Best Cabin Camping near Kingston, GA

RV/tent camping and cabin rentals. Campsites had wifi and pretty good tv signal. There's also a lodge/hotel on site with a restaurant, with gorgeous views overlooking the valley below. Camping sites are spaced well apart with electric, water and fire rings. The campgrounds also feature a bathhouse and laundry.

Begin your Appalachian Trail journey here with 604 steps to the top of a beautiful waterfall.

Battlefield Campground is an extremely convenient RV park located right of I-75 about 20 minutes south of Chattanooga. It is very easy to get to, but part of that convenience comes with an absence of quiet; the interstate runs directly beside the campground, and is visible from the storage sites across from sites 11-24.

This is an excellent place for long-term campers, and it includes a nice playground, a pool, and a camp store/clubhouse. We could not get close to the pool or playground as they were closed due to COVID-19, which was comforting that they are taking public safety seriously. Sites include 50 and 30 amp full service, and seven tent sites in the middle of the campground that also include electric. There are seven camping cabins spaced throughout the campground that have outside picnic tables and grills, and beds inside as well as electricity.

Most of the sites here are nicely wooded, and as the area is slightly hilly there are elevation changes between several rows of sites which allows for a little more privacy than many RV parks offer. 

Downsides to this park are the highway noise, and the campground roads are paved but in need of maintenance; the road is eroded in a lot of places. 

Upsides are the sites are shady and well landscaped, and there are great amenities for families looking to stay here for extended periods of time, as well as the proximity to Chattanooga, Chickamauga Battlefield, and Ringold/Ft. Oglethorpe.

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.

Clean showers/toilets, personable host with small store, spots for Campers, tents and even a few rental Cabins. Fantastic spot out of the crowds but less than a mile from Amicalola Falls.

Loved hiking here and the cabins are awesome.

Fort Mountain has options for every kind of camper. From pull through and hookup sites for RV campers to the walk-in sites and platform sites, formerly known as the squirrel's nest. Lots of trees, the restrooms and bath houses are very well kept. There's a nice lake with a swimming area and paddle boat and canoe rentals. There are also nice hiking trails, most of them are pretty easy and well-maintained. There are some beautiful more advanced trails that give you some amazing views of the mountains on various Overlook sites. There are also several beautiful waterfalls for hikers with a little more physical skill. You definitely have to be prepared for Bears. There are bear proof storage containers in a few areas, otherwise everything must be kept stored securely such as in a vehicle. The Bears are not aggressive but they certainly know how to get into a cooler. The platform sites in the squirrel's Nest are fairly remote and rustic. Some of those sites have room to pitch a tent, some of them not so much. You definitely get good exercise hauling your gear from the car but the walk is well worth the privacy. They have also just recently built several additional cabins for those who prefer to be inside.

We stayed at the State park from June 6-9. There are only about 24 sites, some cabins, and some new glamping tents. There is a bathhouse with individual showers. You are fairly close to the lodge. You are also right at the falls. BEWARE- there is a steep 24% grade getting to the campground. The campground was neat, clean, and quiet.

The camping locations vary from tents to cabins. The locations is beautiful. The AT approach begins here at the visitors center and continues for 8 miles to Springer Mountain. It is strenuous hiking up the falls, but absolutely worth it. You won’t be disappointed. There is also a fitness trail and a wheelchair/stroller friendly trail by the lodge. Don’t miss out on the ranger talks. We were able to see a few raptors. Very cool!

This campground has everything you need. The tent pads are new with nice and level gravel. The facilities are great and the camp host was helpful, even during the cold winter months we were there. If the weather decides to turn on you, you can head into their lodge or rent a cabin. You cannot beat all this being next to one of the largest cascading waterfalls on the east coast and the beginning/end of the AT.

Campground Review:

Overall summary: A great campground with sites for tents, RVs, and even cabins. Well organized so that different camping experiences have designated spaces making for better experiences for everyone.

