Best Tent Camping near Washington, GA

Until this weekend, Hard Labor Creek State Park was our favorite GA campground! Sorry HLC, you’ve been bumped to #2 (still great)!

Victoria Bryant is hidden on Hwy 327, near Royston and, although a small campground, almost EVERY SITE IS PERFECT!

The park offers bicycle rentals, a swimming pool, plenty of picnic areas, multiple spots to play in the creek and some great hiking trails!

The campsites are HUGE and there are several extra amenities for campers to use! There’s a volleyball court, horseshoe pits, picnic pavilion and a central fire pit!

The park staff is great and the camp hosts are helpful! When we first arrived and began to set up, there was an electrical issue at our site but the park maintenance man had it resolved quickly!

The sites do not offer full hookups but there are multiple gray water dump sites in the campground (we used a five gallon bucket for our outdoor sink). We walked across the road from our site and dumped our bucket!

The park has the usual stuff to purchase (ice, firewood, etc.) but you can also head to Hartwell and hit the local Wally World if need be.

If you're camping in a tent, the tent sites are AMAZING! (see attached image) We've never seen these shelters before! You can even hang your hammock(s) underneath the shelter for a true outdoor camping experience!

We enjoyed every minute of our stay here, from the time we arrived to the time we left!

One more thing; if you're a golfer, there is a BEAUTIFUL golf course here as well!

We camped in our pop up but we'll probably be back to try out the tent shelters!!

FYI: Verizon Wireless has full 4G LTE service in the campground...we brought our MiFi Jetpack and streamed Netflix with zero issues!

Whether camping in a tent or renting a cabin, all are $20 per night. 🤔 Beautiful lake, flushing toilets and hot showers. I am passing through but see others boating, fishing and hunting. Laundry available upon request and current availability.

The tent sites are probably the best tent sites I’ve camped at. Spaced out and the pad area is great. They all have good tree coverage and are somewhat secluded.

Calhoun Falls is one of 2 campgrounds on Lake Russell. There are over 80 campsites plus 14 tent sites which were all right on the lake. We were on tent site 8, and it looked like tent sites 0-5 had a little more privacy but a longer walk (The tent sites had a bathroom and an outdoor shower). We had a friendly little black snake that lived by our campsite but he didn’t bother us and we didn’t bother him 😊 Also, if you hear rustling around in the middle of the night, it’ll probably turn out to be an armadillo! The state park had a lot of amenities which were great for fishing-plenty of docks, boat ramps, a green-light fishing dock, a tackle loan program and even a fish cleaning area! We saw some nice sized bass by the green light dock. There were bathrooms and showers in almost every area, and a nice sandy beach swimming area. You have to drive or use a golf cart to get to other parts of the state park, otherwise it would be a very long walk. They do have 2 trails you can hike though. This was our first time camping at Calhoun Falls but we will definitely be coming back!

I was passing thru SC on the SCAR headed down to the Palmetto Rally and stopped here to camp. It was a very nice campground with level pads, picnic table and fire ring (bring your own wood). As well there were several vault toilets and there was even a water faucet. It was a good campground and I would stay here again. It is not reservable so first come first served. There was some cell coverage as well. I tent camped so can not comment on RV as the others in the campground were tent camping as well.

This State Park is large with camping for everyone, RV’s, tent camping. On lake Thurmond between Plum S. C. And Modoc S. C. On hey 28.

Tent sites have outlets, water and a light! Really beautiful easy hiking near by and a nice place to swim. Great for an easy family trip.

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.

We absolutely loved this campground. Lots of trails and great creek swimming spots for the dogs. We are planning a trip back late summer so we can enjoy the water. Sites are well maintained and level for my camper. The tent sites are amazing and I may leave my camper home next time.

I stayed in primitive tent site 10 but all of these primitive sites are great! Well kept and spacious. Some sites have a decent walk in distance but others are close to the parking areas. There’s water points to get fresh water if needed throughout the site areas. Definitely will stay here often when “car” camping instead of backpacking.

I love this campground!! A lot of the campgrounds I have been to can't accommodate my large tent and still leave space. This one can. The sites are large and flat. They are spaced enough apart for privacy and have tons of wooded area for hammocks and such. Most are lake front to beautiful Lake Russell. Campsite 21 had easy lakefront access for swimming or kayaks or even putting our paddleboat in. The campground also consists of a camp store, a basketball court, and a tennis court. A local company we deliver golf carts and water sports equipment right to your site for very reasonable prices. All the rv/tent sites are equipped with clean water and power. From sites 19-24 you can see both the sunrise and the sunset over the lake.

