I am going to preface this review by saying that giving it five stars, three stars, or one star really depends on what you expect from a campground. It might be five stars if you are looking for a real wilderness getaway. However, it might be a one star if you are looking for modern amenities with electric, water, and sewer hookups. For me personally, I rate it as five stars, but I know that people looking for a campground wonder how it can be five stars when it does not have hookups or Wi-Fi. Of all the designated primitive camping areas I have been to, this one seems to be one of the most popular, and for good reason. The Avery Creek Roadside camping sites have raised gravel pads, sturdy fire rings, and lantern hangers. Most designated primitive areas do not have such“luxury.” To get to the sites, you have to turn onto a gravel national forest road and drive for about half a mile before you get to the first campsite. The road continues for quite a way, and you can find several designated sites along the road. I was surprised that there were quite a few campers since it was in December. It is a good thing there are a lot of campsites. One of the best things about camping in this area is that there is so much to do within a short driving distance. For example, three miles down the road there is one of my favorite waterfalls. It isn’t very tall, but it has a lot of volume and is a beautiful waterfall. Five miles from the campsites, there is Sliding Rock, which opens during the warmer months and is very popular. Nine miles away is the Cradle of Forestry in America, and in my unbiased opinion, I think everybody needs to visit there at least once. The campsite itself provided a pleasant stay. You can hear the creek all night long, and you are at least four or five miles from a town. It doesn’t seem like a long distance, but it is far enough that you don’t hear the sounds of traffic. Fly fishing for trout is a popular activity, as well as hiking. There is an abundance of hiking trails nearby, including the Art Loeb Trail, Avery Creek Trail, Andy Cove Nature Trail, and lots more. The Blue Ridge Parkway is also only twelve and a half miles away. The area is also a popular horseback riding area with stables down the road. Unlike another camping area I had reviewed earlier this year, horse manure did not seem to be a problem. There are no bathrooms, except at the group camping area, which has to be reserved. The only water is from the creek, so be prepared and take lots of water or a water filtration system. Overall, Avery Creek is fantastic if you want to get away from civilization. There are no amenities such as swimming pool, game room, etc., but it is an outstanding place for people who just love the outdoors.
They have quiet time at 11pm but no end time. People were laughing and yelling all the way up to 11pm. The sites are really close together. People were packing up and playing music at 6am an hour before daylight. In the RV area there were 2 bathrooms for 50 sites so it was a walk to get there at night. You can’t check out before 9am so we waited around until Wanda got there. Very clean. Not complaining just informing.
There are lots of activities for the kids. Campsites in the newer sections are very nice and worth the upgrade charges as you are not as crowded. The older part of the park is well maintained and nice, yet was designed and laid out in an era of smaller RV's so it is a little crowded. Bathhouses are very nice and well maintained. We stayed over the Thanksgiving Holiday and the park was full to capacity.
Didn’t make it to our destination so had to improvise. This place allowed me to make an online reservation and complete check in the next morning. For $30 (roughly) we had access to a bathroom and a great clean camp site.
Edit to add: if there is a chance you will stay at another state park within a year get the adventure pass for $105. It comes with 3 free nights. I spent $62 on another camp site the next day.
This camp ground was super clean and very well taken care of. The women on the camp ground was wonderful, we had gotten there after dark because of thanksgiving traffic and she waited up for us to get our site. The only reason I’m giving it a four star instead of five is because we like to tent camp and over the tent grounds there was a bright light that wouldn’t turn off. Definitely more of an RV place but still very nice.
Situated on Lake Burton, beside the trout hatchery, this small, yet busy campground offers fishermen a good supply of trout, and they are delicious! Moccasin Creek's staff is superior. The setting is peaceful. Hiking to Hemlock Falls is a must. Even in the hottest days of summertime, the trail is cool. The majority of the trail is right by the bubbling stream. The hike is a mile in, mile out, but can be a little tricky in spots, especially in wet weather. The Falls are well worth the trek.
This park is only available to Toccoa Falls College Alumni & parents of current Toccoa Falls College students. But it's great! =)
Spacious campsite, clean, friendly people, the view is fantastic mountain, lake, water falls and lots things to do! Love!!!!!
The positive: Great and friendly staff, clean facilities. There was an otter living near our site. Close to park entrance.
The negative: Photos of tent sites along the Little Pigeon River are misleading as can be. Being in Pigeon Forge I knew not to expect complete solitude but this was over the top nonsense. When the noise of the amusement parks and traffic dies down you get about an hour of peace before the food warehouse on the other side (about 50 yds) starts loading trucks non stop through the night. We were awakened every night at 1 am or later to the sounds of tractor trailers backing up. The came the loud bangs of the trucks actually being loaded. We left a night early and drove halfway home because we couldn’t tolerate it any more. Do not stay here ever if you actually like real camping.
This campground is private and not very crowded. It has the best bathhouse that is very well maintained. It even has two very sweet campgrounds dogs. One of my favorites.
