Best Glamping near Hoboken, GA

This review is for CRSP Cottage 10, a 2 bedroom, 4 bed, 1 bath, pet friendly house down a quiet road within the park. The park staff at the gift shop were very kind and engaged. They collected our balance and $50.00 pet fee there. Not all cottages are pet friendly. Cottage 10 is...so plan ahead! Despite that, there was 0 smell when we entered the cottage. It was very clean! Exceptional view of Crooked River! Our family of four loved s’mores under the stars and twisted coastal trees. There is a jumbo picnic table and fire pit. Carrying meals out was no issue and so much less exhausting than cooking on the Coleman stove and dealing with gear and tents. That’s also a fun experience, but coming back to AC and a private bathroom after a full day of hiking Cumberland Island is worth the nightly price tag. One day it poured. We comfortably watched the storm from the cozy screened-in porch. The kitchen is well stocked, minus a cutting board. No biggie. Made do. I always travel with a reliable and sharpened kitchen knife, kitchen scissors, and my trusty cast iron pan. But I was surprised to find supplies at the cottage like paper towels, toilet paper, and dish washer pods. The beds are comfortable and the linens and towels are clean and plentiful. It was a great experience and we would love to return.

Jekyll Island County Park is located at the northern end of Jekyll Island, a barrier island at the halfway point along the Georgia Coast. 

The campground at Jekyll Island is primarily an RV park, with 179 total campsites. The grounds here are gorgeous, with sweeping Spanish moss draped over live oaks, and walking distance from the otherworldly driftwood beach. 

As far as camping goes, there is definitely more of a party atmosphere here, and the emphasis is on overall location more than on the campground itself. The sites are all very small and very close together, and the "primitive" tent sites are far more similar to group camping at a state park or private campground than the word "primitive" brings to mind--they are still easy walking distance to the welcome center, restrooms with running water and electricity, and there is wifi throughout the campground. These sites are slightly set back from the RV sites but are largely in an open field, so there is still very little privacy to be had; that said these would be great for multiple families who want their own sites but to still have proximity to each other. As for the RV sites, as with most campgrounds the sites in the center of the campground (particularly loops D, B, F, and C) are the smallest and have the least amount of privacy, while the border loops (H and G) offer a little bit more quiet with the dense lowcountry brush as a barrier on one side. 

If you are comfortable with being near your neighbors however, this is an amazing alternative to hotels, and gives you direct access to the beauty of Jekyll Island. The beach is a true natural playground of driftwood, and the park offers numerous shelters, picnic tables, grills, a store that sells everything from fishing tackle to seashell curtains, and a pier for launching boats. Somehow this park manages to combine the ruggedness of the mountains--even with the amenities--with the relaxation of the beach--and gives the bonus of hot showers to wash off the sand at the end of the day!

"SITE# D16, Back-In, FHU, 50, 30, 20 Amp and Stable, Water, Waste, LENGTH OF STAY: Stayed 2 Nights, RATE:$54.55/ Night with Veteran/ 10% Discount, CHECK-IN: 02:00 PM, CHECK-OUT: 12:00 PM STAFF: Friendly and Helpful, PARK IMPRESSIONS: Very Nice, We would stay here again ROADS: Asphalt, MANEUVERABILITY: Adequate, RV PAD: Dirt, ESTIMATED RV PAD LENGTH: 45 Feet, Tow Vehicle Could NOT Stay Connected but Parking at Site, SITE SLOPE: Level, No Leveling Blocks, Had to disconnect Tow Vehicle, PEDESTAL PLACEMENT: Center of site length, SHADE: 85%, GRASS AREA: No, Natural fallen leaves, DESIGNATED PET AREA: Not Fenced, PICNIC TABLE: Yes, FIRE RING: Yes, VERIZON Signal(bars): LTE-3, SPEED: 183 Mbs Download, 10.2 Mbs Upload, T-MOBILE Signal(bars): 5G-3, SPEED: 242 Mbs Download, 13.8 Mbs Upload, WIFI, OTA TV CHANNELS: 40, CABLE TV: No, PLAYGROUND: Yes, POOL: No, WATER FEATURE: Atlantic, FIREWOOD: Yes, BATH HOUSE: Clean and Contemporary, LAUNDRY: Clean and Contemporary,, STORE: Yes, CLUBHOUSE: Yes, PROPANE AVAILABILITY: Yes,$10 to get on the island. Very pretty campground setting. Quiet at night. Community room and a large assembly room. Well stocked camp store but no food. They do sell some beer, wine, ice cream and a few souvenirs. Fire wood$12/ bundle. Bike rental. Lots of bike trails around the island. Laundry$2.75 Wash,$2.75 Dry, Rig washing permitted(within reason- no floods). Beautiful island with a number of beach bars and restaurants. Lots of beaches but Atlantic here is brownish water due to river discharge. RIG: Ford F350 Dually Long Bed, 42ft- 17,000 lb 5th Wheel, Total length of rig= 59 ft"

