Best Tent Camping near Louisville, GA

I was originally a little nervous about booking this because I tent camp and the only sites available were full RV ones. I like to be more alone and tucked in the back somewhere. The RV sites do not offer much for privacy as the trees are spread out and far between, however each site is spread out enough that it’s not terrible. The sites were shaded and the whole park was very clean and well maintained. Even the trails after days of heavy rain was cleared and looked good. Camp host was super nice and offered us his axe to help us with wood. You had the option to rent kayaks and little paddle boats that was closed due to Covid 19. There was like 6 different trails to choose from that we enjoyed. We took advantage of the lake and did a lot of fishing. I would definitely go back and hopefully will have the opportunity to stay in a tent site because they looked awesome!

Mistletoe takes very good care of their sites.  There are plenty of RV/tent sites to choose from as well as a few walk-in sites, a group site, and even a few back country sites.  The facilities are always extremely clean.  They also have laundry facilities available.

We tent camped and stayed right on the water. Sites were very clean and spacious. Bath houses were pretty clean. There is water and electric at each site for those who are in a RV but the dump sites are pretty close by. We will definitely be back! We saw quite a lot of wildlife during our stay and enjoy taking the trail around the lake.

Magnolia Springs State Park is a nice Georgia State Park. Located just north of Millen, GA, the park offers ample camping for both RVs and tents.

Spots are flat and easy to park campers and set up tents with enough room between each for a bit of privacy and a few walk-in tent sites for increased privacy. Cabin rentals are available as well as a group lodge. There is a bath house in the main campground that is well kept complete with flush toilets and showers, as well as a coin laundry machines.

Kayak, canoe, pedal boat and bike rentals are all available from the visitor center to explore the spring fed lake and mostly flat trails in the park.

This is a lovely park to camp and spend time in, but is a 2-3 hour drive to Atlanta or Savannah if you are interested in exploring GA. The town of Millen has fast food options, as well as ample opportunity to pick up essential goods.

The main campground is flat making it easy to back up campers or RV’s in slots. Some pull through spots. We were tent camping and choose a walk in slot. 27, 28 & 29. Our site was 29 it is about 100 yards from the main campground down a single lane sandy road that leads into a wooded area. We saw vehicles on the other 2 spots and decided to just pull in by our space as well. I really like the walk in spaces because they are away from the main campground. I do like seeing stars at night but the tree canopy blocked them. The spigot on this spot was leaky. We did watch chickadees take an evening bath in the puddle. We noticed some little pieces of broken glass on the tent pad. The bathhouse was clean. The 28 acre lake and trails throughout the property are well maintained. Signs to watch out for gators are posted. We saw 2. The springs are so pretty and clear, so many turtles and fish to see. I would’ve liked to paddle board in the springs but wasn’t sure if that was permitted. We did paddle board and kayak in the lake.
If you are up to a history lesson the Camp Lawton museum is a bargain at $2 ! It is very informative. We had lovely weather and would return in the fall or spring. Summer may be to buggy and hot.

This is a review of the four walk-in tent sites at Mistletoe State Park.  I personally stayed in #4 and had a look at the others. 

The best site is definitely #2 -- feet from the water, spacious, suitable for more than one tent or hammock (better for tents as it is mostly open, but there are places for hammocks along the edges). 

Site #4 is probably second best, better for a hammocks probably (which is what I had) as no great level ground. It is not right on the water but has it's own private path to the water(couple hundred feet to the water).

Sites #1 & #3 do not really have access to the water without climbing down something steeply dangerous or through thick trees.  (The water access from the other sites is right in the middle of those other sites so you couldn't really share that unless they are empty or occupied by friends.)  Still #1 is a pretty good site.  #3 is the least interesting and smallest, but still secluded -- I wouldn't call any of these bad.

None of these sites have groomed tent pads -- just gravelly ground.   They do each have a table, fire pit, and lantern pole.  #1 & #2 are best for tents.  There is good separation between all sites.  Sites #2 & #3 are within shouting distance of each other and you'd be able to see tents, etc at one from the other.  There is an outhouse between sites #1 & #2, and another another between sites #3 & #4.  It is a 5 minute (or so) walk to the real bathroom (which also has showers) back in the main campground.

