Searching for the perfect place to dispersed camp in Georgia? The Dyrt provides you with a diverse selection of places to camp, from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking and everything in between. Find the perfect dispersed campsite for your next adventure.
Little Tybee, owned by the state of Georgia, is an uninhabited barrier island lying just to the south of Tybee Island. It is made up of salt marsh interspersed with hardwood hammocks and fronts the Atlantic Ocean with pristine beaches. It is an undisturbed nature preserve with no hotels or other dwellings on the island, but camping is allowed.
The only way to get to Little Tybee is by boat or kayak. Many local charter services on Tybee will take you to tour the island or to camp and kayak rental and tours are available.
Rarities that have been sighted on Little Tybee include: roseate spoonbill, reddish egret, and the curlew sandpiper. Osprey and bald eagles nest on the island. In the winter large numbers of shorebirds gather to rest on its beaches including whimbrels, dowitchers, and piping plovers. Egrets, herons, ibis, and storks are numerous and there are a few nesting spots on the island for these birds. In the summer oystercatchers, Wilson’s plover, and the endangered Least Tern nest on its undisturbed beaches. These birds are easy to see but you are requested to stay away from the posted nesting sites.
A large grassy field located approximately 1 mile from Lake Conasauga Recreation area. Primitive camping--no amenities. Campers may utilitize Lake Conasauga recreation opportunities by parking in the picnic area parking lot, which has a $5 parking fee, or the boat ramp parking area. Emery Creek trail departs from the Ball Field, and Tearbritches Trailhead is just across the road for those interested in Cohutta Wilderness hiking.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) is open and trail shelter in Georgia are available. Hikers are advised to bring a personal tent and face coverings. Shelters might not be frequently maintained at all locations. Dispersed camping is also available. Not all privies are open or maintained. Guidance is available on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) website for trip planning, hiking safety and COVID-19 precautions.
Guide
Land pass required. No alcohol is permitted. This is a wildlife management area. The camp sites are first come, first serve. They are free. Only 2 sites with tables. If you like dispersed camping you'll probably enjoy it. If you prefer a campground, this is not for you.
Traveler
Free dispersed primitive camping minutes from Helen Ga and local wineries. Great spot next to the creek. Quiet and any potential neighbors are far enough away that you have total privacy
ScoutIt has a blue hole an caves no electricity or running water but the camp sites are pretty good. An the do have a handicap access area for rvs to do disperse camping also an parking for the bluehole ...no one to bother you!
Guide
Dispersed camp sites at or near the summit of Cowrock Mountain offer wonderfully shaded spots with long range views of the Blue Ridge. Perfect spot for hammocks or tents right off the trail with large rocky outcrops for your views. Easy enough to set up a small fire ring right on the edge for night-time relaxing. There is a water source about .5 miles west on the AT at Baggs Creek Gap or ~1.5 miles east at Hogpen Gap. Closest road access is down the mountain about a mile west at Tesnatee Gap on GA Hwy 348 (Richard B Russell Scenic Hwy)
Traveler
A relatively moderate 2.4 mile (round trip) hike with primitive camping/ backpacking campsites alongside High Shoals Creek. The trail contains 2 beautiful Georgia waterfalls, Blue Hole Falls and High Shoals Falls. The area is lush with mountain laurel, rhododendrons, and old-growth trees. The cool waters of High Shoals Creek offer rewarding refreshment after a day of exploring the various wildflowers and plant life while serving as a soothing sound to fall asleep too while stargazing.
Legend
This is a large field for dispersed camping along Conasauga Lake Road that is popular with both hikers (Emery Creek Trail and Tear Britches Trail both have trailheads here) and Overlanders (site is on the Big Frog Loop and Georgia Traverse). There are multiple fire rings established around the field and this field can handle many groups. No water or facilities here, but you can go down to the Lake Conasauga Campground about a mile away and use their facilities for a $5 fee. The field is fairly sloped, so you want to have some shoring if you are in a trailer, roof top tent, or van.
