Searching for a tent camping spot near Hartwell Lake? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Hartwell Lake with tent camping. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Georgia tent camping excursion.
Burrells Ford campground is open year round with no charge. A pit toilet and picnic tables are available. Walk .25 miles to camp on the Chattooga River.
Sleep under the stars here at Denver Downs Farm! Set up your tent or camper in secluded area on the treelined side of our 140 acre field. Take a hike to the top of the hill and take in panoramic views of sunsets and the surrounding blue ridge mountains. There are loads of scenic trails to hike and waterfalls to visit just 20 -30 minutes drive away. We’re just 1 mile from Lake Hartwell and 20 miles from Lake Keowee so access to water sports are readily available. There are many restaurants within 1 mile of our farm. You are in the country- but close to “everything” – we are 1 mile off of Interstate 85. Clemson University is 11 miles up Clemson Boulevard. We host special events year round including our annual Fall Festival and fantastic concerts. Get tickets to those events and stay for the weekend!
$30 / night
Camping Information : Camping is allowed only on designated campsites. Camping in other than designated areas may result in a fine. No drive up campsites are available on the park. There are no water or electricity provided at the campsites. Camping Reservations : To make a backcountry trailside camping reservation, call toll-free 1-866-345-PARK (7275) or make it online by clicking Park Reservations. Reservations requested less than one (1) day in advance of check-in must be made directly through the park. For example: If today is Friday and you are making a reservation checking in on today, Friday, you must make the reservation by contacting the park directly. Trailside Camping : The Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area offers trailside backcountry camping at 18 primitive sites. Fourteen sites provide fire pits, while four allow no fires. Permits are required, and camping is allowed in designated areas only. Campers are asked to follow internationally recognized "leave no trace" camping practices. For more information on leave no trace practices, visit the official leave no trace ethics website. Campers are asked to check-in at least two hours before dark in order to safely reach their campsites. Costs are $8-20/site/night. Backcountry Group Camping: The Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area offers one backcountry group campsite. The group site can be reserved for 10-20 people. Reservations for the group campsite must be made by calling the park directly. Costs are $4.40 - 5.50/person/night. Registration is required. PETS Pets : Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas provided they are kept under physical restraint or on a leash not longer than six feet. Owners will be asked to remove noisy or dangerous pets or pets that threaten or harass wildlife.
Primitive campsite. Primitive campsites are typically sites within the forest that have been designated for use based on desirable location. Most primitive sites have no amenities such as toilets or picnic tables. Stay is limited to 14 days. Saddle, pack and draft animals are not permitted at any campsite.
Enjoy a picnic, hold a Boy Scout troop meeting or have a family gathering within the historic CCC structures of this wooded recreation area. Directly adjacent to the picnic pavilions visitors can can follow their picnic with a mesmerizing day-hike to the awesome falls on the 6.6 mile Panther Creek Trail.
$4 / night
A moderate 45-minute hike along a newly constructed trail is worth the effort to view this 100-foot wide, 12-foot high waterfall on the Chauga River.
Primitive camping is allowed along the trail, but campsites must be more than 50 feet from streams and trails, and more than 0.25 miles from roads
Dispersed camping in the Blue Valley area. Approximately 22 dispersed sites are available, and most have fire rings and picnic tables. A pit toilet is available. Please pack in and pack out. Wilson Lake is a short distance away offering fishing, swimming, a short trail, and wildlife viewing and birding.
Guide
Each campsite has wonderful views of the water. there is a playground by the entrance and near the farthest campsites as well. we enjoyed our stay.
Guide
I love coming here to swim. Signal is very poor for Verizon. The sites are not super private but not too close to each other. The prices per night are ridiculous imo for a non full hookup campground but hey I still pay it just to swim in lake Joccassee.
Guide
Amazing place. We went in the winter so it wasn't too crowded. Sites are waterfront and spacious
GuideNot too far from the water, which was great since we brought our own kayaks and kayaked to two water falls. Lots of trees to hang hammocks (we had 3) which is good because the only place to pitch a tent is on the pads which aren’t very large. They are basically concrete pads and we couldn’t steak the tent down well. Many dead limbs in the trees so be careful where you pitch your tent, or hang your hammock. Since the site is near the marina we could see/hear boats docking. Each site has a bear box which are roomy and were clean. The bathhouse was clean and well lit. The RV/camper sites are pretty close together with narrow roads. The park was beautiful and mostly clean. I found a tire in the water a few miles out on the way to the first waterfall and took it to a ranger the next day. He was happy to take it.
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.
Ranger
Campsite surround the lake. Sites are plenty big and lead to the lake. Campground was very peaceful. We had a small walk to bathroom with showers.
Ranger
The site was big with lot of more plus private. The bathroom was clean and showers were hot.
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
Absolutely breathtaking views! Clean facility and campground. Friendly staff as well.
GuideWe really enjoyed our stay at Black Rock. Despite being at full capacity for Labor Day weekend, the park did not feel overly crowded. The staff attending the lodge store were welcoming and knowledgeable. There was a good selection of necessities available, along with ice and firewood. The comfort station was clean and well-appointed and there was never a wait for facilities. While privacy of sites varied, we spotted a few with really lovely mountainside views. The Tennessee Rock Trail to the summit and overlook is the perfect distance for a morning hike and not too strenuous. The Black Rock Lake Trail is very scenic and well worth the 20–30 minutes it takes to walk the circuit. There are also day facilities such as picnic tables and grills. Highly recommend.
