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Best Tent Camping near Palmetto, GA

715 Reviews

Tent campsites near Palmetto, Georgia offer a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts seeking natural settings. Bush Head Shoals Park provides six tent-specific sites with fire pits and picnic tables along the Chattahoochee River. Hideaway Park and Panola Mountain State Park, located within an hour's drive of Palmetto, also offer tent camping options with varying levels of amenities and accessibility.

Most tent camping areas feature unpaved surfaces with gravel or dirt tent pads. Bush Head Shoals Park maintains well-kept fine gravel plots designed specifically for tents. While basic amenities like picnic tables and fire rings are common at established sites, facilities vary significantly. Vault toilets are available at Bush Head Shoals and Panola Mountain State Park, but running water is limited. Hideaway Park allows fires and alcohol but lacks toilets or showers. Campers should verify current regulations and prepare accordingly, especially regarding water supplies and waste disposal.

Tent campers at these locations benefit from natural surroundings that provide opportunities for hiking, fishing, and paddling. At Bush Head Shoals, the proximity to the Chattahoochee River creates excellent access for water activities. Panola Mountain offers walk-in tent sites approximately three-quarters of a mile from parking areas, providing more seclusion. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, Bush Head Shoals is particularly appreciated for its spaciousness: "The spots are well maintained, no power or water, so be prepared. For the price, you won't find a better campground." Joe Kurz Wildlife Management Area provides more primitive dispersed camping but requires a valid Georgia hunting or fishing license and campers should be aware of hunting seasons.

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Best Tent Sites Near Palmetto, Georgia (13)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Palmetto, GA

14 Photos of 13 Palmetto Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Palmetto, GA

715 Reviews of 13 Palmetto 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 +

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 12, 2020

    Chattahoochee Bend State Park Campground

    Not much but the River

    Chattahoochee Bend State Park is located on bend of the Chattahoochee River southeast of Atlanta, near Columbus GA. This is one of Georgia’s largest and newest state parks, with five miles of river frontage on the Chattahoochee. The campground has about 40 sites, some pull-they, but little shade. There are also some walk-in tent sites, and platform sites. The standard sites are water & electric, there is a bathroom/shower, and a dump station. There are cabins if you are not a camper. This is mostly a fishing/hiking park. A boat ramp provides access to the river for boaters and canoeing and there are six miles of wooded trails are open for hiking. There is an observation platform with views of the river and forest, but visibility was limited because of the trees. There isn’t much here but the river trail. But it is close to Columbus, GA, there are some zip-line places near by, and Roosevelt’s Little White House are close.

  • 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.

  • Sarah S.
    May. 25, 2025

    McIntosh Reserve Park

    New bathhouse with shower, water spigot

    Camping is first come first served basis, no reservations. $20 per night, parking for one vehicle included. Extra vehicles require $5 parking pass per day. They take credit card. Pull up to the booth at the entrance before 5pm or see the camp host 5-8pm. After 8pm, the park gate closes. I was given a gate code in case I needed to leave and return during the closed hours.

    The camping layout falls somewhere between dispersed camping and a traditional campground. When I checked in, I was told I could pull up to any site with a fire pit. There were picnic tables and trash cans at most sites. There are no hook ups at the sites, but there is a good amount of space on flat ground in the trees. Several cars, tents, or small campers would fit on each site. Bigger campers could opt for sites 8 or 9 which don’t have trees. I cleaned up a bit of trash around my site when I arrived. The camp host drove around selling firewood.

    Many of these reviews seem older, so I wanted to add that there is a newer block bathroom with flush toilets, electricity and a shower stall, and outdoor water spigot near the stretch of campsites marked 1-20 along the river. It was clean. Driving in, you’ll see a sign that points you to “Main Camping.” The sites stretch down a lane that follows the river to a dead end, the river and sites are on the left and there is a large grassy airfield on the right. There was no airplane traffic while I was there and no signage to stay off of it, so perhaps it is no longer in use.

    There is a boat ramp past site 20. I saw a sign at the bathhouse for paddling the river and various parks to camp along the way. There are signs for horse camping only at sites 18-20. One of the trails runs between the river bank and the campsites, with red blazes - “River Trail” - so don’t set up equipment there in case hikers or horses come through. I saw people fishing in the Chattahoochee River right off of their campsite. There is a small rapid that stretches across the river near sites 1-10, so you get that nice water flowing sound to fall asleep to!

    There are also sites in other areas of the park, if you turn left instead of following the “Main Camping” sign. I’m not sure if they are numbered, and they seem more scattered. There is another bathhouse with running water and a shower that is older next to the cabin called “Old Ranger’s Station.”

    The park has wide trails for horseback riding. I hiked the 2 mile Eagle Loop Trail and saw a mountain biker as well. I saw signs for an Orienteering Course. There is a splash pad and a new looking playground that from a glance, might be ADA accessible. There are many signs prohibiting swimming in the river due to the strong current. There is no beach and in most places, the river bank is steep. John Tanner Park has a swimming beach.

