Searching for a tent campsite near Lake Sidney Lanier? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Lake Sidney Lanier, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia's most popular destinations.
Shady Grove Campground is open seasonally for primitive and RV camping; courtesy boat dock and access to Lake Lanier. Fishing is permitted and hiking trails abound along the lakeshore. The campground is located at 7800 Shadburn Ferry Road in Cumming and has over 110 campsites. Shady Grove Campground amenities include: Tent and RV Sites (30/50 amp) with water, a beach and swim area, a boat ramp with courtesy dock, a group campsites with picnic shelters, a playground, and wash houses.
Raven Cliff Falls camping
This trail is one of North Georgia’s most popular camping destinations. Trailhead campsites offer fantastic stream-side camping just steps from the car, and a fantastic base camp for hiking the Raven Cliff Falls Trail during the day. The trail is also dotted with many backpacking campsites on the creek’s level banks, offering a little more solitude for campers willing to backpack it in.
Black bears frequent this wilderness area. Keep all food items and fragrant cosmetics out of reach in a bear canister: many years ago, we lost our camp stove, food and cookware to a trio of bears in a traditionally-hung bear bag along this trail.
Campsites are free and first-come, first-claimed. Pack out everything you pack in: this is one of Georgia’s most beautiful Wilderness areas, so please, please leave no trace. (What is Wilderness, and why is it important? Read more in our guide to Wilderness areas in the South.)
Buford Dam Park lies just north of Buford Dam on Lake Sidney Lanier. The site features beautiful views of the lake as well as excellent access to swimming, picnicking and boating.
The lake, named for the poet, Sidney Lanier, is well known for its aqua-blue colored water, spectacular scenery and variety of recreational activities. Each year, over 7.5 million people come to visit.
Lake Lanier boasts 38,000 surface acres, 690 miles of shoreline and over 100 small islands. Its location in the forested foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains, makes for a beautiful backdrop to any activity.
Visitors can access the Laurel Ridge Hiking Trail from multiple locations and parks. The trail is a 3.5 mile loop that offers great views of the lake and Chattahoochee River. Fisherman can expect to catch a variety of species including bass, catfish and panfish. Activities include fishing, swimming, wake boarding, kayaking and hiking.
Bolding Mill Park offers access to a designated swim beach and the Laurel Ridge Hiking Trail. The park also offers a basketball court, soccer field, playground, picnic areas and restrooms.
Nearby attractions include boat ramps, other USACE parks, and Lake Lanier Islands.
Sweetwater Creek State Park is a peaceful tract of wilderness only minutes from downtown Atlanta. A wooded trail follows the stream to the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile mill burned during the Civil War. Beyond the mill, the trail climbs rocky bluffs to provide views of the beautiful rapids below. Additional trails wind through fields and forest, showcasing ferns, magnolias, wild azaleas and hardwoods. Park rangers lead informative hikes to these areas throughout the year.
Bear locker/box is provided, water is available but needs to be filtered/purified.
Springer Mountain Shelter (3700 ft) to trail east on side trail with privy and reliable spring. Established tent sites nearby.
Two Wheels of Suches Motorcycle Campground, Restaurant and Lodge offers riders, traveling in the North Georgia Mountains, a place to stop and grab a bite, camp, stay in the lodge or cabins, meet up with old friends and make new ones.
The campground offers beautiful camp sites by Canada Creek or near the wooded areas backing up to the National Forest. There are charcoal grills, picnic tables and fire rings throughout the campground. The Bathhouse is newly constructed clean and spacious, heated with separate facilities for men and women. Both offer private dressing area and hot showers. Additional outlets provide for use of hair dryers and charging electronics.
The Blood Mountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia was originally constructed from local stone in 1937 for the Georgia State Parks system by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers stationed at Camp Enotah at Vogel State Park. The shelter was transferred to the US Forest Service in a land exchange agreement in 1956. The basic elements of the rooms, window, and doorways of this stone structure remain unchanged, but modifications to the roof and floor have occurred over the years.
This park is located at the intersection of Browns Bridge Road and Appalachee Church Road and was newly dedicated for the late Council member James Shackelford. Before its dedication and reopening, the park was renovated by Scout Troop 774. This park offers camping areas with shelters, and a beautiful nature trail that circles the park.
All campsites on the Appalachian Trail are first-come, first-camp, so start your hike early the best pick of the campsites.
This place was great. We arrived after hours and spoke with the camp host he told us we can pay online or in the morning. We drove all day in the sun and due to hurricane Helene aftermath we were limited on where to stay. It was nice to pull in and it be nice and cool with the trees. The stars popped out at night and could be seen through the tree tops. Showers were hot.
Outstanding park! Camp sites are spaced decently apart and well kept. Restrooms / showers are very clean. Welcome center has plenty of backpacking supplies as well.
We’ve stayed several times. The people are so kind. The only property is gorgeous and it’s always a great stay!