Traveler
I went in July and it was cool in day and cold at night nice , secluded
Guide
I have gone to Sarah’s creek multiple times. It fills up sometimes but there are plenty of free spots around the area
RangerI’ve been camping at Sarah’s Creek for years - you can pay online or at the campground itself (envelope/tag system), etc. There is absolutely ZERO Verizon service. 26 sites, all with picnic tables, fire rings and lantern posts. Some are better than others. The creek is shallow for the most part but there is a trail marked by a bright green circle spraypainted onto a pine tree shortly before the first few sites (on the left as you enter, just before the campground begins) where there are some small falls and a nice little swimming/bathing hole. Trout fisherman’s delight. Road is easy enough but has a lot of dips and switchbacks; 4x2 is completely adequate, though could be tough in extremely wet conditions. Sarah’s Creek is the perfect weekend getaway. Lots of trails to bike/explore, too.
Traveler
We stayed at site 28, which wasnt waterfront but had a small view of the water past other sites. The sites are all good sized. Ours fit our camper and large truck, and still had room for three tents on the pad. The layout looks massive but its easy walking. The beach is a five minute walk. There are two beaches and multiple playgrounds, and the paved roads make for fun bike riding. The heavy foliage makes everything private. Theres no sewer hookups because its an old Corp of Engineers park, but the dump stations are modern and nice. The bathhouses were old and grubby and could use some upgrades. We didnt shower but did use the toilets occasionally to conserve on black water space. But I did peak at the showers. Theyre push-button jail-style. Bring bikes, swimming gear, and any watercraft you have and youll have a great time.
Scout
Secure, tidy, private, stream side and cozy spot with on site grown fresh vegetables. Nearby locally owned eateries. Plentiful asphalt plus off road bicycling. 2024 shower and bathroom.
ScoutEasy access to the site and the beautiful river. Nice level site with a Mountain View. My family enjoyed the huge lawn for yard games, and the river was beautiful! Shallow enough for the kids play, with some nice spots to catch
Brown and rainbow trout. Bathroom and shower was really nice and clean. Fire pit was steps away overlooking the river. Fair price for all the amenities. Kayak rentals were even available.
LegendWe’ve camped here multiple times. We are always impressed with the spacious sites, lake access, quiet relaxing atmosphere.
Scout
Eenjoyed staying there, staff was awesome and really did a great job keeping the guest happy. The 4th of July events was awesome and was a full day of contest and ended with a DJ kicking the tunes. Recommend to all to give them a try!
TravelerStayed over 4th of July weekend. Couldn’t believe how quiet it was for a holiday. There isn’t anything around at all. They offer a pool but no other activities (they did have some 4th activities but it was all seasonal). It backs to the lake so if you have a boat it’s nice. But when we went on the lake we saw many other campgrounds that looked nicer. There is one dumpster that we had to walk to to throw trash away. No pick up or closer locations. Not level sites. Mostly seasonal which is fine but not a great place or easy to get in/out of if transient. Other campgrounds closer to Clemson. No town nearby at all.
GuideFirst time at this State Campground. Fairly easy to find and navigate within the community. Ranger staff was supper friendly. For being early July it’s in the mid to high 80’s. The humidity is low. The nights dipped down in the low 70’s. The nights are bearable; the abundance of trees drives down the summer heat. You have to walk to your tent site. It’s not that long of a trek but if you have a large entourage, or if you’re of the mindset of bring with you all the amenities from home; there will be a lot of back n forth to your vehicle. It’s quiet at night time for there being lots of people onsite. The camp sites are far enough apart and have enough trees coverage/ shading to give you some privacy. Make sure you bring a good headband light or strong flashlight with you to walk back n forth to your vehicle & bathroom at night. We brought a camp style portable potty. The bathroom is just too far for us to walk in the middle of the night especially with a 4yr old. Highly recommend campsite. The lake beach access was nice. Water was cool and refreshing. My one complaint of the beach access was; there were far too many people with carelessness leaving trash, abandoned clothes, diapers, water toys, and all sorts of debris littering the beach rocks, etc. We had a wonderful time. Highly recommend experience with the family.
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.
GuideWe had a very pleasant time at this campground. The water and bathrooms were close and clean which was great for the kids and our dogs to get water. The lake was a short walk and absolutely stunning! Crystal clear water allowed us to look at the schools of fish swimming with us. There are plenty of small mouth bass to be claimed as well! We will definitely be back!
Guide
Pretty nice campground, although the sites are a little closer to each other than what I'm used to. Campground facilities are clean and very well kept (they rake the sites and shovel out the fire pits). Bath houses are kept clean and stocked also. We camped in site 31 with our 32 ft TT. It was tight backing in, I would say that out of the "standard" sites 28, 30, 32 and 34 are the best sites available. Nice trails with beautiful scenery, the hike to the base of the Gorge is strenuous with LOTS of stair steps back up but if you can do it certainly worth it. Overall a really wonderful park.
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
GuideOverall, we enjoyed our trip to Devils Fork. The lake was beautiful, staff was friendly, sites were nice and spacious, bathrooms were mostly clean, or at least cleaned often. Had flush toilets and hot showers. SC state parks don’t allow alcohol so it was pretty quiet and no loud, drunk people. If you don’t have a boat or want to rent one, there’s not much to do. We had to drive to the playground. There’s only one trail. It was nice, but a one and done for us. Not as busy as we expected, maybe because the weather was iffy. Our campsite was designed for pop ups which was nice. Steep to get up, but flat once you got up it. Had a shortcut through the woods to the bathrooms.
Traveler
My son and I decided to go camping and needed a place the same day. We were looking for a place that was wooded and near a river or stream and lucked up at Lazy J. The staff answered our call right away and were both friendly and informative. Our site was across the path from the French Broad, had water and power access and felt secluded and mountainous. The bath house was clean and well maintained. We really enjoyed staying here and plan to go back soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Hartwell Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Hartwell Lake is Burrells Ford with a 4.2-star rating from 18 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 47 tent camping locations near Hartwell Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
