The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Lithonia, GA

763 Reviews

Tent camping options near Lithonia, Georgia include several established campgrounds within short driving distance. Panola Mountain State Park Campground, located in Stockbridge, offers walk-in tent sites with electric hookups and reservable camping areas. This state park provides a natural setting with basic tent camping amenities while remaining accessible to the Atlanta metro area. James Shackleford Memorial Park offers additional tent camping options with more amenities including drinking water, showers, and toilets.

Most tent campgrounds in the Lithonia area feature limited facilities focused on basic camping needs. Panola Mountain's tent sites require a 3/4-mile walk from the parking area to reach the camping area, making this location better suited for backpackers comfortable with carrying their gear. Fire rings and picnic tables are available at many sites, while drinking water access varies by location. Toilet facilities range from none at dispersed sites to basic vault toilets at established campgrounds. The terrain typically consists of open areas with varying amounts of tree cover, and campers should be prepared for potentially limited shade during summer months.

Tent camping in this region provides opportunities for wildlife observation and access to hiking trails. At Panola Mountain State Park, campers can enjoy relative seclusion despite proximity to urban areas. The peaceful environment allows for stargazing and nature immersion not typically available in the metro Atlanta region. For those seeking more remote experiences, dispersed tent camping options like Ocmulgee River Camp (about 60 miles southeast) offer more primitive backcountry tent camping with fewer neighbors and amenities. As noted in feedback on The Dyrt, "It was nice and quiet, super dark at night and beautiful. No amenities, you pack it in, you pack it out." Seasonal considerations include hot, humid summers when bugs can be prevalent near water sources, while spring and fall offer more moderate temperatures for tent camping.

Map showing campgrounds near Lithonia, GeorgiaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Lithonia, Georgia (17)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 17 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Lithonia Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Lithonia, GA

11 Photos of 17 Lithonia Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Lithonia, GA

763 Reviews of 17 Lithonia Campgrounds

  • Jeff E.
    Nov. 18, 2024

    Red Top Mountain State Park Campground

    Beautiful Lake Views - Near Atlanta and I-75

    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.

  • Amar P.
    Aug. 13, 2017

    Red Top Mountain State Park Campground

    Ranger Review: Tensile Flite + at Red Top Mountain, GA

    Campground Review:

    Red Top Mountain State Park is located in Acworth, GA. The park is located around 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona, which made it perfect for summer camping. The park has about 15 miles worth of shaded trails for hiking and mountain biking. The park also has RV, yurt, and cottage options for camping. We rented a first come first serve RV/Tent campsite during our visit, and the price was $35 for one night. The campsite was gate access and had electric/water hookups with 2 car spaces, a BBQ grill, picnic table, and a lot of trees. We had access to a public restroom, showers, and laundry. There were also primitive campsites available to rent, which were closer to the lake. Our group decided to stay at this park because we wanted to utilize the lake. The lake is beautiful; however, it was very crowded the weekend we went. The park overall has a lot of “things to do” and is family friendly, but it was given 4 stars because of how busy and crowded it was during our visit.

    Product Review:

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I had the opportunity to test the Tentsile Flite +, which is a tent and hammock fusion. I was super excited to use this product because I am a hammock camper and there are times I wish I had the option of tent camping. The design and uniqueness of Tentsile Flite + is amazing, and I would consider it more of a tent instead of a hammock, because of how flat it lays when suspended in the air.

    Pros:

    • Comfortable to lay in and no need for sleeping pads or cushions.
    • If you are a hammock camper, you can share this tent with another person comfortably.
    • The rainfly is clutch and depending on preference it can be attached to the tent, staked to the ground, or tied to the trees.
    • The Tensile Flite + is light and can be ideal for backpacking.
    • The tent roof is all netting which is great for having ventilation during the summer, keeping bugs out, and also good for sky gazing.

    Cons:

    • Setup time and the difficulty of getting the right angle and tension.
    • It was difficult finding the right trees suspend to.

    Overall the Tentsile Flite + is perfect for someone who loves hammock camping, but want to enjoy some of the features tents have. I love the design and the wow factor it has on people. Also the company’s mission is very noble and how they help people in need and the environment.