Site 7 is separate from the others and has the whole point except there is a trail behind the site. No easy, sandy water access unless you go to the nice beach they have.
We stayed at site 125 with a full view of the lake. We could watch the sunset & the sunrise each day and it was incredible. There is plenty of tree cover & wilderness surrounding you. Bath houses were decent (albeit a little outdated). Our spot had a pretty bad ant infestation & they ended up getting into our trailer, which I had to scour with spray, etc. But what can you do? Just bring some supplies in case. What we really liked about this campground is how natural the surroundings are. You're really immersed in the wooded area with a view of the beautiful lake & the sounds of birdsong, etc. Good campground for bikes as things are spread out (swimming beach, bathhouses). We would certainly come back!
This is a primitive campground with a picnic table, lantern pole and a firepit with a grate. It is pack in-pack out as there are no trashcans or dumpsters. Water is available via a hand water pump across from site#8 and the toilets are vault toilets but were well kept and did not smell horrible. The stream is gorgeous stream and loud enough to drown out most road noise. There are some hazardous trees and one 6inch tree did fall while we were there this weekend during a thunderstorm. At the back of the campground is a~2 mile trail that connects to the AT. Most sites have a tent pad that will accommodate a 10’x10’ tent. Sites 2, 4, and 8 driveways can really only accommodate 1 car and there are no extra parking spots. Driveways for sites 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 can accommodate 2 cars. Site 1 is adjacent to the road and is going to be impacted by road noise. There is no campground host so be prepared to either scavenge wood or buy it in town, same goes for ice.
Nice campsites with water and electricity. Almost all the sites have view of lake and many have access to the lake for swimming or paddle boarding or boating. Nice breeze off the lake. Will be back many times.
I called and was told this is a membership ONLY campground resort! Please delete this resort
We stayed in site 7 and we really enjoyed it. The site was clean and the pad was very level.
We had a minor issue popping the 30amp breaker but switched over to the 50 amp adapter and all worked fine.
Didn’t use the bath house but I did go check them out and they looked clean.
I would caution big rigs on the first loop (sites 2 - 9) the loop at the back is pretty tight. We did fine with our 28’ TT but anyone over 30’ might want to consider the other loops.
Driving through and looking at the other sites some of the picnic areas need to be reworked or at the very least mowed and weeded. If it wasn’t for that sort of stuff I would give it 5 stars.
We just finished our third RV trip at 411 River Rest CG—which was our seventh trip there over the past few years. The campground is pretty and extremely well maintained. The Coosawattee River is beautiful, as are the big trees that are a part of the facility. The exceptionally large and tall sycamores are particularly nice! The owners are friendly and they’re involved on a daily basis with the operations. We already have two trips scheduled for 411 RR CG for next year!
The campground road access continues to be closed as of July 10, 2024.
Tons of things to do train rides, gondola ride to the top, hiking and fireworks. Stayed in a safari tent a little worn down with duck tape on the screen. However, clean bathroom/showers and fun pool. A couple of crazy squirrels visit us every morning.
Great place to camp and just relax and watch all children play and laugh.
We found Kennedy Creek in September 2023 and have been back five times since then. The setting is absolutely beautiful with direct views of the mountains and sprawling grounds where the resort sits.
They offer everything from tent or RV camping and yurts, to beautiful cabins. We’ve tent camped once and brought our RV five times. If you’re camping, expect spacious campsites with amazing views. You won’t feel crowded in this place. If RVing, you can opt for a site with 30 amp electrical hookup and water (3 of these at present on a first come first basis and usually available). They do have showers so we didn’t come close to filling our gray/black tanks on our recent 5 day stay. What I like as an RVer is the open space and views. You won’t feel like you’re in a crowded RV park that’s for sure.
Their onsite tavern and restaurant is a great gathering place and is usually opened starting with Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast. The menu is top notch with special dishes that change regularly. John is the chef and he puts out some of the best food you’ll find in these beautiful mountains!
The resort also has a 2000’ x 60’ grass runway (GA87) which is absolutely gorgeous. In my opinion this should be a bucket list destination for all pilots that can manage to get in to 2000’ fields. The owner has a beautiful Just Superstol XL bush plane and a Highlander, and he can usually be found flying most Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. You might even get invited to go flying :-)
The staff is super friendly and will take great care of you during your stay. It won’t take long for you to realize that they absolutely care about you and your experience. They’ll go out of their way to make sure you enjoy their little slice of paradise.
This probably sounds like a paid advertisement but I’m just a happy camper that hopes this place experiences the success it deserves. I’ve been to Ellijay, Helen, Blairsville, Dahlonega, and a lot of other well known mountain spots, and this place is my favorite by far.
Beautiful campground with a small lake and wooded sites. A little hilly but that provides some space between sites. Campground staff were very nice and facilities were clean and in good repair. Dog friendly with trails on site, as well as stables adjoining.
