Northwest Georgia offers a combination of mountainous terrain and riverside camping opportunities with elevations ranging from 600 to 2,000 feet. The region experiences mild winters with occasional snow and warm summers with average highs in the upper 80s. Campsites in the Lyerly area typically feature diverse terrain from creekside flats to mountain ridge sites with varied tree cover since a tornado cleared many areas in 2011-2012.
What to do
Mountain biking trails: Fort Mountain State Park features technical trails with significant elevation changes. "The trails are awesome and varied trails with lots of elevation. The most known hiking trail here is the Gahuti and we never saw another hiker on the trail except each other when our solo hiking excursions crossed paths."
Kayaking creek adventures: At Cedar Creek RV & Outdoor Center, visitors can rent kayaks and use their shuttle service. "This place is great for a quiet, reflective park. There are some pull-thru spots, but we opted for the creek view and you should too! They have kayaks to rent, and a shuttle. You can try out and buy kayaks there, too."
Historical explorations: Visit the ancient stone wall at Fort Mountain State Park, dating back centuries. "We really enjoyed the hiking here so much we never kayaked or fished the lake. You will truly enjoy this park with its history, mountain and lake views."
Wildlife viewing: Multiple campgrounds in the area report active wildlife, including bears. "Been going there since I was a kid. Breath taking view! We had bear visitors, something they'll warn you about upon arrival. The bears just added to the appeal of this place though."
What campers like
Private sites on platforms: Fort Mountain State Park Campground offers unique elevated camping options. "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."
Walk-in tent areas: Many campers appreciate the separation from RVs at Cloudland Canyon. "Love the tent-only serenity of the walk-in sites. There is a separate parking lot at the back of the park for the walk-in sites, which are a short distance away (easy to haul your gear). The sites have a tent pad, picnic table and fire ring, and lots of privacy as the sites are very far from each other."
Waterfront camping options: Lake Guntersville State Park Campground provides direct lake access. "We parked our 22ft travel trailer at site 30 which was bounded to the north and east by the tent camping area. The nice gurgling stream bounds the campground to the east and is a nice walk through a mowed/maintained field."
Yurt accommodations: Near Lyerly, Georgia, yurt camping options provide a glamping experience. "Fort Mountain State Park 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."
What you should know
Site selection matters: At Cloudland Canyon State Park Campground, location affects your experience. "The park can be spoken of in two separate sections; the East Rim and the West Rim. The East Rim is home to several cabins, the group lodge, one of the full service campgrounds, and the main trailhead. The West Rim camping loop has a total of 48 tent/RV sites with 30 or 50A hookups, water, gravel tent pads, picnic tables, and fire rings."
Seasonal considerations: Fall offers optimal camping conditions for yurt camping near Lyerly. "Great State Park. Quick getaway for some hiking fun. East Rim campground has the most access to hiking but the road can be busy for all the hikers/visitors. West Rim is secluded. Our next trip here will be in the fall."
Road conditions: Some campgrounds have challenging access roads. "Heavily wooded sites that are not well maintained. Very narrow roads in the campground with lots of pot holes. Not the easiest state park to pull a travel trailer in. Sites were very narrow."
Wildlife precautions: Bear activity requires proper food storage. "We camped here just before all of the COVID-19 shutdowns began happening. Be mindful of wildlife as well, even in March we saw a copperhead near the creek by Platform 1."
Tips for camping with families
Activity planning: Lookout Mountain-Chattanooga West KOA offers kid-friendly amenities. "The coolest aspect of this campground for me was the massive jumping pad they have, and I had to promise my kids we would take an overnight trip here just so they could use it! It is restricted to ages 16 and under but looked like an amazing addition."
Choose West Rim at Cloudland: Better for family camping with more privacy. "We have camped every GA State Park but four. Hard to beat Cloudland. The West Rim campground is VASTLY superior with tons of privacy, tree cover, great terraces at most sites, with the ones outside ones being the best."
Natural swimming areas: Some parks feature creek swimming spots. "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."
Kid-friendly trails: Look for accessible hikes. "The most stroller/limited mobility friendly trails are the lake trail and the Cool Springs overlook. You do NOT need a permit or notify park office to hike the mountain bike trails anymore."
Tips from RVers
Site leveling challenges: Red Top Mountain State Park Campground requires preparation. "The campsite had about a 5 inch difference shopping towards the road. I used rocker blocks maxed out (about 4 inches in height) and still was not level. Secondly with the site, there is a telephone pole that is a bit too close on the exit side."
Water pressure variations: Monitor connections at some parks. "The park is well kept with great Wi-Fi and relatively quiet. Most RV sites have little to no shade with a few shady spots on the creek side. Down side: water pressure was slightly over 40 psi which made my water pump run continuously until I just shut it off."
Utilities placement: Hookup locations can be unexpected. "We were placed in the new addition of the park, where the sites were very tight and the utility hookups where in a strange position (the neighbors' utilities actually were under our awning when extended)."
Full hookup availability: Limited at some parks. "If you have an RV and want sewer hookups, they have a limited number of sites available, so plan accordingly. All reservations are done online they don't book reservations over the phone."