Guide
Although there is a Murray's Lake in TN, as you'll note on the location map, this campsite is in Georgia.
Legend
Campground Review: Little Tybee Island is an undeveloped barrier island off the Georgia coast, that can only be accessed via kayak/boat. Despite its name, the island is huge--around 6000 acres--with several species of rare birds, making it a popular place for day trips in addition to camping. There is no fee to camp on the island, however the parking fee on Tybee Island, where you launch from, is $2/hour, or a maximum of $24/day.
This island is absolutely gorgeous. While camping is permitted anywhere, the island is entirely undeveloped, and much of it is overgrown or marshland, so the best camping spots are in hammocks located near the shore on the eastern side of the island unless you are a very experienced paddler and have the confidence to explore the streams on the island's interior. When we stayed, we kayaked in to a hammock about one mile from the developed Tybee Island, to a series of hammocks just on the other side of the aptly named "oak graveyard;" where several fallen oak trees stick out of the ocean. We camped on a Sunday night, and while there were other campers who had been there over the weekend, we had the beach to ourselves once the tide started coming in and they left for the mainland.
There are absolutely no amenities here--you must pack in all water you will need as there is not water available for filtration, and there are no services, so all trash must be packed out. The tides are extreme so choose your campsite carefully, and check tide tables before kayaking in or out (it is best to head out with the receding tide, and head back with the rising tide). The sun can be relentless and the winds can be strong, and there are also alligators, raccoons, and several species of venomous snake--this island is still largely untouched by man, and so proper preparation is needed, along with respect for the wildness of the area. All that aside, I would come back here again and again, for the beauty and solitude. It's rare to find oceanfront camping where you can pitch your tent on the sand and not be surrounded by so many other people, so if you don't mind the extra effort involved, this place is nothing short of magical.
Gear Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I am periodically given gear to test and review. For this trip I was able to use the ER210 E+Ready Compact Emergency Crank WX Radio.
This radio was perfect for this trip. It has AM/FM bands and a weather alert channel directly from NOAA that updates for your area. Being at the beach, we were able to not only listen to the weather forecast for temperature/wind speed/precipitation, but also tide tables and water current information. While we had cell signal on this island, I didn't know if we would in advance and wanted to make sure we had a way of monitoring possible storm activity, and could verify the tides since timing your trips in/out of the island are heavily dependent on the tides. The radio also has emergency alerts, sounding an alarm if there is a national weather service alert for anything from thunderstorms to hurricanes, or any other weather system that could move through your region.
The radio can charge in three ways; via USB, a solar cell, or a hand crank, ensuring you can use it in even the most remote settings or roughest weather, and the antennae extends for greater signal receptivity. There is also a flashlight with two brightness levels, and is programmed to flash SOS if necessary--another reason we wanted this specifically for this trip, so we could signal for help if we got stranded for any reason and could not use our phones.
We used the compact version; there is a larger version of this radio that includes all of the above features, in addition to a dog whistle to assist in SAR, and the ability to charge phones/smart devices through the radio.
Traveler
A little farther off the highway than I wanted to go, but definitely a solid free campsite. There are a few substantial pot holes, so wouldn’t recommend for someone driving a super low vehicle. Also GPS isn’t perfect. It will take u to someone’s private property next door. Look for the big wooden sign that indicates that it is for public use.
Guide
Great quietly secluded. Made an effort to go as far as I could. And even through the water in my 2015 Toyota sienna mobbed right on through. Enjoy the views!
GuideThere is a lake, but it's not all that pretty. There's a boat ramp, but the lake is small and I doubt it's worth the trouble. There are 2 drive in tent spots, with 2 more at the end of a trail. Secluded. The road in can be handled by a sedan.