My wife and I stayed at this campground with another couple who are friends of ours from Atlanta while bike packing parts of the Silver Comet Trail. We spent the whole day covering about 35 miles on our bikes with gear on the back having an amazing time. We were even able to stop for lunch in Rockmart and take a nice break. Since I knew it was going to be one of the first beautiful weekends of fall and that there would probably be a crowd I emailed the campground in advance to make a reservation. They told me that they don’t have staff on the premise working over the weekend but that they would hold a site for us. When we arrive that afternoon we found many sites available along the road so we just went and grabbed and envelope to pay and set up camp in a semi-private area next to what looked like a vacant small cabin.

Getting settled we were also able to explore around the site a little more and found that it was set up to have several different campground areas divided for different purposes. There is a huge field right along the main entrance that is designed for groups of bike campers where you can set up wherever then use the picnic and gazebo area for cooking and hanging out. This is also the area with the bathrooms (a retrofitted trailer) and there are several benches and swings. Continuing along the main road in the ground to the right are many small campgrounds for private groups interspersed with a couple small cabins. On the other side of the road are RV sites for people wishing to stay for a couple nights only. If you continue on and head up the hill there is a whole separate section of the camp set up for long term RV sites with monthly rental options. Additionally, right across the road from where we stayed were 2 small shower rooms that have a sink but no toilet and hot water for showers.

After getting settled in we began working on getting a fire going and were trying to use a small knife to break down some larger logs we found. The gentleman staying in the cabin saw us struggling and offered to grab his chainsaw and break down the wood for us. We happily obliged and got to chatting with him. He told us that it is actually his father-in-law who owns the place and that he stays in the cabins sometimes when they aren’t being used. Later on the owner came by to pick him up and I cannot express just how wonderful, welcoming, and friendly they both were. It was an amazing experience and they could not have been more gracious hosts. The only downside was that many of the tent sites are close together but everything else about the site is very well managed and organized. You can tell that the owner really takes good care of everything and values the environment he has built.

We had a restful night sleep and continued on our trek the next day. If you are in the area and have a chance to spend the night here I would highly recommend it!

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to try out new and interesting products at campgrounds I visit. On this trip, I tried out the Renogy E.TUNES Solar Bluetooth Speaker. My takeaways from using the combo speaker/solar charger are:

1. The solar panel actually works and is effective if you have full sun and can leave it out to be exposed for a while. I found a great spot was on the dashboard of the car while we were biking for the day. It has an indicator light that lets you know if you have it angled correctly and if it is charging. Then there are lights that blink and fill in as it charges so you can know when it is done. A couple hours out in the sun is enough to recharge the battery completely and give you several hours of music time.
2. Wow the speaker has some serious umph. I will be honest that I wasn’t expecting much from this speaker. I thought it would be a small thing that would be good for those occasions where I want to listen outside on a short hike or at a campground in the evening but the sound from this thing is no joke. It actually has a separate bass built in so you get really loud high quality sound. The speaker itself doesn’t have volume control so you will need to use the bluetooth connected music device to adjust that. However, you can skip songs and pause/play so that is a nice feature. I have actually started using this speaker at home in parallel with another when we project movies outside since it gives such a nice addition to the sound.
3. USB outlet for phone charging. This was a wonderful feature for a car camping trip where we weren’t worried about the extra weight but didn’t want to have to bring along another battery pack to keep up with at the campground. We could just charge our phone and play music all in one device.
4. Finally, the speaker is very well built and durable especially with the additional rubber bumper you can add on. I have accidentally dropped it a couple times already with not even any visible wear let alone effect on the functionality.

Overall, I would say this speaker is well worth the value and an amazing addition not only to your camping gear but also perfect for around the house or just a day at the beach. It charges quickly, puts out some wonderful sound, and comes with a slew of extra features.

We camped here just before all of the COVID-19 shutdowns began happening, hoping to get in a family trip that didn't involve a long drive from home/Chattanooga. We chose Fort Mountain for the variety of camping options they had, specifically the platform sites. As one of our primary requirements for camping is privacy and a place our kids can run around without bothering anyone else, having a place slightly off the main road sounded perfect--and it was. 

Fort Mountain is a huge campground, offering 70 drive-in campsites for tents/campers, 6 platform sites, 4 walk in sites, 4 backcountry sites, and 3 pioneer sites. The platform sites are a short walk from a parking area near the lake so you can make multiple trips to the car if necessary, while the backcountry sites are up to a 3 mile hike in, so all gear, food, and water will need to be packed in. Be mindful of wildlife as well, even in March we saw a copperhead near the creek by Platform 1.

