Best Tent Camping near Helen, GA

Recent Tent Reviews near Helen, Georgia

1674 Reviews of 91 Helen Campgrounds

• 

  Joel R.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 10, 2020

  Unicoi State Park & Lodge

  Nice camping close to Helen GA

  Unicoi State Park is just two miles from Helen GA. It is a convenient location for visiting there, particularly in fall during the town’s Octoberfest. Unicoi is in North Georgia Mountains & includes a campground, cabins, “barrel cabins” and Lodge with a nice lake for fishing and canoeing. There are 51 RV sites with water and electricity that can accommodate 30-foot and 40-foot RVs, 82 tent sites, family tent campsites, walk-in sites and primitive “Squirrel’s Nest” sites. The park has numerous hiking trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest, plus a trail into Helen. Nearby is Anna Ruby Falls, administered by the US Forest Service. Smith Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee River flows from the falls to Unicoi Lake. It is a good trout fishing stream. Other activists include archery and target shooting, fly fishing, paddle boarding, boat rentals, zip lining, mountain biking and a beach.

• W

  Wes L.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 6, 2021

  Enota Mountain Retreat

  Tent by the river

  Awesome spot about 20 min from Helen GA. Back your vehicle right up to your spot for easy unloading and using your vehicle for extra space for whatever. We tent camped right along the river.

• a

  ashley

  Guide

  

  Jul. 11, 2021

  Jenny's Creek Family Campground

  Nice sites

  They have a very nice set up and are very polite. Great prices. We did tent camping with water and electricity. The tent sites are all either beside a creek or next to the pond. Large campsites fo tents, we could have easily had 3 tents comfortably. Highly recommend them!

• 

  Kenny T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 1, 2023

  Lake Hartwell State Park Campground

  Cabin stay

  The cabins are nice, but small and no plumbing. If you're used to tent camping then the cabins are one step above that. Bonus is the air conditioning. Great view in Cabins 1 and 2. Gentle slope to a nice beach as well for those two cabins.

  Tent sites are on the water as well but are right on top of each other. I could almost touch two of the tent pads at the same time.

• 

  Angela M.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 1, 2020

  Enota Mountain Retreat

  Beautiful property in the mountains with waterfalls on site!

  The property is well maintained and beautiful with waterfalls, streams, and a lodge. They have cabins, rv sites, and separate adulting tent camping. We stayed at the adult tent site 74 which is really close to one of the waterfalls. Site 72 is the closest on the side we stayed on but our site had great access to the water and was a little more secluded. The is a spot in front of the waterfall that is public space and we didn’t want people walking up to view the waterfall basically next to our site as the sites are very close together. There is another beautiful sit on the other side that I would say is best for y’all he waterfall. I checked out the other sites as we were the only tent campers as it was during the week. Site 82 is the most private still on the the water and like a little forest dream site. The facilities were nice and well kept however, there was no potable water or restrooms close to the tent camping. The lady that checked us in (not sure if manager or owner) but she was somewhat spastic and forgetful which was not pleasant but was overall friendly. Locations is super close to High Shoals Falls which was a great hike and beautiful as well as close to Helen, Georgia, and Unicoi State Park.

• 

  Abigail M.

  Scout

  

  Jan. 28, 2023

  Enota Mountain Retreat

  Scam

  I REALLY WANTED TO LOVE THIS PLACE! It was really pretty. HOWEVER The host wouldn’t allow us to use a tent site because she insisted we needed electric for our tear drop. We told her it was charged and had no need for electric for our one night stay. She then said we weren’t allowed to use a tent site due to the fact that the tear drop simply wouldn’t fit event though it totally would (gaslighting much?). There was one other family in the entirety of the tent camping area and one RV there. Upon check out what was originally supposed to be a $30 trip turned into $90 for a single night of camping along with some very off putting comments regarding my friend and I’s sexuality. Was a totally bizarre experience. Would give it zero stars if I could.

• A

  Anna

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 6, 2021

  Unicoi State Park & Lodge

  Tent camping

  The tent camp site was good, bathrooms and water were a close walking distance.
  We picked this state park for all the activities. We took archery lessons and did the zip line course. A must is to do all 3 zip line courses. Many go over water and the last of which is 1/2 a mile long. So much fun! It was great to have Helen close by but great to get away from the crowds. The 2 mile Lake Hike was beautiful!