THE WORST CAMPING EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD. The photos online are deceiving, as the campground is split between a noisy 65mph hwy. We were up all hours of the night listening to the 5 neighboring dogs howling/barking. We were told wifi would be fixed the second day we arrived, and a week later it still wasn’t. There weren’t any fire pits or picnic tables, laundry or bath house. When we tried reaching out about leaving a week early, we were told at 1pm it could be discussed. We had no response back until 8pm, after we’ve already relocated to another nearby campground. Unfortunately this inconvenience has costed us over $500.

Super close to Okefenokee Swamp (actually, any closer, you’d be in it!). Strategically located right down the street to the park entrance, this is likely the very closest to camping near Okefenokee you’ll come. Of course, you could try to camp INSIDE Okefenokee, but that’s quite challenging as you’ll need to book well in advance and kayak / canoe/ boat to get to the primitive sites that are there (more on this in another review from inside Okefenokee). Here, you don’t have to think about anything. Just rock up, pitch your tent, park your RV or open the door to the wooden cabins they rent. The place is incredibly compact and tight, but if you don’t mind rubbing elbows with your neighbors in exchange for waking up early the next morning to be one of the first to get zapped by the mosquitos in the south’s most infamous swampland, then you’ve come to the right place. Great news is that you are far enough removed from civilization, you won’t miss it (or hear/ see it!), but if you do need anything, Okefenokee Pastimes has you covered with a campground store where you can find those commonly forgotten things, get snacks, drinks, candy, ice cream, ice and even trinkets from local craftsman as well as some beginner and advanced astronomy equipment from time to time as well as a view into one of the darkest, natural skies on the East cost (this place is also rated as one of the top 10 in the Country!).  And if you can't find what you need here at Pastimes, no worries, the nearby town of Folkston has you covered with its many restaurants (mostly fast food joints), gas stations, grocery stores and typical small town shopping.

Pastimes has excellent paved / milling parking pads & roads, built-in fire pits at all sites, relatively new / well-maintained wooden picnic tables as well as natural grass boundaries that both separates and surrounds all sites. There are many wildflower areas to attract pollinators and hummingbirds (with the campground's own distinct, bespoke hummingbird area), a small patio / dock area where you can feed the fish, watch the hummingbirds and / or just sit back, soak it all in and relax. A covered, lit pergola, complete with picnic tables, built-in benches and a top-end charcoal grill to cook at while overlooking the pond area.  There's also a small, fenced-in dog park that's perfect for keeping your furry friends active and engaged (they even provide pet toys!).  Nearby, there's a small playground, swing set and small yard game areas (think horseshoes, badminton, volleyball, jenga and jarts!).  Beyond playtime activities, there's a proper laundry room with 2 sets of washers and dryers (with only 1 key given to a single guest at a time, so you have a real sense of privacy. This place scores extra points for having a book exchange and even offers up DVD's and VCR tape rentals (take that Blockbuster!).  The best part about Pastimes?  Unlike many other campgrounds that are well lit, Pastimes actually has a policy where they turn off all their lights at night so as not to contribute to light pollution and to preserve the most amazing star-gazing experiences you will ever have (OK, at least hear near Okefenokee - sorry, star-gazing in the Nordics is still the best IMHO!).

Insider’s tip? You’ve made it this close to Okefenokee, it’s important that you get out early – that’s when you’ll see the gators at their most active and we’re you’ll land some great photos – albeit from the bow of a canoe or kayak, which you can easily rent at the refuge itself.  Also, while at Pastimes, do ensure you get out to spy on the many dragonflies, shouldered hawks, butterflies, squirrels, barn owls, armadillos and woodpeckers (obviously, be sure to pack your binoculars).

Happy Camping!

If you don’t know Jekyll Island and somehow stumbled across this fabled Golden Isle of the Georgia barrier islands, you have struck island hopping gold! Seriously, this island is simply amazing and you don’t want to miss your chance to visit this little known Peach State coastal gem. Whether it’s the bare bones skeleton-like abandoned trees you’ll find on Driftwood Beach, a simply superb fishing pier with unmatched sunsets or the ‘roaring twenties’ vibe you’ll experience at the Jekyll Island Club Resort, one thing is certain … when you scratch your head at the shock of having to pay $10 to just get on the island, trust me, within 10 minutes, you will understand that you are going to be getting your money’s worth.