    Here is a video of setting up the Tensile Flite +

  • Michael C.
    Apr. 12, 2025

    River Forks Park & Campground

    Great views but...

    "SITE# 47, Pull-Thru, Not FHU, 50A, Water, Dump LENGTH OF STAY: Stayed 9 Nights, RATE:$30.56/ Night with No Discount/ 0% Discount BATH HOUSE: Clean but Outdated LAUNDRY: Not Recorded STAFF: Friendly PARK IMPRESSIONS: Nice, We would stay here again RV PAD: Concrete, ESTIMATED RV PAD LENGTH: 40 Feet, Tow Vehicle Could NOT Stay Connected and Parking was away from site SITE SLOPE: Door side Tire Blocks needed ROADS: Adequate, MANEUVERABILITY: Narrow PEDESTAL PLACEMENT: Center of site length, SHADE: 30% GRASS AREA: At-Site, DESIGNATED PET AREA: Not Recorded PICNIC TABLE: Yes, FIRE RING: Yes, VERIZON Signal(bars): 5G-3, SPEED: 394 Mbs Download, 47 Mbs Upload T-MOBILE Signal(bars): 5G-5, SPEED: 714 Mbs Download, 124 Mbs Upload No WiFi, OTA TV CHANNELS: 75, CABLE TV: No, PLAYGROUND: Yes POOL: No, WATER FEATURE: Lake, FIREWOOD: Yes, STORE: No CLUBHOUSE: No, PROPANE AVAILABILITY: No Original site was# 46(back-in) but was VERY small. Moved to site 47(Pull-Thru) but due to road slope pull-thru is un-usable. Lower numbered sites(less than 30) appear somewhat better. Empty camp ground host side byhind 47 cannot be used unless site 47 is emprty due to sloping road. One single use dump station. One campground host presently in the park- their site was not marked. Appears that most sites are back-in and set sideways to a hillside and lakefront leaving very little level space for chairs. Fire rings are frequently located 12-20 feet away from picnic table and 3 to 9 feet below site level on a slope. Reservation Software used by office was down upon Saturday arrival with no IT help until Monday- two days away leaving office staff frustrated and using their own phone to access the reservation system customers use instead of management side of software. Staff stated it goes down frequently with no IT support on weekends. Six bathhouses in park. Bathhouse nearest beach closed awaiting replacement of fixtures after renovation. Shower has outdated fixtures- several shower heads had significant mineral deposits restricting flow. Men's side closed at another bathhouse. Many shower stalls had no hook or fixture to hang a towel or clothing. Several showers had broken shower valves making them unusable. Stayed 9 nights and did not see anyone working on bathhouses. Beach area parking is limited to 6 or 7 spaces and one handicap space however, there is a larger parking lot a little further away. Bathhouse showers have a pull string valve next to the shower head that had to be held down to get water with many strings broken, missing and too short to allow shorter people, children, or handicaped wheel-chair use. Some sites have precarious/dangerous sloping driveways for RVs to get into. Newly installed sites are near completion but they make sites very close together. Many sites do not have a fire pit and many do not have a grill. Many sites arer too small to park a second vhicle even if the camper is small. Parking on dirt or grass is prohibited by rules but appears to be selectively enforced. The campground has a boat ramp and reasonably large parking area. Extra careful site selection is warranted. Four docks in River Forks Park. Firewood is available at the office. CHECK-IN: 01:00 PM CHECK-OUT: 12:00 PM RIG: 42ft- 17,000 lb 5th Wheel"

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 2, 2021

    Bolding Mill

    Gorgeous view of Lake Lanier

    Our site had a beautiful view of the water and awoke to sun on the water. Very few mosquitos and lovely weather. Long parking pad for RVs, tho' ours is a 17' travel trailer. Our site was near access to walk-in camping (which did not turn out to be a problem since we set up facing the water) and a long walk to the bathroom, which was reasonably clean with hot shower but no electrical outlet for my hair dryer (but hey, we were camping). Gate is locked at 10:30 PM; after that you have to park outside the entrance and walk to your site. Even with park full for weekend, it didn't feel crowded. Folks were friendly; almost everyone we passed said hi.