We were back at HLC this past weekend and, as always, top-notch park! We have tent camped for several years but recently upgraded to a new (to us) pop up and we had a blast!

We camped at site 26 (one of the newer sites) and it had full hookup (our PUP does not have a bathroom but does have a galley). The site has electric (50 amp and 30 amp service) as well as free cable TV!!

The sites at HLC are well spaced and the bath houses are spotless!!

The park staff is amazing and the camp hosts are always cleaning up and are available if you need anything!

HLC is our go-to spot for a weekend getaway because of the above-mentioned reasons and it is close to home!!

A lot of the sites are on the waters edge and offers beautiful views. The red clay was horrible though, especially with a white dog and after it rained. We had site 145, beautiful views but difficult to maneuver into the site and access the water, but we made it work. We would return though. Site 144 and 143 had gorgeous views of the sunset...I’ve heard 108 and 77 are prime spots. Be aware of booking a site and how you’re awning will face! Bathhouse is about 1/2 mile away, so too far to walk when you have to go. Not many bathhouses either so there was a line for the shower (only 2 shower stalls and 3 toilets for at least 75 campsites with the tent sites included). Only 2 single access dump stations for the entire park, so there was a line of 8-10 campers at both on a Sunday morning!

Victoria Bryant State Park is probably one of my most frequented camping spots in the last few years. All of the tent sites are sheltered platforms, with electricity, potable water and an overhead light. Rain or shine, you can have a good time (and stay dry) at Victoria Bryant. There are only about 8 platforms, and one is ADA only, so they book up quick. They are all spaced pretty far apart, privacy isn't too hard to maintain (except maybe site 7&8). 1-4 are down a hill, 4 being the furthest away at about 40 feet, down the steepest incline. There are facilities right across the parking lot, that have always been clean and well maintained, and heated in the colder months. Camp hosts and office have firewood. There are several miles of trails that are lower difficulty, save for some hilly spots. In October, the park does a pretty cool little haunted trail. There's obvious reasons we enjoy VBSP, staying dry in the rain, nice, dense forested areas, and awesome campgrounds make it an easy choice.

We have tent camped here twice at the walk in camp sites. The first time we were on sites 2 and 3 during a busy weekend. Second time we were on 3 and 4. I would definitely recommend 4 as the best walk in site by far. We had a group of 8 and 2 large tents that we were able to put side by side in between 2&3 and 3&4. There is a lot of room to spread out. Just a few yards away from 4 is a water bank where you can row a canoe up to easily if you decide to rent or bring your own canoe. They have canoes and kayaks for rent. $15 for 4 hours. $25 for 8 hours (8-5). The kids had so much fun with that. It is first come first serve starting at 8 am. Campsites 1-4 are all waterfront. I would not recommend the other sites at all. Very small and on a hill. You have to park at a designated area but you are able to bring your car down to unload. The bathrooms are a short walk up a hill which is fine but when you have to go badly it can feel like forever. The bathrooms in the walk-in site are bad compared to the RV sites. The showers are very small and pretty gross. There is a leak in the ceiling above the women's bathroom that drips over both stalls which is very unpleasant because everything is just so wet and dripping on you. Ended up having to use the men's at one point. Overall we really enjoyed our trips. The water view is beautiful. Despite the bathroom I would highly recommend this park.

My wife and I came here in our pop up camper.  We had never even heard of this camp ground and booked it primarily because we were looking for a nice campground with availability.  We arrived after the Trading Post / Office was closed, and we hit a snag right off the bat.  Our campsite (21) was really not a site for a pop up camper.  This was definitely more of a tent site.  Luckily the camp host was super nice and accommodating.  He put us in spot 23, and luckily we were able to reserve it for the whole stay.  This was a nice private camp site, great for a pop up or tent, but wouldnt be good for a big RV.  There were trails all behind our site, and it was secluded which worked out great because our dog could relax without people passing the site constantly.  The staff here is extremely pleasant and very helpful and facilities are extremely clean.

We played 9 holes at The Creek, a real nice golf course that is in the state park. We really enjoyed the golfing here, but we are not advanced golfers.  We also fished off the dock at Lake Rutledge.  What a beautiful lake.  We would have rented a boat, but we were not able to due to Covid.

We were so happy here, that we have been talking about returning with the kids.  There is a miniature golf course and a playground.  We may even ask the grandparents to come.  They don't like camping but there are beautiful cabins here.

I highly recommend Hard Labor Creek State Park.  A hidden gem.

