Best Tent Camping near McCaysville, GA

"Is there water to play in?" 

This is a question my kids ask about almost every campground we go to. Before this trip I told them, "yes!" But once we got to the Toccoa River Cove, all of us realized that "yes" really meant, "this is a phenomenal wonderland we will never want to leave." 

I want to say this is a "goldilocks" campground, but only because it has something for everyone, not because it falls into an average category. With 12 acres of woodland and the freedom to pitch a tent anywhere (provided you honor LNT principals about where to set up camp!), you can camp right next to the car, set up a camping hammock, or explore the forest and find a secluded area in the trees for a backpacking tent. There is a spring you can drink straight out of, and streams criss-crossing the entire area if you want the rugged feeling of purifying your own water. There's a large shelter stocked with a table, chairs, lanterns, and a two-burner camp stove for the glamping crowd, with plenty of floor space to throw down a sleeping bag for thru-hikers nostalgic for AT shelters. The campsite also has a huge fire ring (and a shelter with lots of cut wood), a picnic table, a bench, lots of bridges over the water, a few established trails, a privy that is obviously cleaned regularly, and most importantly, a total immersion in nature as only one group can book this site at a time. 

Things to note for planning:

-The driveway down to the shelter is very steep, and does not allow much space to turn around. RVs or larger trucks will not fit, and per the owner only one vehicle may park at the base of the driveway at a time--all others should park just past the gate once you first turn onto the driveway 

-Water is available from two natural springs, but there is no filtered or piped water

-There is no electricity at all at this site

-The closest town is Copperhill/McCaysville on the TN/GA border. You can get provisions here, or use the campsite as a basecamp to explore the breweries and restaurants the town has to offer.

-There is a community area a short drive from the campsite that offers swimming and fishing; access is included in your reservation

I cannot see any tent campers this site would not be perfect for. While there are neighboring houses so loud parties are not permitted, this site allows up to 10 guests, with plenty of room to spare if you are looking to get out with friends. Single campers or couples will appreciate the privacy, and families will find the amenities that make camping with kids easier, accompanied with the space to allow kids freedom to explore.

I feel like I am always on a quest to find a campsite that blends the ability to carry gear for every possible contingency, with the beauty and privacy of the backcountry. After staying here, I can say that quest is over. This is it.

This location is kind of famous. You read about it in the AT books and the owner has actually written a book about all the hikers he's met that happen through his shop. Neels Gap is not only a place to throw down for some sleep (they have a campground and a hostel), but it's a total resupply stop. We stayed at Neels Gap Camp because it fit our mileage plans and it was convenient for the night and it was a great place to catch up with folks we met on the trail and meet some new ones.

The hostel here is mainly for through hikers. They charge $20/night and that includes a shower and a bed. We stayed at the campground behind the building. There's nothing wrong with the campground, other than the fact that it's on such a slant (building camps on the sides of mountains and rocks does this...) that you are going to end up sleeping on top of your tent buddy if you don't aim your tent the right direction, and there are not many pads that allow the "right direction". You are truly best off in a hammock at this campground.

There are plenty of hammock trees, and it's kind of cool that the AT goes right past the tent pads so in the morning, you can watch the hikers filter out and head north on their journey. Old faces and new faces greet you as you sip your coffee and eat your oatmeal.

There is a fire ring, and since the fire ban ends on the other side of the highway (Neels sits on the highway), we were on the right side of the road to have a fire! A welcome addition to the chilly night air. There is a fire pit made of stone and everyone shares.

There were not many good spots to hang bear bags that were away from the tents, but we found one that sufficed. They do not have a bear box (and claim that bears don't really come to this campground, but can you really tell them not to?). They do, however, have mice, and one little bugger ate into my pack and buried a peanut inside. So best to put your pack in your tent, if possible. They're cute, but not that cute.

Portable pottys were located out front of the store, and there were about 5 that were fairly clean and maintained. There is a water faucet out front with drinkable water (yay!) that didn't need to be purified and picnic tables for cooking your food. A beautiful overlook while you ate was awesome too! There is a road/highway that passes by, so there is road noise, but not unbearable. Just kind of annoying if you are used to the sounds of the woods.

The store has anything you could possibly need for re-supply, which makes it totally awesome! Gear (packs, sleeping bags, shoes, socks, etc), cooking supplies (food, stoves, fuel), books, water bottles, you name it! They also accept resupply boxes that you have mailed to yourself and a system to hand them out that seems to work really well.