  • Connor L.
    Jul. 2, 2021

    Bald Ridge Creek

    Good lakeside camping for RVs and cars

    Camped right on the lake in my hammock. I reccomend hammock or RV. You're not allowed to set up tents off of the concrete pad so it would be a bit uncomfortable. Super easy to swim, kayak, waterski in the lake. No alcohol allowed but no one came by my campsite all evening.

    Plenty of firewood at the site and at nearby gas stations. You can also burn deadwood and I found plenty of that as well.

  • Rachel G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 8, 2020

    High Falls State Park Campground

    Falls

    Went to High Falls State Park in January. site number 27. We stayed 8 nights There are two campgrounds- lakeside and River camping area. Lakeside is by High falls Lake and is closest to the falls. River camping is across the street we stayed in River camping area. Nice sites but open to neighbors. Sites included table, fire ring, lantern hook. Some sites are 30 amp some 50 amp and had some pull through sites. After the weekend we were one of only a few in the campground in January. Weather may change this time of year we had a lot of rain one day and freezing temperatures overnight but mostly it was good camping weather. Camp hosts were awesome!!! This park is not far off i-75. Dollar general was a few miles other than that not much around. Very easy hiking trail to waterfalls and several trails along Towaliga River, ruins of an old Mill. There is no swimming in falls or river. Afterr rain falls were flowing very fast. This park also has a swimming pool, mini golf, yurts, boat rentals all were closed in January. Bathhouses were well maintained and had laundry facilities. Phone and TV reception we're good at this park. 8 days was too much here I would recommend 4 to 5 days or as a stopover point but would definitely return here.

  • E
    Sep. 23, 2019

    Stone Mountain Park Campground

    Terrible for tent campers

    I was actually shocked at how terrible our actual campsite was; we stayed at site 29, which was supposedly intended for tent camping.

    Pros

    • The front gate staff was very nice; check in and general store staff were average
    • The general store was very convenient and decently stocked
    • The bathrooms and showers were pretty nice
    • Beautiful lake view. It was nice to watch kayakers and rowing teams go by
    • Nice tree placement for hammock
    • Close to all Stone Mountain activities
    • Garbage pickup each morning (but no metal trash can to store it in??)

    Cons

    • The site is on a freaking hill; there is no flat surface at all and no clearing, so you have no choice but to sleep on sticks/rocks. Thank God to REI for footprints and decent sleeping pads
    • Site was dirty when I arrived
    • No tent pad
    • Parking area is crap; it's somewhere between gravel and nothing
    • $20 parking fee

    There is no way I would stay at this campground again; it was definitely made for RVs.

  • Nate H.
    Jun. 30, 2019

    Red Top Mountain State Park Campground

    Plenty of Waterfront View Options

    We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Red Top Mountain State Park. The campground itself is spread out with large sites. There are plenty of options for waterfront sites and most all sites are shaded with canopy cover. Our site specifically that we chose 56, was perfect for our roof top tent. We parked on a flat pad below a small staircase up to a tent pad surrounded by large boulders and equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. Firewood laying around was abundant. My only complaint about this campground were the comfort station showers. If you don’t need or desire to shower I would have zero hesitation sending anyone to this campground. However if you desire or need to shower as my wife and I do, be warned they are disgusting. They are probably the worst I have experienced anywhere as far as cleanliness. They serve their purpose as far as sufficient water pressure and hot water but outside of that, they are far from pleasant.

  • Cristina G.
    Sep. 3, 2021

    Van Pugh South Campground

    Holy smokes this site was excellent

    Had a great stay at Van Pugh South in site 35. The site was located on the lake with gorgeous views. The pad itself was mostly concrete and had a slight tilt towards the waters edge but nothing too bad that couldn’t be fixed with a minor adjustment. We chose not to bother.

    The camp sites are located along small islands jutting out into Lake Lanier. Plenty of shade, picnic table, fire ring. The pad itself is elevated above the waters edge. The site had water and 30amp electric but no sewer. The views of the sunset were spectacular. Fairly private sites.

    The campground had a nice shower house and coin laundry. All in all the campground was spotless. I would definitely come back and stay several days. I only wish their season was longer.

