table, and a lot of trees. We had access to a public restroom, showers, and laundry. There were also primitive campsites available to rent, which were closer to the lake. Our group decided to stay at this park because we wanted to utilize the lake. The lake is beautiful; however, it was very crowded the weekend we went. The park overall has a lot of “things to do” and is family friendly, but it was given 4 stars because of how busy and crowded it was during our visit.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I had the opportunity to test the Tentsile Flite +, which is a tent and hammock fusion. I was super excited to use this product because I am a hammock camper and there are times I wish I had the option of tent camping. The design and uniqueness of Tentsile Flite + is amazing, and I would consider it more of a tent instead of a hammock, because of how flat it lays when suspended in the air.
Pros:
Cons:
Overall the Tentsile Flite + is perfect for someone who loves hammock camping, but want to enjoy some of the features tents have. I love the design and the wow factor it has on people. Also the company’s mission is very noble and how they help people in need and the environment.
Guide
Tent camped for a night can’t wait to go back. Didn’t get to see the caverns but did visit the gift shop.
Traveler
I slept really well last night here, and the camp host and guests were just great. Heated bathhouse with warm shower was definitely a highlight on a chilly morning!
Only downside in my mind was that I booked a tent site, only to find that the tent sites are down the hill from all the other sites, so if you book them you will have to haul your stuff down to the lake. It did sound like the night-time fishing would be awesome though!
Scout
Bob has a wonderfully serene campground for both RV’s and tent camping. I invite everybody looking for a quiet place on Mentone to visit 1776 RV.
Scout
Staff was very helpful in finding the right spot. Campsites are clean and hot showers are abundant. We tent camped, but the park is more suited for RVs or TTs
Guide
The owner of the property is a great host! Awesome tent sites, bath house, lots of cool trails.
Traveler
We camped here via tent camping, we really enjoyed our stay beautiful views and showers at site were decent getting ready to go view the beach side! But definitely a spot I’d revisit!
Traveler
Very intense hike up the mountain but the views are worth it! Hammock camping is ideal here, unsure of tent camping possibilities. Come prepared to hike hard and to experience unexpected weather if it occurs
Traveler
Beautiful location with an overlook to watch the sunset. Location is excellent for day hikes with plenty of options. Also this site provides a variety of options for your stay. Great place for tent camping.
Legend
This is a beautiful secluded site just off of Highway 64/74 not too far from the Tennessee border. The campground is very well kept and has wonderful amenities for both RV and tent campers. I was very impressed with the gorgeous grassy areas along the creek providing a private space for tent camping. They also have large shaded spots for RVs in other areas. Each site has a picnic bench and plenty of room to spread out. If you are like me and prefer tent camping I would recommend staying at one of the sites near the entrance as they have an almost magical feel to them. I also like that this campground provides great access to both hiking in Nantahala National Forest as well as rafting and kayaking on one of the many rivers in the area.
TravelerWe tent camped on Spot 27. Nice back in RV spot with water and electric. Bathhouse is close by. Gray water dump is across the road. Originally we booked Spot 60. That’s a pull through with little room for a tent. No cell service but that’s okay as we disconnected for a while. You can get service at the top of the park. Clean bathrooms with hot showers. Trails are nicely blazed with colors that match trail map. Georgia apple farms are a short, 20-30 minutes away.
Scout
We have tent camped here multiple times. Great place to stay. Owners are super nice and are working on a lot of upgrades. We love spending the day by rhe pool. Highly recommend and can't wait to go back!
GuideTent camping and we had s beautiful spot. But big problem, the aggregate for the tent pad was so compressed we could not set a stake. Had to move tent off pad! Bathrooms very clean in tent loop. Shame on government for not putting funds into pool maintenance. It was shut down. Deer wandering all around!!!
Guide
Small campground, a few nice waterfront spots for small RVs, 6 tent camping spots all waterfront. Very nice clean & newish bathrooms. Dump station was also clean, large & new feeling. There were some sewage winds in sites near the bathroom.
GuideThis is a great park with a lot to offer and more in the near vicinity.
Cell reception (T-Mobile) was non-existent in the site. However, there was reception at the trading post and possibly elsewhere.
They're installing Bear Boxes in tent sites back and front country (as I understood it) and are clearly paying attention to what people want and how to improve visitors experiences.
A lot of the sites are RV orientated. But the walk in tent sites are really close to the parking area. Also, nearby backcountry platforms and sites can be easily accessed.
If you want walking access to the trails, it's probably best to choose a site near the lake as that's where most trails are accessed from.
Scout
Beautiful area with hiking trails and plenty to do in general. Not far from the lodge with restaurant. Folks camping next door were super nice and even offered me hot food when tent camping in -0 degree weather. Overall pleasant experience and plenty to do and see.
Guide
has showers, running water, and bathrooms as well as portapotties. tons of wonderful hiking trails. RV and primitive tent sites. also has a great park store with snacks, souvenirs, etc. free park maps.
Scout
Clean, and well maintained. Tent camping along the edge of the river. Fire pits or grills, picnic tables, clean bathroom, and hot showers. If you are a light sleeper, the traffic noise from the highway might be disturbing. Good fishing. It was a nice overnighter on our way North.
LegendWonderful campground with all amenities! I have nothing negative to say, everything is clean and nice! We usually choose primitive tent camping for more privacy since we have three littles and the price is lower. Always a great time and there's plenty of hiking and a short walk to the waterfalls!
Scout
Very nice, clean and quiet place. Clean restrooms with showers and sinks. Beautiful beach and forest view. Table, geill and fire ring at every site. Tent sites right on the water. Plenty of shade. Will definitely be back soon!!! Highly recommend!!
Tent camping near Dalton, Georgia offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from well-reviewed sites to more primitive experiences, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Dalton, GA is Hickey Gap (Cohutta WMA) with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.
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