Legend
I camped here many times while attending the camp down the road. I have also brought many groups of campers here over my summers as a counselor. To get to the site you drive or walk through the river and end up in a large group site right by a small waterfall. If you have the place to yourself it is incredibly secluded and a wonderful spot. You can also hike up or down the stream to get to other beautiful small falls that are perfect for swimming in during the hot summers.
Guide
Nice open camp site with plenty of spots for camping. Only a mile off the road, which is a little bumpy but manageable.
Ranger
There are a few campsites right next to the river. A cool 9ish mile to the falls or go snorkeling in clear creek waters
TravelerI’ve camped here a good bit as it’s one of the only local places that isn’t lot camping. The “bone yard” as it’s called by locals is an area of fallen, uprooted trees on the eastern side of the island that is absolutely gorgeous (and fun to climb through). Bonus is that there’s never a shortage of firewood! Also the sunrise is absolutely spectacular at this site. I think it’s also important to check the wind speed/direction before camping here. I came out on a turbid night once and flipped my kayak! Which as a kayak instructor I’ve never done before - unintentionally. My sleeping bag was soaked! But overall it’s one of my favorite coastal sites. Secluded - but paddling distance (~1 mile) to AJ’s Dockside Restaurant.
Traveler
Great view of lake. Campsite is right on the water. This site is primitive. Previous campers didn’t take their trash with them. Only negative to this site.
ScoutBeautiful campsite, just a few neighbors, tons of flat space and a few fire pits. There are hunters around and we heard a good deal of shots. Saw some deer on a walk. It was quite hot but surprisingly not that buggy.
GuideWe drove here to find that the coordinates given by the app took us to a neighborhood and once you get there the pin that shows where the campsite is supposed to be has a sign saying “disaster area”. Don’t waste your time driving here unless the coordinates get updated.
GuideWe came looking for this campsite past dark and after a half hour of driving on a gravel road we gave up searching and just parked on the side of the road for the night.
In the morning we went hunting for the campground and ended up finding at least 10 campsites scattered throughout the mountain and road. The coordinates posted weren’t very helpful so the best way to find this location is to put into the GPS the name of the nearby retreat center called “Ramah Darom”. Once you get to the entrance keep continuing up the mountain. The road will stop being paved and you’ll have a gravel road to continue on that leads you to numerous sites.
The sites arnt difficult to find in the daytime, just know there’s no signs or pointers to tell you which way to go.
I’ll post some pictures to help you find where some of the sites are.
The sites are primitive, with just fire rings but its definitely a cute spot to spend the night.
I don’t recommend RV’s.
Scoutthe directions get you to the general area fine. the campsites are hard to find in the dark - we ended up just stopping at the first clearing from a fork on the gravel road we saw to set up a tent. road is very bumpy, there’s a stream near some of the spots , we looked for a fire ring where we stopped in the morning and didn’t see one.
TravelerNo camping here anymore due to the state refusing to clean it up after some storms blowed through. Reopen Boggs Creek for camping Georgia!
Guide
After one of my favorite stretches of hiking we got to this campsite along the AT. We were warned about bears in the area so were very cautious about hanging our bear bag a little extra distance away on the opposite side of the creek. The creek was absolutely freezing cold in July, it was great to rinse some clothes and ourselves off. It was definitely one of our best nights sleep listening to the water!
GuideGreat group campsite not far from Jack's River Falls. We had a group of 10 that spread out over this little "island" very easily. There were two campfire areas already in place and most sites very level and well covered by trees. Obviously very close to the river to filter water from. We didn't see any wildlife at this site, but we did see a copperhead at another earlier in the trip, so be aware! Fall asleep to the rushing waters of Jack's River!
Traveler
Dont park where the map tells you, you can drive to the locations on a decent narrow dirt road.
When we first arrived, the camp site we chose was on the river, but also off the main road. This area seems to be popular for local dirt bikers, but we seen people fishing and relaxing all the same.
I would have gave 5 stars, but these sites are well used and has years of careless debris around. We also heard some folks shooting guns( in the distance), which isn’t a problem for us, but reduced the relaxing nature of the visit with all this combined.