Guide to Lithonia

Tent camping near Lithonia, Georgia offers primitive and basic accommodations within a 30-60 mile radius of the city. Most campgrounds in this area sit at elevations between 700-1100 feet above sea level, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 85°F from June through September. Winter camping conditions remain relatively mild with nighttime temperatures rarely dropping below freezing.

What to do

Hiking and wildlife viewing: Panola Mountain State Park Campground offers access to several miles of trails where campers can observe native Georgia wildlife. "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," notes Michael T. about the Panola Mountain State Park Campground.

Water activities: Laurel Park provides easy access to Lake Lanier for swimming and boating during summer months. According to Josh D., "It has a splash pad that's operating from late spring through summer. It has plenty of access to lake Lanier, and plenty of room for grilling out." Laurel Park offers tent sites with electrical hookups.

Nature education: Some parks offer guided educational experiences. At Panola Mountain State Park Campground, Holly B. shares, "We took the guided tour of the Mountain and it was awesome. We ate Pine Trees and they explained about liken and the red fungus. Highly recommended."

What campers like

Relative quiet close to Atlanta: Despite proximity to urban areas, several campgrounds provide peaceful environments. At Tyler Hunt Camp, LeeAnne T. reports, "This place is a refuge. There are privately owned homes around but the folks keep to themselves. It's quiet, super dark at night and beautiful."

Wildlife encounters: Campers frequently mention animal sightings. "Very peaceful and even had the sounds of a vibrant coyote pack," notes Michael T. about his experience at Panola Mountain State Park Campground. Another camper at Ocmulgee River Camp mentions, "Saw some deer on a walk. It was quite hot but surprisingly not that buggy."

Open camping areas: Many tent sites in the Lithonia area feature open, flat terrain. At Ocmulgee River Camp, Julie H. describes, "Beautiful campsite, just a few neighbors, tons of flat space and a few fire pits." This dispersed camping option offers more space between campsites than established campgrounds.

What you should know

Limited facilities: Most tent camping options near Lithonia have minimal amenities. Michael S. notes about Ocmulgee River Camp, "Nice open camp site with plenty of spots for camping. Only a mile off the road, which is a little bumpy but manageable."

Access challenges: Some campgrounds require significant walking from parking areas. As Jessica D. mentions regarding Panola Mountain State Park Campground, "Just a few campsites around a pond. Not many trees around and no commodities. Close to a few hiking places but you have to drive to get to them."

After-hours activity: Be aware that some dispersed camping areas may experience unexpected traffic. Micah C. shares about Tyler Hunt Camp: "I initially brushed it off and didn't think much of it. I was the only one camping at this site. As night fell, I began preparing for bed, but I noticed vehicles coming and going—at least three within an hour."

Tips for camping with families

Easier access options: For families with young children, consider sites with shorter walks from parking. Laurel Park offers drive-up sites with restroom facilities. Vivian T. notes, "We appreciate the hot water in the bathroom," making this location more suitable for families with children.

Recreational facilities: James Shackleford Memorial Park provides multiple recreational options around the lake. Neil R. shares, "Was able to find plenty of outdoor stuff to do hope other people enjoy it too."

Educational opportunities: Several parks offer nature programs suitable for children. Holly B. recommends the guided mountain tour at Panola Mountain State Park: "We ate Pine Trees and they explained about liken and the red fungus. Highly recommended" as an educational experience for families.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup options: Few campgrounds near Lithonia accommodate larger RVs with full hookups. Xochilt E. warns about Hembree Park Campground: "It's not an RV park, they said there's is a little section of the park for rv but non hookups of any kind."

Seasonal considerations: RV camping is most comfortable during spring and fall when temperatures are moderate. Greg D. notes about Ocmulgee River Camp: "Open spaces and very quiet this time of the year (January) train horn in the distance and gunshots in the distance as well from hunters here and there."

Site selection: When tent camping with an RV as basecamp, select sites with adequate space. Ron W. from Hembree Park Campground reports, "Nice place very clean and plenty of room for me and my family."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lithonia, GA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lithonia, GA is Panola Mountain State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 7 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Lithonia, GA?

TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Lithonia, GA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring