Looking for an adventure where you can explore Lake Sidney Lanier and then fall asleep in your tent? Finding a place to camp in Georgia with your tent has never been easier. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Lake Sidney Lanier campsites are perfect for tent campers.
This recreation area is part of Lake Sidney Lanier
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.
Scout
It's a good place during the winter it gets a little cold because you're next to the water stream there's no service I have AT&T. But there is multiple sites. I camped out in my truck bed. I cannot see any RVs fitting in there unless it's a small trailer vans preferably or pop-up tents. Did not see a dedicated box to drop in money but it does say $12
Guide
Camped on lot 14 which was quite spacious with easy access to the water. Tent was located away from the fire pit and picnic table and the restrooms were close by. Campground is small and quiet; hardly any light pollution at my nonelectric site. Firewood and ice are available for purchase on the grounds, so it is convenient when in a pinch!
Guide
Red Top Mountain State Park is beautiful and Lake Allatoona is large. Campsite 50 is a premium tent only walk-in site (a few dollars more). It sits on a point that sticks out in the lake. There is no shade or tree cover, so it's not "private". There are 3 other sites near by on the walk-in area and there are no boundaries or barriers between so your neighbors are in full view. There is no electric near the tent pad, the electric pole is 150+ feet away near the parking area. You probably could run 175 feet of electric extension cord... but it would have to run past the three other sites... so don't plan for electric. There is water right by the pad with a ton of pressure. The tent pad was large but extremely hard to drive tent stakes into... smaller stakes worked better. The bathhouse was an uphill hike probably 300 ft away but was modern and clean with hot showers and good water pressure. The park is clean and scenic. The staff is very courteous, friendly and helpful. There are plenty of opportunities to hike, fish and boat.
This park is about 30-40 minutes outside of Atlanta right off of I-75. If you are in a tent... you will hear I-75 traffic all night so keep in mind, that while it looks like country, you are not deep in nature... the drone of the highway will remind you. There is a train that blows its whistle that will wake you up 3 times each night and also remind you that you are not deep in the woods. The winding roads through the park outside the campground also seemed to be very popular with motorcyclists who like loud pipes.
The name Red Top Mountain is derived from the red soil in the area that was popular for the mining of abundant iron ore. But don't look for "mountains" here... you have to travel further north for more dramatic elevation.
Overall, a nice park, pretty scenery but not as secluded, quiet and relaxing as expected for tent camping.
Guide
We did an overnighter to check this out after doing a separate hike on the primary trails from the other side of the park in the morning.
Getting to the campsite was simple enough and it is the quoted 3/4 mile walk in. It was great to see some families utilizing the space. There is good cell reception (T-Mobile)
Very peaceful and even had the sounds of a vibrant coyote pack.
Traveler
If you’re anywhere near Helen, GA on an ADV Bike, this summit is for you. There are three routes up the mountain so you never have to double back. There are more primitive sites at the top of the mountain (not where the Dyrt pin was dropped) on both sides of the fork. Suitable for tents and hammocks. There is one site that would support a large group or even a camper (or two) if you can get them up the steep rocky hunting trail. Sites were mostly clean with rock fire pits.
Guide
Easy access to the lake for paddleboarding; lot was close enough to paddle 1/2 mile to day use area/marina restaurant. Nicely shaded and good proximity to restrooms.
Guide
Easy access to Lake Alatoona with good views, minimal shade and access area was swampy on my lot but manageable. Water surprisingly chilly in summer from the Etowah River.
Guide
Beautiful mountain landscape over a calm lake, very quiet and little to no light pollution at night. Lots of trees for shade in the lots and easy access to the lake.
Traveler
Beautifully well maintained, clean grounds! Beautiful lake and stables and plenty of room ,yet campsites are tucked away to also give u a private feel as well! Pet friendly as well!
Traveler
I slept really well last night here, and the camp host and guests were just great. Heated bathhouse with warm shower was definitely a highlight on a chilly morning!
Only downside in my mind was that I booked a tent site, only to find that the tent sites are down the hill from all the other sites, so if you book them you will have to haul your stuff down to the lake. It did sound like the night-time fishing would be awesome though!
Guide
There's only limited camping here. There's several yurts and 5 walk-in tent sites. Yes, some of the reviews here are confusing this park with another. There's NO RV or TRAILER camping here.
The Yurts look awesome but do attract gaggles of families so be warned that if you're looking for a quiet get away then you may find yourself in the middle of a large family reunion that has no care for other campers.
The camping is isolated from the bustling 'core' of the park too. That's a nice change from other parks in the area. But you will also need to drive to the trailheads more than likely so take that into consideration when packing etc.
The tent sites run a little parallel to each other. I didn't go any look at the lake views from 5 at the back but expected it to be partial if that. Site 1 and 2 would be my first choice when I go back.
There is also full cell reception given its proximity to Atlanta.
Update: - Something else to know is that the visitor center called for 'check in' before we arrived and organized a wood drop off service.
GuideThree campsites in the immediate area. Two are on one side of the road. You have to cross thru one to get to the other. All three have creek access. We picked the single on the other side. Not a lot of flat ground options. Each site is huge. We decided to spread out but that meant having to do a lot of walking back and forth for stuff. You can pull your car into the site easily. It’s about a mile from the High Shoals Trailhead. Both waterfalls are lovely. One has a nice swimming hole. The closest town is Hiawasee. Had a grocery and an outfitters if you need supplies. There’s only two sit down restaurants—one had an hour wait; the other had run out of food.
GuideRecently stayed a couple of nights and was mostly impressed with the state park. I’m a tent camper but if I had an RV or trailer, I would definitely have trouble getting into my site (78). Many of the other sites I saw would have similar problems for trailer campers, as well. The park is in close proximity to I-75, so I could hear the distant sound of big rigs and the occasional police sirens. There is also railroad tracks somewhere that are close enough to hear train whistles in the wee hours of the morning. But the scenery of Lake Alatoona was beautiful and the staff I dealt with were all friendly and helpful. The bathroom facilities I used were very clean.
Scout
The campsite's proximity to I-20 makes it super convenient to get to. It's a great spot for a quick trip or a longer stay, and the friendly seasonal campers really add to the community vibe. By the way, I just bought a camper with the help of radiant credit union customer service. Their customer service was so helpful in sorting out the financial side of things, which means I can now enjoy camping trips to places like Atlanta West Campground hassle-free!
Ranger
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.
Guide
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.
ScoutWe’ve stayed several times. The people are so kind. The only property is gorgeous and it’s always a great stay!
Guide
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.
Legend
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!
TravelerThis 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.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
I called and was told this is a membership ONLY campground resort! Please delete this resort
Traveler
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.
Scout
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!
Scout
The campground road access continues to be closed as of July 10, 2024.
Traveler
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.
ScoutGreat place to camp and just relax and watch all children play and laugh.
Tent camping near Lake Sidney Lanier in Georgia offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot for your outdoor adventure.
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 51 tent camping locations near Lake Sidney Lanier, with real photos and reviews from campers.