Other than the lake itself at sites #2 & #4, I didn't see any dedicated water source for these sites.  (The lake is silty -- pre-filtering recommended if you are using a filter.)  So you'd have to bring in water or get it from the bathroom area or maybe from an empty RV site which all have spigots.  You'll have to pack out your trash, and there are definitely critters around that will get in your trash so it should be secured somehow.  (Hanging it from the lantern pole isn't good enough -- you'll wake up to find a hole in the bag and it strewn around, ask me how I know.)

Everything in the park was very clean and well-maintained, although when I was here in September (during the week), the whole place was basically deserted anyway.

The water access at sites #2 & #4 is nice but it is not a real beach -- it is all large rocks for the most part and they were very slippery even when dry so be careful.  The water level was also extremely low when I was there so some of those rocks are probably covered by water earlier in the year.

We camped in one of the tent only walk-in sites located on a peninsula jutting into the lake. We had a ton of stuff, not realizing it was an uphill and pretty long trek, but it was totally worth it. We had the whole place to ourselves, no neighbors, in late March. The sun setting over the water was beautiful, it was quiet even as a few motor boats came in for the night. There is a tiny beach on the tip of the peninsula, picnic tables, and an outhouse. It was my favorite spot of everywhere we stayed on an Alabama-Georgia-South Carolina roadtrip including AirBnB and bed and breakfast.

We stayed 3 nights in the “walk in” tent area of this state park. The park called the day prior to our reservation to see if we would need firewood, a big plus. “Walk in” is a little deceiving, because, gladly, you can drive to the 3 tent spots and park a vehicle in this area. We stayed in spot 29. The three tent spots all have water at each site. They all have spacious tent pads in a wooded, heavily shaded area. 29 has the tent pad very close to the “road/trail”, but there was very little traffic on it. We arrived at night, and the camp host was friendly and directed us to the site. The park was full, but the sites were spaced well and the park was pretty quiet. The bathrooms were very clean and did have hot water. There were numerous signs posted for alligators and bears. I didn’t put a lot of stock into the bear signs due to the fact that none of the garbage cans or anything were “bear-proof”. We did finally see one gator as we walked by the spring one of the days. I thought that we had seen on their site that no hammocks were allowed, or anything tied to the trees, so we didn’t take our hammocks. This was not the case, as there were many hammocks up when we were there. You can look up the history of this place on their website. We were there May 8-11 and only had one colder evening and weather in the 70’s during the day. We would definitely go back.

Good grassy place to park. We have great comments from renters from Georgia Power, Pike and gas line campers.

General: Small (25-site) campground, all with electric/water plus a fire ring, lantern hook, and picnic table. There are also 8 cottages and four primitive campsites. Most have a water view. An interesting thing about Georgia state parks is that when you arrive and check in, you become eligible for a senior or military/veteran “rebate” which is not available when reserving. 

Site Quality: All sites are gravel and level. Most sites had a step-down area with a picnic table, fire ring/grill, and lantern hook with plenty of room for a tent. 

Bathhouse: Was very clean. Lights are on a timer so make sure you don’t end up in the dark too soon! Did not use the showers but they looked to be very clean as well.

Activities: Fishing, boating (kayaks are available for rent), and some short hiking/walking paths. There is an 1880s grist mill/covered bridge with self-guided tours but it was scheduled to close for renovations on October 31 (not sure for how long) so we were lucky we arrived on the 30th and were able to see it. The hosts were very available and friendly. The campground was about half full and very quiet. 

Note that there is a sketchy RV “park” across the street from the campground. When we asked, the host said they keep a close watch on it and make sure no one from there accesses the campground; we did not experience any problems. 

We were told the colors were early this year and they were like nothing we’d seen before so as a photographer, I loved shooting something entirely different! Also, we were pleasantly surprised there were no bugs so close to a swamp!

Arrived here for a three-night tent stay after Black Rock Mountain. You have to drive all the way in to reach the camp's office. At six, they were already closed, so had to check in the morning after. The comfort rooms appear brand new on the second week of October 2020. They were centrally located in the loop for RV/Tents. Spot #24 and #25 are drive-thru RV spots. #25 has a concrete slab and a concrete pathway to the comfort rooms (ADA). Great hosts this time. Wood bundles are $7 a piece. Verizon has one bar of LTE signal. T-Mobile has none (bummer). No camp-wide WiFi.