We had a great experience that unfortunately ended a day early due to some heavy rain. We checked in on a Thursday evening from the drive from Florida. Campsite was chosen from a map, which seemed to have an upfront water access. Apron arrival, we found out there was actually another campsite squeezed directly in front of us and a RV showed up to obstruct the breeze and view of the water. We wanted our own water entrance and the view, so we moved to campsite 103. Best decision we made was moving to campsite 103, highly recommend. It’s on its own point, more secluded from the other sites, almost no visibility from your neighbors. The best part was the view, sunsets over the water were beautiful. There is a slightly steep step down to get to a lower ridge that walks into the water, be careful in the rain, but that’s where we scattered our hammocks throughout. Campground wise, we had 2 tents set up, trucks parked about 20’ away and still had room for Cornhole boards, fire pit and tables. The lake access was awesome because we bring inflatable paddle boards and there was a small island about 1/2 mile out that we would paddle around and back

The drive in is easy and paved. I do always hope for that off-road, overland kind of drive in but not here. Campground is huge with multiple sections so pay attention to the signs. Campsite #s where spray painted yellow on the ground if I recall correctly.

Overall, great getaway, the cell service was almost gone, every now and then a bar would pop up so just throw it in airplane mode to truly escape. Make sure you get a site on the water if you are tent camping. It would suck to have your view impeded and not have a back up campsite so choose wisely.

Seclusion might be an issue at some sites but they do have a couple sets of bathrooms around that are well maintained at the campground. Nothing crazy but they are clean.

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 went camping at Hamilton Branch State Park in October 2019 for a week. There are so many wonderful things to say about this campground. 

1. Almost ALL sites are lakefront- There are very few sites that are not right on the water. There are some sites that have a steep drop off to the water(mostly the tent sites around the sites 123-128 range). We found several sites that we thought were the best. Sites 77, 168, 98, 97, 103, 105, and a couple of others I can’t remember. Nice views and access to the water. 

2. Sites are very spaced out- We were there during a quieter time, so we had several sites around us that were empty, but even if they had been full, we thought there was a lot of space between them, and most faced the water, so they all kind of faced away from each other. So, it seems to be very private. 

3. Park is LARGE- This is a huge park, and even though there are 200 sites, those are all distributed over 9 different areas, each area consisting of at least 1 loop each. So, again, very spaced out and private. 

4. Clean Bath Houses- Obviously we stuck to the bath house closest to our site, but it was extremely clean and appointed. Toilets cleaned every morning. Shower clean with good shower curtains! If you have camped before, you have likely encountered shower curtains that were hanging on by their last 2 or 3 loops. We even brought our own, in case that was the case here. Nope, it was very nice to have the bathroom so well taken care of. 

5. Friendly Staff- We had originally booked a specific site, and when we got there, we wanted to change it(due to the steep drop to the water, that would be hard to do every day with kayaks). We looked around the park to see what else would be available and Amanda at the front office was very helpful in checking for availability and helping us change our site. In addition to the very helpful Amanda, we encountered several camp hosts. Since the park is so big, there are multiple camp hosts. Everyone we encountered was friendly, helpful and seemed to enjoy being there. 

6. Beautiful Lake/Nature- Obviously the big attraction here is the lake. Thurmond Lake is ENORMOUS. And the park is on one small part of it. We kayaked a few days and saw a lot of fish, bald eagles, geese, blue herons, white egrets, etc. At our campsite we saw a couple of deer and a few raccoons. For a 6-night stay, we only saw the raccoons one night. We must not have had very good tidbits ad they gave up on us. 

We stated several times that we will be coming back to this campground, and that it might be one of the best we have ever been to. I hope this gave you some info and insight into this park.

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.

Very nice quiet park with a small campground (21 sites, all with electric and water). The sites are shaded, and flat with a gravel drive and tent pad. We hadn’t planned on staying here but were pleasantly surprised to find a few vacancies on the first Saturday in November. There is also an equestrian campground located several miles from the main campground. The main feature is a covered bridge, the longest one in Georgia, that is located ¾ of a mile from the campground (an easy walk). 

A nice perk was laundry facilities outside the restrooms. The restrooms were very clean. 

There are seven miles of hiking trails, five miles of bike trails, canoe rentals, and we saw several people fishing. 

There was also a nice day-use area with picnic tables within view of the covered bridge.

We had a true adventure when we stayed there.The place was beautiful we camped overlooking the lake.The bathrooms were spotless.We do advise if your in a tent maybe not taking a direct lakefront spot because we literally had to tie down our tent to anything including our car because it got so windy from the winds across the lake.Otherwise it was a great spot to stay.You can go swimming in the summer too we went when it was still cold so no swimming for us.