As with most campgrounds there is large variety in the sites available, ranging from smaller sites near the main road through the campground (31-44), to larger sites right on the lake (46-50), to sites near the center of the campground with easy access to the many amenities the park has to offer, including the docks/boat rental, beach, and a mini golf course. Site 45 is very large but the trail around the lake and to the platform sites cuts past it so there may be some foot traffic past the site, particularly during busy times. Sites 46, 47, and 49 have amazing lakeside views, which completely make up for the visibility from one site to another. Site 48 is very small and more suited for a pull-through camper, as it has little privacy and the trail from the parking lot for the platform sites walks above it. 

(Note about the platform sites--the map is misleading. There is a small trail that runs to the sites from the lakeside trail, and the start with 1 closest to the lake and head up a rather steep climb to 6. There is a secondary trail that crosses a small creek and intersections with platform 1 to the right and 2-6 to the left.)

Loop #1 does not have any lakefront sites, and is closed to drive-thru traffic without reservations so we were not able to look closely at the sites, but it looks overall like it is wooded and shady, though smaller than the sites in loop #2. 

Cottage #5 is the only true lakefront cabin, with a long staircase walking from the cabin to the lakeside trail. It is three bedrooms and would be great for large family gatherings. 

We did not make it to the Fire Tower the state park is named for, but as a homeschool family we are always excited to find CCC buildings as living history and political science lessons, and the only trail we got to explore was the lakeside trail, which was short but scenic, although even at the time we were there was already quite crowded, so I imagine during the busy season it would be hard to find solitude. 

This is a great vacation spot. Between the variety of campsites, hiking, boat rentals, beach, and family activities, it would be easy to spend a week here in a camper or an RV and not even notice how fast the time was flying. As for a one or two night stay, we typically prefer places with fewer activities so we can just enjoy CAMPING--but the platform and backcountry campsites still provide for those with similar camping styles. And being so close to both Chattanooga and Atlanta, this is an amazing find for families. We would definitely return, and stay in either one of the platform sites again (my husband in particular loved that we did not have to worry about  a tent!), or try and reserve one of the sites along the lake so we could enjoy time at camp while taking in the views.

Fort Mountain State Park in Georgia was a fantastic getaway for my family. We spent five nights there and could not have been happier. The hiking trails are great, the lookouts on the east and west sides of the mountain offer phenomenal views, and we couldn't have found a better campsite if we had tried! The best part of the trip, besides awesome weather, was the fact that halfway up the mountain that the state park is on, we lost cell service and didn't get it back until we went back down the mountain! The park office does offer free wifi, that is always on, so you can get connected in the middle of the night if you absolutely have to, but if you're camping to get away from it all, why bother? Happy Camping!

Desoto State Park is a beautiful park with great hiking and waterfalls. The primitive camping area has a keyed gate. Make sure you arrive during business hours so they can get you registered and give you a key. They will also give you a big card with your last name on it that you will put on the campsite ledger board once you have driven through the primitive area and picked from available sites. This ledger board is halfway along the gravel road once you have let yourself through the gate and is also where the common area is. In the common area there are pit toilets, a large covered pavilion, rentable cabins, picnic tables and stone fire rings. Campsites are well marked, each has a trash can (not bear proof since no bears), and a stone fire ring. At registration you will also receive the gate code for the improved RV park so that you can use the showers and do laundry. When you leave you can put your gate key in a Dropbox outside the office.

Ranger Review: Primus Micron Lantern - Steel Mesh at Amicalola Falls State Park

Campground: Amicalola Falls State Park, GA

"It" all doesn't start here...but for those desiring to begin the AT from the Southern Terminus Acces Trail it sure does. The Approach trail is 8.3 miles to Springer Mountain from the lower Amicalola State Park parking lot. So there is more history and lore here than meets the eye. This in and of itself makes this State Park unique...but there is much more.