Site 23 is perfect if you’re looking for a huge, private, creekside site. It was just a short walk to the outhouse and water pump, but a longer trek to the bathhouse, but the other features of this site were worth it. This huge site has the perfect trees for swinging your hammock over the creek, lots of shade, and easy access to wade in the creek. The campground was clean and well maintained, the hosts were friendly, and the weather was pleasant for late June. I can’t wait to go back!
I returned to Andrew’s Cove in late June for a night in the woods. I had site 3 this time, and it’s my favorite site so far. It’s the most removed from the other sites, but just a quick walk down the campsite driveway to the bathrooms. I really like the privacy of that site despite the street noise. The bathrooms were disgusting, as usual. I highly recommend bringing an alternate option for bathroom use. The temperature was pleasant even in late June, and a rainstorm passed through overnight. It was a glorious way to sleep. I highly recommend Andrew’s Cove.
I booked a yurt for my husband while I was hiking the AT. The manager was very polite until I complained later. When my husband arrived, he could not locate the yurt, because the name had been changed, and I was not told. The bed was made up with (animal) haired imbedded into the comforter and hair on the linens, which the manager was witness to and changed himself. The heater did not work. My intention was for my husband to enjoy the resort and its amenities, but he wouldn't go to the tavern after tge other experiences. Per our conversation, the manager agreed to a monetary refund that we never saw. After a month, I left a message asking for a call and I received a text saying that he would give us a $35 gift card to the tavern (which we can never use). I asked for a phone call and was told that he didn't have to call me, because this was his final offer.
This place was a nightmare. I booked primitive site #4, that whole site is on a hill, the only flat place is where you park, and that's not really flat either. Needless to say it was difficult to set anything up; tents, food, games, etc... The campsites at this campground are very close together, and unfortunately our neighbors were very inconsiderate blasting country music all night long, they literally pulled an all-nighter, no joke, even after my wife and I asked them to turn the concert down at 3:30am, they got silent for about 1 to 2 minutes, and then started it right back up. The lake area where you swim is pretty gross, there are tons of people in a relatively small area, and pontoon boats pull right up to where the rope is that contains the swim area and cook out on their grills smoking out the swim area while idling petrol fumes and exhaust in to the water. We did manage to have some fun with making a fire, and although the lake was disgusting, it did feel good because it was 100 degrees outside. We decided to pack up and leave a day early, it was that bad. Find another campground to go to, or change your dates of your trip to avoid this place, do whatever you need to do to not end up here.
This is a smaller COE campground than most we have stayed at, which is nice in a way. The playground and beach were never crowded, and it was pretty quiet with the exception of the boat traffic. The campground is right next to a public boat ramp, beach, marina, and restaurant. It's super convenient but not as quiet as some other COE places. We loved it because we brought our boat and tied it up by our site. The sites are not huge but plenty big, and there are many great waterfront spots. Ours was nice for swimming with clean water and a nice drop-off. It is a mixed bag in terms of privacy. While there was plenty of space between us and our neighbors, the sites were laid out so that even with our campers hooked up, we could always see each other. Took away slightly from the experience, but it was still a very fun place. We will go back next summer. I think that 22 is the best spot, followed by the waterfront pull-through spots on the cove.
Great little place to camp. Beautiful lake. Bathrooms and showers are on site.
Loud music loud voices bright lights generators used on tent site. Party to 2 am. No rules enforced even when you complain to the host. Then this is the place for you. You can get away with whatever you want. Expect No sleep!!
My family and I camped here for the weekend. Our campsite was beautiful and level. We could easily accommodate our pop-up camper and a 4-person tent with room to spare! My son was able to play and explore. My only critic would be that we were a little let down at the condition of the beach and that there was no playground when there was one listed on the grounds map. We will definitely be returning nonetheless.
We stayed in a tent on the one tent-only electric site. A lot of the sites have electricity and power. People adhered to the quiet hours. The bath house is about a 5 minute walk from most of the sites, and they are clean and well-maintained (they were better than I expected).
As for things to do, the campground is a short drive from downtown Ellijay. Within the campground, there's a boat ramp to Carters Lake, and the lake is beautiful. Most of the sites overlook the lake, although the views are partly blocked by trees.
The sites are private and not on top of each other, which is nice. The website will say that the tent needs to be of a certain dimension to be on the wooden platform, but you can also set up the tent on the gravel area in front of the wooden platform.
We paid $24/night, with water and electricity.
There are about 20 slots. The spaces are well-spaced and feel secluded despite mostly open air. A quick drive to the falls or the lodge for dining with a view.
Great camp ground. Very clean and well maintained.
Been going here since I was a kid and now I take my kids every year. It’s quiet but it could use more campsites with a beach area and maybe updated bathrooms. Still love it though
Camping near Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia, offers a fantastic escape into nature with plenty of activities and beautiful scenery. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful retreat, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, with plenty of options for families and RVers alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lake Sidney Lanier?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lake Sidney Lanier is Shady Grove Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 22 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lake Sidney Lanier?
TheDyrt.com has all 52 tent camping locations near Lake Sidney Lanier, with real photos and reviews from campers.