This river is amazing, low current makes its easy to walk in and there are a few little water falls we enjoyed hanging on for a bit.
Guide
Three campsites in the immediate area. Two are on one side of the road. You have to cross thru one to get to the other. All three have creek access. We picked the single on the other side. Not a lot of flat ground options. Each site is huge. We decided to spread out but that meant having to do a lot of walking back and forth for stuff. You can pull your car into the site easily. It’s about a mile from the High Shoals Trailhead. Both waterfalls are lovely. One has a nice swimming hole. The closest town is Hiawasee. Had a grocery and an outfitters if you need supplies. There’s only two sit down restaurants—one had an hour wait; the other had run out of food.
TravelerMy girlfriend and I learned about Little Tybee Island while spending the day in Savannah on a road trip (we were moving to Illinois from Florida). We learned about it around 2pm; by 5pm we were on the water. We forgot to bring a lot of things in our rush, but the island was fantastic. To get to the island, make your way to the tip of Tybee island and find a parking spot on one of the streets that are marked as parking spots. If memory serves, we spent about $25 to stay there 17 hours. Take your kayak onto the beach, and then head to the island to the south. Here are my tips:
1. Be extremely wary of the tides! Because of our lack of planning, the tide was low on our way there and on the way back. This means that we had to carry our kayak several feet up the sandbar to make sure that it would not be carried away in the night. We also ran into a sandbar on the way there, and had to tow the kayak several feet in shallow but cold water.
2. Bring insect repellent, long shirt and pants. I got bit up pretty bad by sand fleas while playing on the beach, and had itchy red spots all over my legs for about a week.
3. Like everyone else said, there are animals on the island, and the most rambunctious are the raccoons. You will see their paw prints in the sand, and near all of the best areas for campsites. Make sure to secure your food!
All in all, there's something extremely gratifying about rowing out to an island on the ocean and spending the night on an island that is uninhabited (except for the random other camper).
Well recommended for those looking for an adventure and have experience camping!
Guide34.860688452654024,-84.63670121000321
Stayed here a number of times during each of the four seasons. Fairly remote for eastern U.S, (but I have watched, over the past 2 decades, Atlanta grow northward, and a lot of development in Ellijay and Blue Ridge areas, and it is a little depressing). Access is by gravel roads. There are bears in the area and they love food. (A fed bear is a dead bear-please don't leave any food out and scare them away if they come around.)
No amenities. Lake Conasauga is nearby which has some amenities. One can hike up to the top of nearby Bald Mountain and then hike down to the Conasauga River. One can look for butterflies, other insects, birds, flowers, etc. There are many trails in the Cohutta Wilderness, which is just to the north.
I will post some photos of nearby Bald Mountain and the trail head for Tearbritches Trail. Other photos of the area here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbinv/albums/72157634085883873
(N34 51.670 W84 38.120) This leads over the highest western-most mountain in the eastern U.S., and then down to Bray Field at the junction of Tearbritches Creek and the Conasauga River(N34 53.897 W84 37.296)- It is a long steep grade down to the Conasauga(1-way distance is 3.4 miles)| 30 August 2013
Here are some notes I took about the vegetation in the area:
The north-northeasterly facing slope of Bald Mountain within a half-mile of the summit, elevation 4005'. Mostly New York Fern(Thelypteris noveboracensis) here, but also saw Hay-scented(Dennstaedtia punctilobula), Cinnamon(Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), and Interrupted Ferns(Osmunda claytoniana) in this immediate area. New York Ferns are common throughout the widerness| Tearbritches Trail, Cohutta Wilderness, N. Georgia Mountains| 30 August 2013
Georgia offers a wealth of opportunities for those seeking the tranquility of nature through dispersed camping. With its diverse landscapes and well-maintained access points, adventurers can find the perfect spot to unwind and connect with the great outdoors.
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