Let’s start with the amazing beaches that are still left remaining after Hurricane Ian wiped out nearly one entire side of the island’s beaches (no joke, just go for a spin in the residential areas where you’ll see big boulders have replaced what used to be white powdered sandy beaches). For starters, there’s more than 10 miles of seaside beach bliss with more than 7 beaches to choose from of which I highly recommend the picturesque Driftwood Beach that so many tourists come here for, where you’ll be able to meander through a labyrinth of whole trees that have washed up on shore here as well as some that have rooted and are starting to grow again. Oceanview Beach Park is perhaps my favorite, if you are coming with the family and looking to grab a great day in the ocean. Whichever beach you choose, you will be amazed by the first-class, well-appointed parking lots, covered pavilions, seemingly brand new wooden decks and pathways, bathrooms and outdoor shower facilities. For a SP, you will definitely feel as though this place is secretly being managed by the good folks from the Ritz Carlton as a pet project!

As for the campground, after being completely blown away by the well-heeled aura of Jekyll Island, I was somewhat disappointed by Jekyll Island’s only campground. While the desk staff that managed the campground were sure nice enough, hospitable and inviting (we are in George afterall), once we got onto the property to find our campground site, we couldn’t help but feel a bit let down. For $36 a night as tent campers, while we enjoyed that each of the primitive campsites had decent privacy, especially when compared to the rest of the wide-open RV-saturated campground, all of the amenities were fairly old, outdated, falling part or very 70's-esque. With only a dozen primitive tent sites, the rest of the entire campground is broken into 7 other sections (B, C, D, E, F, G, H … and T – don’t ask me, I guess the faculty didn’t do well on the old alphabet?) with 167 full hook-up back-in or pull-through sites designed for RVs or 5th Wheelers.

Amenities? Here’s the line-up: free WiFi (that was just OK, but not good enough for streaming), coin-operated laundry room with washers & dryers, covered pavilion / amphitheater, bike rentals, bird sanctuary, scatted clotheslines (be careful when you go for a jog around the campground!), kid’s playground, 2 bathhouses with restrooms and hot / cold water showers, propane refueling station and a fairly decent general store that seemed to have quite a bit, including touristy knick-knacks in addition to basic sundries, RV supplies, ice cream, firewood and some limited groceries. For RVs and 5th Wheelers, there’s back-in and pull-through full hook-ups here offering 30 / 50 amp electricity, water and sewage in addition to Cable TV.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you can accept that you are at this campground and this alone gives you amazing access to the rest of the island and you’re going to spend the bounty of your time doing just that and don’t give two hoots about the calibre of the campground, you’ll do fine. Just keep those expectations in your pocket and realize that the experience will pay out with what the rest of Jekyll Island has to offer; (2) Of the primitive campsites that are available IMHO the best sites are those on the outer perimeter: J4, J5, J6, J7 and I7, I8; (3) Should you run out of anything, while the market here at the campground is good in a pinch, if you need to stock up and want more variety and / or better prices, then head on over to either the Jekyll Market or The Salt Table on the central west-side of the island (just due south of Great Dunes Park) or if you are a veteran, then the Commissary, otherwise, you’ll have to head north to Brunswick to find any of the usual suspects like Publix, Walmart or Winn-Dixie; (4) When you grow weary of trying to figure out that next meal from either the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or your onboard mini-fridge, you’ll be delighted to discover that there’s actually some AMAZING restaurant offerings that, if you’d like to bike to, like we did, you will be psyched with restaurants like Tortuga Jacks for some pretty good (not great) Mexican with an amazing open-air oceanview cantina, Tribuzio’s Grill for top-notch seafood, The Wharf for succulent fish, fried green tomatoes and ocean crawling crustean as well as Zachary’s Riverhouse, which is low-key and offers up glorified bar food like burgers, wings and sandwiches; and (5) If you are debating about whether or not to bring your bike with you – trust me, DO IT! The bike paths around Jekyll Island are first class, well-paved and are the absolutely best way to see the entire island, which you can easily circumnavigate at pace in under 2 hours.

Happy Camping!

Large well maintained campground. All sites are large, well maintained and site specific. Many have full hook ups. New family style bath house and an older bathhouse, both were very clean. Nice walking trails, plenty of playgrounds and very nice boat ramp and mini golf. We stayed on site 39 with a full hook up, small view to the river out back. Very private and large site with direct access to trail along the water. Site 11 has very nice water views but does not have a full hookup. Close to historic St. Marys and ferry to Cumberland Island and about a 45 minute drive to Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island for a nice day trip.

Jekyll Island is a must stop if you can access the Georgia Coast. The Island is a darling place full of great beaches, a sea turtle rescue center, a water park (which wasn’t open yet when we visited in June), and decent restaurants.

The only place to camp on the island is the Island-run campground. It’s a perfectly fine campground — clean, well-kept, well-run. There are full hookups, the bath house and laundry facility are open (post-Covid), and people were friendly and respectful (although our neighbor burning his styrofoam cup and plastic water bottle in his campfire didn’t seem to be totally clear on the concept of how to use a campfire).