If you enjoy hiking, even the least little bit, Amicalola State Park is for you. http://gastateparks.org/AmicalolaFalls If you visit their website it sends you to Adventure Lodges, which then reveals all this State Park has to offer. Zip Line, Team Building Course, Fitness Trail, The Rock Climbing Wall, Birds of Prey, Survivalist Camp, campground, cabins, and a beautiful mountaintop Lodge.

The Lodge is nice...very nice. Front desk personnel are very friendly and helpful, as is the ground crew (they always know the best places to go and how to get there). The entire back of the Lodge has long mountain views and faces West, so you can enjoy gorgeous sunsets from your room, the dining area, or an outside deck. We did not stay at the lodge, so I cannot comment on the rooms, but it appeared full from the parking lot.

Even if you registered for your campsite online, you still go to the front desk of the Lodge to register and get your Park tag and site tag. At the time of this writing, I paid $30 which included a $5 Park fee.

Just so you are aware, the road leading up the hill to the campground is a 25% incline. It's steep. So if you are bringing your bicycles and ride down the hill...keep it mind the climb back up. In fact, there is little flat terrain in this entire park. All foot trails go up or down...with the exception of one trail leading from a parking lot to the middle of Amicalola Falls (which is where most photos are taken). Interesting sidenote: that trail to the middle of the falls is made entirely from recycled tires...and I believe it is ADA accessible.

There are several rental cabins (14 total) in two different areas. Five cabins on the lower entrance level, just below Reflection Pond and across from picnic pavilions and playgrounds. Nine cabins are on a roadway just below the campground. All the cabins appeared large and well-equipped.

The campground has 24 sites...17 sites along the outside of the loop and 7 sites on the inside of the loop. The showerhouse/restrooms/laundry is to the right upon entering the loop, just past the host site (which was vacant during our visit). Absent a host, may have accounted for the unkept restroom and filthy showers (2 per gender). A small picnic shelter is located in the center of the loop, and there is basketball hoop oddly placed between two handicap parking spots. Horseshoe pits are between the basketball hoop and the picnic shelter.

Staying at site 15 afforded us some privacy, as the campground was half full on a Tuesday night. The campground sites have been masterful carved out of the mountain...and are pretty near level. Each site has a parking pad, large enough for a RV/Camper...a picnic table, lantern post, a fire ring w/grate and a separate charcoal grill...a water spigot, electrical box and a tent pad. Well thought out. The parking pad and picnic/grill area was a fine gravel chip and the tent pad was a fine pea gravel. Because the sites are hewn out of the mountain, 3/4 of the site is surrounded by timber retention walls with a timber fence around the top...masterfully done, I might add.

When choosing a site online...google earth the campground...this will give you a pretty good idea of the layout. Keep in mind the flow of the roadway, headlights shine directly into sites like 5 and 6 as people drive through. The campground was pretty quiet during the day and graveyard quiet (with the exception of owls hooting) and black as ink at night. Sleeping without a rainfly rewarded us with wonderful stargazing.

If you are ambitious and enjoy vertical hiking, the Falls trail will meet your needs. However, if you want to enjoy the Falls with half the effort...simply drive to the three different parking areas with minimal walking to get plenty of photos. The Falls were beautiful in late August, but I imagine with spring rains it is more impressive.

A great campground to visit and explore!

Product Review: Primus Micron Lantern - Steel Mesh

As a product reviewer for theDyrt.com, on occasion I am given products to test and evaluate...such is the case with the Primus Micron Lantern - (Steel Mesh). https://primus.us/products/micron-lantern-steel-mesh

Primus actually makes five different lanterns, three burn butane and two are battery operated.

I have owned and still own several large camp lanterns of various brand and fuel source...and back in the 80's owned what was, at the time, considered a small backpacking one mantle lantern...but none compare to the miniscule size of the Primus Micron Lantern.

You can get the Micron Lantern in two models, one with frosted glass and this one with stainless steel mesh. Not being known as particularly gentle, I chose the Steel Mesh version. Weighing in at a diminutive 4.4 oz, it weighs nothing in your pack.

I preferred the robust stainless steel mesh version over the frosted glass globe version. There are great reviews on the frosted glass globe version, slightlty heavier at 6 oz, yet puts out more lumens...but I would certainly be too rough for glass. Even though the steel mesh version of the Micron Lantern is more durable and can take a beating...the mantle is what can suffer. With that in mind, always carry a couple spares.

