Best Glamping near Waycross, GA

THE WORST CAMPING EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD. The photos online are deceiving, as the campground is split between a noisy 65mph hwy. We were up all hours of the night listening to the 5 neighboring dogs howling/barking. We were told wifi would be fixed the second day we arrived, and a week later it still wasn’t. There weren’t any fire pits or picnic tables, laundry or bath house. When we tried reaching out about leaving a week early, we were told at 1pm it could be discussed. We had no response back until 8pm, after we’ve already relocated to another nearby campground. Unfortunately this inconvenience has costed us over $500.

Super close to Okefenokee Swamp (actually, any closer, you’d be in it!). Strategically located right down the street to the park entrance, this is likely the very closest to camping near Okefenokee you’ll come. Of course, you could try to camp INSIDE Okefenokee, but that’s quite challenging as you’ll need to book well in advance and kayak / canoe/ boat to get to the primitive sites that are there (more on this in another review from inside Okefenokee). Here, you don’t have to think about anything. Just rock up, pitch your tent, park your RV or open the door to the wooden cabins they rent. The place is incredibly compact and tight, but if you don’t mind rubbing elbows with your neighbors in exchange for waking up early the next morning to be one of the first to get zapped by the mosquitos in the south’s most infamous swampland, then you’ve come to the right place. Great news is that you are far enough removed from civilization, you won’t miss it (or hear/ see it!), but if you do need anything, Okefenokee Pastimes has you covered with a campground store where you can find those commonly forgotten things, get snacks, drinks, candy, ice cream, ice and even trinkets from local craftsman as well as some beginner and advanced astronomy equipment from time to time as well as a view into one of the darkest, natural skies on the East cost (this place is also rated as one of the top 10 in the Country!).  And if you can't find what you need here at Pastimes, no worries, the nearby town of Folkston has you covered with its many restaurants (mostly fast food joints), gas stations, grocery stores and typical small town shopping.

Pastimes has excellent paved / milling parking pads & roads, built-in fire pits at all sites, relatively new / well-maintained wooden picnic tables as well as natural grass boundaries that both separates and surrounds all sites. There are many wildflower areas to attract pollinators and hummingbirds (with the campground's own distinct, bespoke hummingbird area), a small patio / dock area where you can feed the fish, watch the hummingbirds and / or just sit back, soak it all in and relax. A covered, lit pergola, complete with picnic tables, built-in benches and a top-end charcoal grill to cook at while overlooking the pond area.  There's also a small, fenced-in dog park that's perfect for keeping your furry friends active and engaged (they even provide pet toys!).  Nearby, there's a small playground, swing set and small yard game areas (think horseshoes, badminton, volleyball, jenga and jarts!).  Beyond playtime activities, there's a proper laundry room with 2 sets of washers and dryers (with only 1 key given to a single guest at a time, so you have a real sense of privacy. This place scores extra points for having a book exchange and even offers up DVD's and VCR tape rentals (take that Blockbuster!).  The best part about Pastimes?  Unlike many other campgrounds that are well lit, Pastimes actually has a policy where they turn off all their lights at night so as not to contribute to light pollution and to preserve the most amazing star-gazing experiences you will ever have (OK, at least hear near Okefenokee - sorry, star-gazing in the Nordics is still the best IMHO!).

Insider’s tip? You’ve made it this close to Okefenokee, it’s important that you get out early – that’s when you’ll see the gators at their most active and we’re you’ll land some great photos – albeit from the bow of a canoe or kayak, which you can easily rent at the refuge itself.  Also, while at Pastimes, do ensure you get out to spy on the many dragonflies, shouldered hawks, butterflies, squirrels, barn owls, armadillos and woodpeckers (obviously, be sure to pack your binoculars).

Happy Camping!

This is such a beautiful park! The grounds were always clean. The trails were always clean. The boardwalk was significantly damaged by hurricane Helene, so part of that trail is closed. It’s quiet and dark at night. We loved sitting at the gazebo and just watching the water. It’s so nice to see the playground area for the kids. They even have an outdoor workout gym area. There are a ton of places to sit under pavilions. The outdoor areas are so amazing.