    The park map is not great and the information available online is insufficient, but I do recommend coming to explore the area and camp! I’ll be back now that I have an understanding of the layout.

  • J
    May. 4, 2019

    Amity Campground

    Pretty and peaceful

    Our site was nothing like pictured on the website, so we were unable to set up like we wanted to. The fire ring and picnic table were not near one another so the table was useless to us (it is a cement table permanently mounted and could not be moved). Overall, it's a very nice campground. Going to ride around today to scope out other sites.

  • Stephanie J.
    Jul. 30, 2018

    Mckaskey Creek Campground

    Tent and RV campground

    Very nice, clean and quiet place. Clean restrooms with showers and sinks. Beautiful beach and forest view. Table, geill and fire ring at every site. Tent sites right on the water. Plenty of shade. Will definitely be back soon!!! Highly recommend!!

Guide to Palmetto

Tent camping near Palmetto, Georgia provides options for both secluded wilderness experiences and more accessible outdoor recreation within an hour's drive. The area sits within the Chattahoochee River basin at approximately 1,050 feet elevation, with a humid subtropical climate that features mild winters and hot summers. The region's camping season extends from March through November, with peak summer temperatures often exceeding 90°F.

What to do

Kayaking at Bush Head Shoals: Launch directly into the Chattahoochee River from the public boat ramp at Bush Head Shoals Park. The calm sections are suitable for beginners while still offering scenic views. "We camped 3 nights and also rented a Kayak. The Chattahoochee Outdoors family are awesome. We floated and hiked and had an amazing time," reports Christy R.

Wildlife viewing: Campers at Bush Head Shoals regularly spot diverse wildlife along the river corridor. "Almost every time I camp here I see a bald eagle flying over the river," notes Justin K., who appreciates the quiet environment "far out from large roads so it is always quiet enough to hear the birds."

Guided mountain tours: Rather than just hiking independently, consider the educational programs at Panola Mountain. "We took the guided tour of the Mountain and it was awesome. We ate Pine Trees and they explained about lichen and the red fungus. Highly recommended," shares Holly B.

What campers like

Spacious camping areas: At Hembree Park Campground, tent campers appreciate the generous site dimensions. "Nice place very clean and plenty of room for me and my family," mentions Ron W., who specifically noted the "freedom and the neighbors are very friendly."

Well-maintained tent pads: Bush Head Shoals Park features carefully groomed camping surfaces. Julia M. describes "6 camp sites that all have a picnic table, fire pit and a large fine gravel plot for a tent. All the components are extremely well kept."

Convenience for overnight stops: Tent camping in Palmetto works well for travelers needing a convenient overnight option. Ron G. at Bush Head Shoals explains, "We found this campsite while looking for an overnighter while traveling. We are on a motorcycle so we checked with Raven to make sure we would be good. The roads are gravel but well maintained."

What you should know

License requirements for dispersed camping: Joe Kurz Wildlife Management Area offers primitive camping but requires proper documentation. "Important to note is the requirement for a valid Georgia hunting or fishing license to camp, reflecting the area's primary use for hunting and fishing activities," states Lonnie B.

Cell coverage varies significantly: When camping around Palmetto, expect variable connectivity. Michael T. notes that Panola Mountain has "good cell reception (T-Mobile)," while Lenear B. reports "No cell coverage" at Joe Kurz WMA.

Limited amenities at some locations: Prepare accordingly for basic facilities. Bush Head Shoals currently lacks running water, though Julia M. mentions "they indicated they are trying to construct [a shower house] soon." Similarly, Jessica D. describes Panola Mountain as having "just a few campsites around a pond. Not many trees around and no commodities."

Tips for camping with families

Family-friendly activities: Panola Mountain State Park Campground offers educational opportunities for children. Holly B. recommends the guided mountain tour where kids can learn about edible plants and local ecology, making it an interactive learning experience.

Pack appropriately for walk-in sites: Some family-friendly sites require a short hike. Michael T. confirms that at Panola Mountain, "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."

Self-service amenities: Bush Head Shoals Park offers convenient supplies for families. Michael P. explains, "They have Ice and firewood available. You just grab it and either venmo Raven or drop money in the drop box. There is a nice hiking trail right across from site 1. There were plenty of trees around the sites to hang hammocks."

Tips for RVers

Limited RV options: Most tent camping sites near Palmetto aren't designed for larger vehicles. At Neverland, camping is primarily oriented toward tent campers with drive-in and walk-in access but no hookups or facilities for large rigs.

Wildlife management areas can accommodate: Joe Kurz WMA does permit RVs despite being primarily tent-focused. Lenear B. reports, "mostly tent and car campers. I went with a travel trailer," indicating larger vehicles can access the area.

Confirm RV restrictions: Always verify RV accommodation before arrival. Xochilt E. cautions about Hembree Park: "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."

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Palmetto, GA is Hideaway Park with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Palmetto, GA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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