However you want to camp you can. Tent, RV, you name it. With lake access on virtually every spot you’ll wake up to amazing views and great days in the sun. Almost every spot has a walkable path to the water. It’s pet friendly and has amenities for even the least experienced (and least willing) campers.

This review is for campsite 82 at Mistletoe State Park. An absolutely commanding view of the lake! It lacked shade in late March but once the sun went down, it was perfect! Beautiful sunsets! We camped in 2 tents and there was more than enough room, the tent pads were level, and the crusher run was comfortable under the tarp and tent. There is a unique lookout structure with a rolling gate. This was useful for corralling our cocker spaniel. We also set chairs up there. Accessing the lake was no problem, just down an easy incline, and there was a little beach area, perfect for sitting with your feet in the cold water. There are multiple trails but we loved walking around both campsite loops. It’s fun to see the different set ups. The comfort station near us was average, but adequate. The shower design isn’t super for drainage but it works! The toilet stalls and sink area were very clean. It looked like at least one comfort station on the right fork loop was more updated, with family bathrooms. I’m with AT&T and I had very few issues with cellular data. The hosts were friendly and welcoming. The gift shop was lovely. We would love to go back and rent a pontoon boat and try one of the cabins. We would like the record to show that at 2:00 AM on the Saturday we were there, an airboat with purple and green lights and very loud music came upon the shoreline of the state park. It was like a spaceship had landed. After thinking about it, we think they may have been bow fishing. Of course our kids slept through the whole thing, no idea how! They took “disturbance of the peace” to a new level! No reflection on the park itself, just a bizarre occurrence and a funny memory for us!

This would be a nice park if you have an RV. We, however, we're staying in a tent. The "lakes" they claim to have are nothing more than a cess pond and a cute little paddle boat pond. The sites are long and narrow and close together. While the bathrooms were very clean, the rest of the park just seemed to lack the true camping experience.

First and foremost, Mistletoe is beautiful. It’s tucked away and the greenery is outstanding. The hiking is lengthy and gorgeous (if somewhat difficult to navigate) with an easy grade that’ll keep the huffing and puffing to a minimum. I wish the signage around the park aimed in both directions of the road. Navigating on your way in was easily enough, but getting out was tougher.

The staff at the visitor’s center were friendly, and the toilets and showers were kept very clean.

A fair warning, though: if you’re a tent camper who’s looking to enjoy some quiet time by the water, avoid the loop with the boat ramp. We stayed on site 30, and were surrounded by RVs and boats coming and going: between the sound and the lights, it wasn’t exactly peaceful. Add in the extraordinary winds that were coming in off the lake the weekend we were there, and certain moments of our trip felt very tedious. The Park can’t exactly do anything about wind and neighbors with boats, but we intend to camp further from the boat ramp next time. We got a look at the spots closer to the walk in sites, and think those might be more conducive to anyone who’s going for a more low-key tent experience.

Mistletoe State Park is another great Georgia State Park. Tucked way back in a big pine forest and nestled right up on the banks of Clarks Hill Reservoir it is well worth the effort to find reservations at this park. Over 70 sights with 30 amp, and water service, plenty of road side gray water dumps between sights and TWO dump stations. The Park Host do a fantastic job with keeping this park clean with multiple bath houses and a large amount of community space. For the hikers the trails are great, and very in difficulty to keep things fun and the backwoods hiking camp sights were great. The beach and boating facilities were very nice. The playgrounds were still closed off due to Con-19. We saw lots of wild life, lots of stars at night (gets really dark at night). I may be partial a little when it comes to Georgia State Parks but they have earned it. This one lives right up with the others I have visited. We had so much fun and created so many great memories that we can’t wait for our next adventure at another Ga State Park.

We stayed on site 22 and loved it.  Beautiful and quiet with direct access to the lake.  A new bathhouse since we were there about 2 years ago. Very well maintained.  Grass was cut and the park was clean with the sites well maintained.  We had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed our site so much we stayed in the park instead of going antique shopping as we had planned.  This is what I expect when visiting a Georgia State Park.