I wish I knew more about our site when I booked it. Our site was very unlevel thanks to tree roots. How dare they grow there. 🤣🤣 Our site did not have any room in the back and it was oddly placed with two other sites. Thankfully we had nice neighbors, so it wasn’t a concern. I felt bad sitting near our rug because we were looking into the back of another RV. I didn’t want them to feel creeped out by us, so we tried to put our chairs at the front of our RV. We also had a power line in our spot, so we had to go at an angle to stay clear of it. If we go back, I would definitely go for a spot on the outer ring. I do have to say, this is the only park we’ve been to where people just cut through sites to get over to the bathhouse. We were sitting outside and people were only a few feet away from us to cut through. I know it’s not a written rule, but just etiquette. They easily could’ve walked ten feet to the right to cut through the empty space instead of our site.

The bathhouse near our site is definitely on the older side (we didn’t investigate the other one since it wasn’t near us). The water pressure was on the lower end and one showers was missing a shower head. Yes, we use the bathhouse because there are four of us and our site did not have full hookups. We also prefer to stretch out in the shower versus the tiny shower in our RV. That is our choice. They do have washers ($0.75) and dryers ($1.00).

The camp hosts were nice. All of the state park employees were very nice and helpful.

LSW is a nice quiet park. Playground for the kids. Walking trails, boardwalk on one end of the lake. Lake isnt big, boats and jet skis are limited. I hear the fishing is good. Lots of open areas to enjoy. Bikes, canoes and kayaks to rent. 

We were in site#2. Nice level site. The site directly behind us was somewhat close, but otherwise a good site. We have friends in#30 and#31, not too close but not too far away. 

The hosts did a good job of keeping the bathhouse clean and stocked. The office staff were helpful and nice. Over all a nice park that we will visit again.

We found this place using this app on a trip to the Okefenokee Swamp. It is a small campground but well maintained. I just called ahead to make sure there were spaces available. Walter met us later that day. We settled at spot 13 with our 22 ft camper. A few sites have covered landings with fireplaces or fire pits. Ours had a fire pit. You can also take a short drive to the back of the property and put in a kayak or small boat into the Suwannee River. I would recommend this campground if you are looking for a quiet place to camp and/or visit the swamp. Walter was very nice and although the place is a little worn down it is well loved. It has also been around for a very long time. I will return.

Before we begin, GA Coastal RV Park should not be confused with GA Coastal RV Resort (this latter spot is conveniently located just due east on highway 520 and runs adjacent to I-95). That said, if‘Coastal’ is in the name of your‘park,’ I think it is reasonable for folks to expect that you’re property is located on(or even quite near), um, the coast. So, we were disappointed to have booked a spot here at GA Coastal RV Park only to find that we would have to drive 30 minutes to reach water. As for the‘park’ I think it depends upon what your expectation is on this front, but if you are looking for anything more than simply a‘place to park’ than you will be sorely disappointed. Naming conventions aside, this gravel RV roadside parking lot is fairly new(a quarter of this place was under construction when we visited) and there is absolutely no nature(bushes, trees, shrubs or even grass) between you and your neighbors. In fact, the only nature you’ll find here is that which encases the place. The size of these grounds are about a single large city block, and apart from the 3 lanes or so that makes up the jagged maze-like outline of the RV depot, there’s just a small patch of actual grass that has a few picnic tables, volleyball court and tetherball– oh and the 2 single outhouses that you’ll regret visiting. Next to this is the office. There’s not much here in the way of amenities beyond flat ground, newly laid pebble and simple water and electrical hook-ups. The noise from the highway in front of this spot comes at no additional cost. Insider’s tip? The only silver liner to this locale is that it’s a stone’s throw from arguably some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had in my life– Scott’s BBQ& Grill(ribs, pulled pork and potato bombs are to dia for!). Net-net, if you’re looking for an EZ location to lay-up for the night, and everywhere else is booked up, then this joint might not be a bad spot. Happy Camping!