But we didn’t come for the campground, we came for the island. A short walk from the campground is a gorgeous beach with the skeletons of trees scattered across the shore. You have to go at low tide, or there is not much beach to be found. There is also a nice walking path from the campground out to the pier (where you can fish) and through the wetlands where we saw gorgeous birds (bright pink roseate spoonbills!) and little crabs scurrying around.

You will definitely want another form of transportation if you want to see more of the island. There are tons of great bike paths that take you through beautiful, moss dripping forests. But, it’s three miles into the town center, so that can make for a lot of riding if you’re wanting to bike to restaurants/grocery. Electric bikes would be amazing!

We rented a four-seater “golf cart” from the airport. This was a great way to see, feel, and smell the island.

There were several restaurants for safer post-Covid outdoor seating. We tried the Irish Pub (great fish and chips), and the restaurant at the Wharf (call ahead for outdoor reservations).

+++++++

As a ranger for the Dyrt, we sometimes get the chance to review gear. We recently received the ZunZun travel hammock chair by La Siesta. I can’t over empathize how excited my husband was to get this, as he loves hammocks, but loves “air chairs” even more, as he can sit and work without straining his neck. I didn’t think we could travel with one because they’re too large and require too much equipment to set up...

Enter ZunZun by La Siesta - it packs down to the size of a thermos and only requires one overhead branch or bar to hang it. The tree skeletons at the beach on Jekyll Island were the perfect place to test it out. https://www.lasiesta.com/us/en/collection/la-siesta-zunzun-sunrise-travel-hammock-chair-with-suspension-zzv14-22

We are always on the lookout for small gear that we will use often, as we live full-time in our van, and space is at a premium. While we have multiple hammocks and love to use them, this was the first time we’ve seen a small, collapsible hammock chair like this and we’re sold!

The kids helped us set up the chair at the beach. Other than needing our help threading the strap through so it would wrap around the branch (which was a bit too high for them to reach), they were able to do the whole thing — it’s that easy.

We all took turns. I love the pivot mechanism that allows you to turn in complete circles without getting tangled. The chair was comfy and a great way to stay off the wet sand. I can see a lot of places where we will use this chair, where a traditional hammock wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

The only downside I could see (other than many campgrounds banning hammocks), is that when no one is sitting in the chair, even the slightest breeze turns the chair into a sail, blowing it all over the place. However, this was easily solved by wrapping the fabric around the bar several times. That allowed it to hang there calmly.

My kids are old enough, but I could foresee it being a problem that kids (or forgetful adults) who might want to use the spreader bar as a thing to hang on, especially when trying to stand up from a seated position. I imagine a lot of pressure could bend the bar, making it unusable. We’ll just do our best to avoid doing that!

Great chair! We might have to get a couple more so we can all have one, but you’ll probably see it in a lot of our reviews going forward! Good thing they pack down so small!

We spent a week here and enjoyed it quite a lot. We went in December so there were lots of long-term campers. Most everyone was very friendly. The longterm campsites had signs of the state where they were from, which I found to be a nice touch. Nearly all of them were decked out with holiday lights and decorations which made for a joyful walk at night.

The sites were fairly close together, but not so much so that you felt like you were sitting on top of one another. Lots of Spanish moss-draped live oak trees and palm frond plants. Sites were full-hook up, a nice laundry facility was on site, as well as a small camp store (though not much for grocery supplies), firewood and bike rentals. Wifi was spotty at best. There was a strong signal, but no speed to speak of.

The biggest downfalls for me is that it was super buggy - even in December! The gnats were downright vicious. In town pick up a bug spray and candle called Natz (available at the general market) - it works really well and is all natural. It also stunk so bad - some days/times more than others, but that's marshlands for you, so part of the package. The water was drinkable, though also stinky. I used it in my coffee, but couldn't drink it plain, so plan to bring bottled water, especially if you have a sensitive tummy. Oh and the air is so damp and humid, even on sunny days, that NOTHING dries. I couldn't get so much as a hand towel to dry inside or out!

The campsite is really close to Driftwood Beach, a magical spot that we spent a lot of time at. There's also Sand Dune Beach where you can find lots of sand dollars. We visited at the height of Covid, so didn't explore the town too much, other than the general market. Note: the market is ridiculously overpriced, so make sure to get your groceries and beer/wine before getting onto the island.

Also - one thing to note, there is a "parking fee" to get onto the island ($8 for cars, $20 for oversized vehicles). Usually it's not too bothersome to get in, but keep an eye on any special events going on so you can beat the crowd. One night coming back to camp from another island, we waited in line for 45 minutes just to get ONTO the island.