Speaking of the mantles...you need to purchase additonal "two hole" or "two opening" mantles, which I found at a local big box store, and keep them as insurance. Tear a burned mantle, and its worthless...you must remove the fragments and put a fresh one on.

I was pretty impresse with the durability of the Micron Lantern-Steel Mesh. It stuffed nicely into my backpack, and took as much space as a rolled pair of socks. I couldn't see it happening, but even if you could crush the stainless steel mesh housing...you can pick up a new one directly off Primus' site for a tad more than a Franklin.

I will encourage you to read the provided instructions for operation and set up. Without doing so, you may fumble around a bit and waste time. After following the instructions, it is quite simple and straightforward.

You will notice there is a conveniently, handy integrated piezo electric " Easy Trigger Ignition"...and it couldn't be any easier.

Permit me to walk you through set up, if you will. I found it easier to attach it to an isobutane cannister to make it more stable and stand on its own. After attaching it to the cannister, observe that at the bottom rim of the steel mesh "globe" there are two symbols stamped into the metal...one of a closed lock and one of an open lock. You will also observe a small tab on the steel mesh...that is your position indicator, depending which symbol it is behind. The bottom rim with the stamped lock symbols is actually part of the base. I am assuming that the lantern has either just been pulled from the box or has not been operating...because you would be incredibly unwise to touch the steel mesh anytime soon after its operation. A trip to the hospital would be high on the list with third degree burns.

By holding the base, twist the steel mesh globe in the direction of the unlock symbol and pull straight off...simple. You'll notice the "locking" cutouts on the rim. It is possible when reassembling the steel mesh globe back to the base to put the marking tab on the opposite side, thus foiling your indication if its locked or unlocked...though it'll still function that way.

Once the steel mesh is off, take your time to slide the larger of the two mantile openings over the fuel post. You will have to use care in weaving the piezo electric starter wire through one of the small holes in the side of the mantle. If I could do it easily, you can too. There is a small rim on the fuel post for the bottom of the mantle to fit snuggly on...as there is one for the top mantle opening. Once into place, pull the sides of the mantle outward to make it as round as possible. Now you are ready to light the mantle and "burn it down." This may sound counterintuitive, if you have not done this before, but its just how its done. With a sturdy lighter, keep the flame on the mantle until it burns completely and uniformily white...and when 99% done, open the fuel valve which will ignite the mantle and light your world. Allow it to burn for a few minutes and then shut off the fuel. Reattach the steel mesh globe (properly) and twist it to the lock position. Done!

Now you can turn on your fuel valve, "trigger" the piezo electric ignition and Bingo!..you have light. It is adjustable, if you want it lower for some abiance. While there are varying reviews over the lumens and wattage the Micron Lantern puts out, it appeared to me to be a little brighter than a 70 watt bulb in total darkness.

The Primus Micron Lantern - Steel Mesh is a lightweight and packable light...worthy for both your backpacking adventures or your campground visits!

We stayed in the Primitive camping area over the Thanksgiving weekend 2017. We made reservations and upon arrival on Friday we found quite a few sites still unclaimed. The pit toilet is convenient and somewhat clean. The view of the valley from the pavilion is nice especially during sunsets. Some of the sites are set back deep which provides a little more privacy and deep woods feel. As usual some campers tend to leave their trash laying around the sites but as always I left our site much cleaner than we found it!

The only complaint is that the park store was out of firewood the entire weekend and we had to go just outside the park to a house that sells wood for $5 a bundle. Not a huge deal but was told when I made the reservation that they had wood for sale. Someone should have re-supplied!

The staff at all the facilities were very nice and although some of the park’s waterfalls were not flowing much, the outer area falls were very nice.

Overall a very nice park and I would highly recommend it. I will likely revisit soon to rent one of the many cabins that look very nice with nice views.

We camped in site number 9, which is in the back of the campground. Sitting at our RV, we couldn’t see any other sites, just the woods! The hiking is great, especially for kids. We wanted to do the boat rentals but got rained out. However, be forewarned that you have to rent boats at the main visitor center and not by the lake.