Overall, not a bad spot for camping. Everything you need in one spot.

Less than a mile from the heart of Helen, Georgia. This campground is a one woman show. Liz, the owner, has done it all and theres no sign of stopping her - to the cabins, the decor, and expanding campsites. 

Cabins: 

There are three cabins on this property that are fully set up(everything provided) and ready for you. Two cabins are nice couple cabins while the third is a beautiful three bedroom home with a full yard and outdoor space with room for an RV or tenting, perfect for a group or reunion. 

RV spaces: 

Five spaces are towards the front of the property and are all large. When we were there each space was filled with 30+’ trailers there for Oktoberfest. Each site has water and electric, picnic tables, fire rings and some have hammocks. 

Further on the property are 5 more sites. Each with water, electric, and tables. The three furthest are a bit smaller, but are being expanded upon each day. We stayed in the smaller of the spaces in the back as we have a small trailer. The spot had a perfect mix of shade and sun for our solar panels to charge if we had needed them, but the electric was clean and ample. The wifi was strong and our T-Mobile service also worked. Since we are a small trailer, we do not have our own facilities, so we did have to walk to the bathroom. 

Tent camping: 

Think primitive. They’re dirt spots with fire rings. I can see in the future they’ll be expanded upon and significantly improved. The owner has really amazing ideas for these spots and I’ll be very interested in seeing them say a year from now. 

Bathroom facilities: 

There is a portapotty and an outhouse- no flushing toilets. In the bathhouse, there are two shower stalls with very high pressure hot showers. While the facilities left a bit to be desired, they did the job and remember, this is a one woman show renovating the entire property! If you have your own facilities in your RV or trailer this isn’t an issue.

 The property overall: 

The property overall is fun to explore! Theres a natural spring that runs down the hill to a little pond where you can swim or fish from your own sandy beach. We were there after one of the last storms really destroyed the GA, SC, and NC general area so the pond was a bit cloudy and a lot of timber/branches have fallen around the property. There are tons of hang out spaces with hammocks and hammock chairs, so if you’re into reading, theres a spot for you. 

One of the most interesting things about this property is the“Makers Space”, an arts and crafts area where you can paint, create, and share what you’ve made. Hidden throughout the property are amazing little details. From a mini fairy village to faces in the trees, and beautifully painted rocks hidden in nooks and crannies. 

You can see the creativity and love Liz has put into making this place her vision. Remember to leave no trace, lend a helping hand, and to stay and chat for a while.

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.

We spent Memorial Day weekend at Fort Mountain and it was awesome. We camped in a Pioneer campsite #2 which is a 3 sided pavilion that would easily sleep 8-10 people if you were only using bed rolls and sleeping bags. Pioneer camping has its challenges, but each site has an outhouse and a picnic table and prebuilt fire ring. There is an original fire tower on top of the mountain at the end of the trail. A Great Lake for kayaks and fishing with Jon boats, paddle boats, and canoes avaialble for rentals. Lots of cool lake side tent sites and trailer sites are also avaialble. We have camped several times with our scout troop. Lots of cool trails surround the park. There were fireworks in neighboring towns a short,15 min drive both nights. The towns near by have stores and food if your not I the mood to cook. The history is well documented on displays all around the park. And the there is a station that broadcasts at the end of one of the public service roads.

This campground is great! It has clean bathrooms with showers, fire rings with grill grates, lots of hiking, hike to a beautiful waterfall, huge lake to swim or float on a raft, and the lightning bugs were breath taking!!

We stayed at site #39. Next to the trail that leads to the lake. Next to rest room, trash bin, and water spout. This specific site has the driveway and then stairs to the fire/table/tent pad. We set our large tent on the tent pad and a smaller tent on the driveway next to the stairs.

Pros: No reservation needed. Warmish showers. Hiking. Lake to swim in. Beautiful waterfall. Perfect to see millions of lightning bugs. Easy payment (put money in slip and put in bin, and yes they do check). Pets allowed.

Cons: we had the WORST neighbors I’ve ever experienced while camping! The staff warned them about quiet hours but never came back to in force it. Fire ring grill topper was broke off.

DON’T drive up the dirt path, we made that mistake. Take the regular rode. GPS sends you automatically to the dirt road.

Over all I’m defiantly going to camp there again. Well kept and overall has a lot to offer