This is the site of a lesser known confederate civil war prison. There was some archeological work going on when we were there. The spring is very pretty, with turtles and fish swimming under the bridges of the walkway, and there were lots of alligators along the stream. We let our dogs swim in the lake before we realized the gators were probably there as well. There is an aquarium for Georgia fish at the park. The campground is in tall pine trees with shade, but not much privacy. Most are level. Water and electric sites and a dump station.

Site 74 is right between the beach an the boating dock. Very large pull thru. Love how it was super private compared to the many other campgrounds I've been to.. We set up tents and did our glamping camping with ac. Also site was right on the water. Beautiful views. Wish there was more of our own little swim beach area. Bring spray for ants an mosquitos but that's everywhere in the woods lol. Bathroom was average happy our site was so close to the facilities. Would recommend staying here

We spent a couple of nights in Mistletoe State Park in Georgia while we investigated my husband's ancestry.  This park is truly beautiful. As you enter and drive through the park you are surrounded by virgin forest and arrive at beautiful Lake Thurmond.  Our campsite was the best we have ever had anywhere.  Surrounded on 3 sides by the lake we woke to the sunrise and retired to a serene sunset each night.  Those we met in the area were so helpful and kind.  We will be back.

Spent the afternoon here to hike and relax. The camp/RV sites are nice and spaced out. The bathrooms were sparkling! There’s a dump station as well as laundry and showers. I had 1-2 bars with Verizon LTE so I received texts but couldn’t really get online if needed.

I hiked a trail loop to the primitive camp sites since that’s my preferred way to camp so I could see if this was somewhere I’d like to come camp in the future. The trail was easy to follow and the campsites are so spaced out you really feel like You have the woods to yourself! Each spot had a fire ring and nice pad to set up your tent. There’s a boat dock so make sure you bring your canoes and kayaks to explore.

This state park has a beautiful natural spring that is home to aquatic turtles, fish and aligators. It has history as a prisoner of war camp for the civil war and you can see some of that natural history as you walk it's many trails. The knowledgeable rangers work hand in hand with the local college and it's students in archeology to uncover more and more of it's secrets. Here you can play on athe playground with its water splashpad, go down the slides, and walk around the stream looking for aligators (don't feed the aligators) There is birdwatching, kicking and canoeing or paddleboats if you prefer on the lake. You can primitive camp, use a tent or RV space with water and power or rent a cabin. The friends of the park and the rangers host many various activities to make your stay a memorable one. Enjoy!

This review is of the three backcountry hike-in sites at Mistletoe State Park along the Rock Dam Trail.  I didn't stay in any of these, but checked them out as I hiked the Rock Dam Trail.  This trail was supposed to involve several water crossings, but when I was here in September, the water level was extremely low and nothing was flowing beyond a trickle.  Water in the streams was mostly still and quite murky.   If you are filtering water (and you surely will be if you are camping back here), you'll need to pre-filter well to not clog your filter (at least when it is low and murky).

If you hike the trail from the Mistletoe parking lot counter-clockwise, site #1 is about 2.8 miles in, site #2 about 4.1 miles in, and site #3 about 4.8 miles in.  (So sites #2 & #3 would be closer going clockwise.)  Water sources: sites #1 & #2 are near the stream, and #3 is near a small lake.  If the water is low like it was when I was here, the lake water was not accessible -- you'd have to trudge through 50 fifty feet of mud to get to it and you'd probably get swallowed or it would really suck anyway.  So save #3 for the springtime only I think.  The other two water was there but murky as I said.  (Apparently when the water is high the streams are really flowing and possibly near waist level to hike through at some points.)

Site #1 was the best in the most interesting location, spacious, level, pretty nice site for tents or hammocks.  Site #2 was more boring, smaller and without really good ground for a tent, although workable.  No shortage of trees for hammocks though.  Site #3 was decent (and the closest to start if you hike the trail clockwise), but again only when the lake water is high or there won't be any water (see pic).

All of these sites are in the forest and I'm sure it is quite buggy almost always, so be prepared with thermacells, bug nets, etc.  All sites had a table and fire pit.  All trash must be packed out.  The trail itself was pretty good, moderately strenuous with a fair amount of ups & downs and parts where you are in a very narrow ravine.  If the water crossings really involved water (as they do in the spring apparently) it would be even more strenuous.