• 

  George & Patty C.

  Ranger

  

  May. 31, 2017

  Vogel State Park Campground

  Beautiful Park

  We spent our three-day Memorial Day weekend at Vogel State Park. We camped in a tent. The staff is very friendly/helpful and the facilities are pristine. Our campsite (#70) was located directly across from the bathhouse and was huge for a "tent" site...we have a 17'x9' tent and the site accommodated our tent, two vehicles and a 5'x8' utility trailer with room to spare! The park has beautiful views and is only a short distance from Brasstown Bald and Helton Creek Falls. The park store had most of the supplies that you would need for camping but, if not, there is a Dollar General located just a few miles away. This is our favorite of the GA State Parks so far!! There are kayak, pedal boat, paddle board and bicycle rentals available!

• 

  George & Patty C.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 13, 2018

  Victoria Bryant State Park Campground

  Georgia’s Hidden Gem!

  Until this weekend, Hard Labor Creek State Park was our favorite GA campground! Sorry HLC, you’ve been bumped to #2 (still great)!

  Victoria Bryant is hidden on Hwy 327, near Royston and, although a small campground, almost EVERY SITE IS PERFECT!

  The park offers bicycle rentals, a swimming pool, plenty of picnic areas, multiple spots to play in the creek and some great hiking trails!

  The campsites are HUGE and there are several extra amenities for campers to use! There’s a volleyball court, horseshoe pits, picnic pavilion and a central fire pit!

  The park staff is great and the camp hosts are helpful! When we first arrived and began to set up, there was an electrical issue at our site but the park maintenance man had it resolved quickly!

  The sites do not offer full hookups but there are multiple gray water dump sites in the campground (we used a five gallon bucket for our outdoor sink). We walked across the road from our site and dumped our bucket!

  The park has the usual stuff to purchase (ice, firewood, etc.) but you can also head to Hartwell and hit the local Wally World if need be.

  If you're camping in a tent, the tent sites are AMAZING! (see attached image) We've never seen these shelters before! You can even hang your hammock(s) underneath the shelter for a true outdoor camping experience!

  We enjoyed every minute of our stay here, from the time we arrived to the time we left!

  One more thing; if you're a golfer, there is a BEAUTIFUL golf course here as well!

  We camped in our pop up but we'll probably be back to try out the tent shelters!!

  FYI: Verizon Wireless has full 4G LTE service in the campground...we brought our MiFi Jetpack and streamed Netflix with zero issues!

• 

  Myron C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 1, 2020

  Keowee-Toxaway State Park

  Good State Park Campground for Water Activities

  My favorite part of staying at this park was not actually camping, although I always love camping. My favorite part was hiking the trails, especially the Natural Bridge/Palmetto Trail. It is a loop trail, but you can opt to get on a longer trail along the loop. The hike seems easy at first, especially going down to the“natural bridge.” However, when you hike down, you have to hike up, and there were sections on the return that were steep. Along the way, not only do you see the natural bridge, but there is a small waterfall as well. As far as camping, there are RV sites and tent sites. I chose tent camping this time, and there was a large gravel pad. The sites seemed a little too close for me, but at least they were not on top of each other. The day that I went, the other tent sites were all reserved as far as I could tell. I found that surprising for a Tuesday night. Unfortunately, with so many people camping that close together, you never really get to sleep early since some people are up late talking. Nevertheless, once the talking died down, I went to sleep listening to the tree frogs. The bath house is a short walk away and is AIR CONDITIONED!!! Since I went in July, this was important. I was hoping to get in some canoeing, but there were strong thunderstorms and rain. As a matter of fact, I waited for a break so I could put up my tent. There is a camp store, and I enjoyed looking at the relief map in the visitor’s center. It also has displays in the visitor’s center with local history. There is also a boat ramp a short drive away from the campground. Even though I didn’t get to take full advantage of it, it is a lot better than many of the boat ramps I have seen. The biggest attraction for this park, other than the hiking trails, is obviously its access to Lake Keowee. Overall, it is a pretty good place to camp. I’m not fond of how close the sites were, but it’s a lot better than many campgrounds I have been to.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 31, 2022

  Black Rock Mountain State Park Campground

  Beautiful views but wonky campground layout

  General: Many options including 4 backcountry primitive sites, 12 walk-in tent sites, 48 electric/water sites, and 10 cabins. Access to this park is up a steep and winding road. I honestly don’t know how some of the larger 5th wheels and RVs we saw navigated it! We were warned that this park is an active bear area and while we did not see any, a woman I spoke with said she had seen a baby bear scoot through the campground (without Mama). An interesting thing about Georgia state parks is that when you arrive and check-in, you become eligible for a senior or military/veteran “rebate” which is not available when reserving. 

  Site Quality: The sites are (too) close together with little or no separation between them. In my opinion, the sites in Section 2 are a bit nicer. Driveways are gravel and vary in length. Some are very long while others are much shorter. Unless you have a small car and are tent camping, I would avoid Site 26! Even though there was plenty of room for our 18-foot van, it took us at least a half dozen attempts to back into the site due to the very steep and narrow road where the pavement drops off. Site 37 is no more than a parallel parking space alongside Site 38. 

  Bathhouse: It was heated and clean. The flush lever was different for each toilet and instructions were posted by each. The showers looked to be very clean, but I did not use so cannot comment on their quality. 

  Activities/Amenities: Fishing, boating, and hiking. The Nantahala Lookout provides gorgeous views. There is a conference center. Laundry facilities are by the bathhouse, but we were told the appliances were due to be upgraded and were not in the best shape. 

  This is a beautiful park but due to the sites being close together and our challenges accessing Site 26, my rating is three stars.

• S

  Shanice C.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 1, 2021

  Bolding Mill

  Awesome views of the lake, very clean facility.

  We had a great experience. We camped in a tent on the lakeside and had a lot of room, the facilities were clean and the campsite was amazing. Great for beginner campers :)

• 

  David Glenn M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 26, 2021

  Jenny's Creek Family Campground

  Happy 4th

  This was the first stop on our 10 day July 4th trip. This is a campground that we had visited many times in the past with our kids. In those days we tent camped and it is perfect family tent camping campground.
  This was our first time in our travel trailer and it required lots of skills to backend to the sites. Not a lot of room because the roads are slim.

  The staff is second to none and will go out of there way to make your stay pleasant.

  Facilities are great. We use them sometimes to reduce our blank/gray water. They do have a honey wagon for $15, which was very helpful. This is close to Helen where there is lots to do. Lots of wineries to visit and downtown Cleveland is some nice restaurants and an awesome creamery.

• 

  Ferd B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2020

  Upper Chattahoochee River Campground — Chattahoochee Oconee National Forest

  Plenty of Space, Close to Town

  Just outside Helen, this site offers great spots and plenty of area to hike and explore. Great for tent camping and even some RVs and pull-behinds. The hidden magic is when you explore the upper area and find the waterfalls and walkable area. One of the other great features is the proximity to Helen. You’re only a short drive from town, food, and shopping. A great way to spend part of your day while otherwise isolated in the woods for some unplugging.

• 

  George & Patty C.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 19, 2018

  Don Carter State Park Campground

  HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

  This is Georgia's newest state park (2013) and it is a beautiful park! The staff is great and there is plenty to see/do! The park is located on Lake Lanier with plenty of opportunities for fishing, swimming and boating! There's even a fish cleaning station (located near the main boat ramp entrance).

  There are hiking trails, geocaches, a beach area, picnic shelters, cottages and a brand new equestrian trail system!

  As far as camping goes, there are primitive tent/hammock sites and an RV campground. The RV campground features all paved campsites so it would be tough camping in a tent (no way to stake your tent).

  Now, the ASPHALT is part of the reason for the review's title, coupled with the fact that this is a new park and tree coverage is a bit sparse for the time being. Once the canopy fills out, it will be shady.

  We camped in our trusty pop up camper so direct sun is always an issue (non-insulated bunk ends) but a travel trailer/RV would probably fare well (as far as temp goes).

  We'll be back but in the Fall when it is a bit cooler!

  The campground hosts were friendly and they kept the bath houses/laundry facilities spotless!

  This is a beautiful park and we highly recommend it, in the proper weather or camper!

• 

  Dennis A.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 21, 2018

  Unicoi State Park & Lodge

  In the north Georgia Mountains, land of Many Falls

  Unicoi State Park is a large Park in north Georgia. The Park has a Lake, rope courses, a restaurant, lounge and beautiful Lodge. It's 2 miles from Helen Georgia, an Alpine gem nestled in the mountains.

  Hiking trails of all levels abound including many with falls destinations.

• 

  Jeff D.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 23, 2019

  Creekwood Resort

  Great little campground

  Great little campground just minutes from Helen GA.. Super clean and quiet, ADULTS ONLY. Full hook ups, bath house and laundry room. We’ve camped at several different places around Helen, this is the best yet. Will definitely be going back.

• 

  Alicia B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 7, 2019

  Appalachian Campground

  Perfect location

  Great location, stream running right along multiple campsites. Location has bathrooms and showers. Friendly camphost. Not to far from Helen, Ga and right near multiple good trout fishing locations.

• J

  Joshua G.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 2, 2018

  Wildcat 1

  primitive

  this place was a great place for fishing, exploring and hiking, great place to back pack into and tent camp.

• 

  Natalie B.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 15, 2017

  Black Rock Mountain State Park Campground

  Great place but pricey

  Lots of hiking trails, 11 miles or so. Great spot for tent camping down below from the RV spots which is nice. Showers bathrooms and water easy access from the tent primitive camping.

• 

  Elaine H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2019

  Trackrock Campground & Cabins

  Get away from it all!

  We tent camped here October 2013 on site 36 which backed up to the national forest.  Beautiful mountain views and horseback riding on site!! Bathhouse was clean.

• 

  Jason R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 9, 2021

  Yonah Mountain Campground

  Ok not great

  Everything was good except the tent sites were on top of each other... way too close

• T

  Travis D.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 15, 2021

  Lumpkin Campground

  Maybe not open?

  i arrived looking for tent camping. Looks like cabins and it was not open. 8:11pm on June 14th, 2021. Maybe its just closed? 1 star.

• 

  Dana P.

  Guide

  

  May. 6, 2018

  Van Pugh South Campground

  Nice but Noisy

  Enjoyed tent camping. Nicely maintained facility, but partiers (or a bar?) across the way on the lake played loud music both nights I was there.

• 

  Kathleen K.

  Scout

  

  May. 16, 2023

  Tallulah River Campground — Chattahoochee Oconee National Forest

  Amazing

  We LOVE coming here. It's peaceful. Right on the river and spaced well. We tent camp, but my dad has a camper he brings there. And the Fishing is awesome

• 

  Padget M.

  Guide

  

  May. 30, 2020

  Twin Lakes at Lake Hartwell

  Private and great view. Very peaceful

  Tent camped here at Twin Lakes in June 2018. Very private (site 12) and beautiful view of Lake Hartwell. Staff was friendly and bathrooms/showers were clean.

• 

  Courtney B.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 1, 2020

  Devils Fork State Park Campground

  Loved it so much, we've planned another trip there!

  We had a wonderful time camping at Devil's Fork State Park. Our group took up rustic tent sites T1, T3, and T5. On the map, these sites seem not ideal, as they are not on the water. However, they are more isolated, more wooded (plenty of trees for hammocking), and seemingly larger than the other tent sites. They are a short walk from the tent-camper parking area, a short walk from the two water spigots in the parking area, and a short walk from the restrooms. The bonus is that, behind sites T1 and T3, is a jumping rock into a gorgeous cove of Lake Jocassee with beautiful blue-green water. It's a great place to enjoy kayaks, rafts, and other inflatables. 

  While site T13 books up quick because of its waterfront location on the point, the walk from the parking lot is no joke. 

  Notes about the rustic tent sites: They have been recently renovated. Each has a picnic table and a fire ring. Only 1 vehicle is allowed to park, per site, unless you pay for the extra vehicle and park in the overflow lot. There is no electricity, and two water spigots located in the parking area. The entire camping area (25 tent sites and 59 RV sites) share 2 restrooms (which were muddy and gross while we were there). No generators are allowed in the tent area. We did have a bear visit us multiple times in one night, putting teeth puncture marks in our cooler. And if the bear don't get ya, the raccoons will!