Visited for just one night in mid-August and absolutely loved it. Stayed at T1, which you can’t pull your car up to, but we were able to park a couple hundred feet away. The views are incredible, we were literally in the clouds. I highly recommend this spot. Also lots of butterflies in the area if that’s your thing 🦋
We go ever year and have an awesome time. Park is well maintained and the people are very friendly.
Great hunting fishing and camping. Outhouse is the only thing that is there for use. Anything else you must supply yourself. I go every year for bear season and will continue to do so.
Lovely campsite. Some space between you and your neighbors, but not the most private camp I’ve been at. About half the sites are along the river and the others are just a short distance away, so you can still hear the river. We were there in mid November and it was full. It was also cold, so people ran their generators all night long, which obscured the sound of the river. During the day, the camp was quiet and gorgeous.
Friendly staff and owners, veteran friendly 36 per night with ID. Site 42 is our favorite. Its perfect size for our 20' Jayco. Restrooms and bathhouse extremely clean. On site catch and release pond for those that like to fish. Waljing trail around pond with a couple of swings along the way to enjoy the mountain air
We have stayed here twice, once in May 2019 and October 2019. It is a beautiful campground that is extremely well kept and decorated. The sites are paved and well sized. We love how it is on the trolley line in Gatlinburg and a short ride into town. Best location for RV in Gatlinburg for sure. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is the booking has to be done via phone and both times we stayed they’ve had a minimum night stay requirement.
Took advantage of the 1/2 price camping in August offered by the Georgia State Park System since we had already camped in June & July. What a beautiful campground. Lots of trees and 2 streams running through the sites on both sides. Our site was level with plenty of room on gravel to spread out our floor mat.
Beautiful hiking to waterfall and around the lake. There is a beach for swimming and paddle boats for rent. We also enjoyed a day trip visiting wineries in the area and having breakfast in Blairsville. If coming north on 129, there is a sharp hairpin turn into the main entrance of the park.
No firepit but nice flat area above the Falls - just past the natural stopping point for tourists. May have day hikers hiking past your setup if you choose to leave it and go hike.
The scenery of campsite was beautiful and from our campsite the bathroom was very accessible. The bathroom itself was clean and even had heaters in it due to the low temperatures overnight. It was a nice surprise that the bathroom area also had washer/dryers for those staying for a bit longer but unfortunately didn’t have a spot for one to wash their dishes. Each campsite really had a nice view but because this camping area was in the mountains the sites seemed stacked on top of each other and didn’t really give you much privacy. There was a small lookout accessible a short walk from the campground which overlooked the mountains and gave you an amazing view but beyond that the rest of the trails were not accessible on foot and required a short drive.
I've been camping at Burrells Ford since I was a small child. During peak season (summer, Spring Break) it will be slightly crowded, but there's usually still room to camp and it doesn't normally get rowdy or loud. Fishing will of course be inhibited when it's crowded, but otherwise its a good spot to fish.
Pit toilets are fairly well maintained and the sites are almost always clean and free of debris. Camp sites are a short walk down a clear road from the main parking area for those who prefer to carry things in or those who have visitors to their campsite.
If there has been a lot of camper traffic, it will be difficult to find firewood. Firewood is available to purchase all along the road on the way to Burrells Ford from individuals and stores.
The other side of the river is a much rougher trail, not an official campsite at all. However, there are some areas that other campers have cleared out for camping if you don't mind a more strenuous and brushy hike in to your camping area and you prefer a little more privacy and seclusion. Just be sure to follow local regulations for camping in these areas as far as cleanliness, fire safety, and distance from the water.
Access to the campground is a narrow partially-paved but well-maintained single lane road with only one area to pull over, so be careful when entering and exiting because if you meet another vehicle one of you will be backing back the way you came!
The campground is very clean and well-maintained, with every site having its own fire ring, lantern pole, and at least one picnic table. Trash bins are located near the pit toilets (one at the entrance to the campground and one across the creek deeper in.
Past about site 15 the road gets slightly rougher and you will need a vehicle that can cross the creek.
All in all, the campground is perfect for family camping or for anyone who wants to enjoy the outdoors without needing to backpack supplies in. Only a short drive from Clayton, GA if supplies are needed.
Unicoi is a beautiful State Park and a great place to camp for a couple nights.
Only about 10 minutes away from the German-Style historic town of Helen, which also has the Chattahoochee River. Helen has two companies who rent out tubes that go through the city on the river. That is something everyone has to try if they go through this part of Georgia!
The Chattahoochee River also has some pretty good (freshwater) fishing, you just have to watch out for the tubers.
Enough about Helen, Unicoi is a truly awesome place to stay. It has everything you can imagine, with a little hiking, a river to dip your toes in, a lodge to stop and get some food or buy souvenirs, canoe/kayak rentals, zip lining and more.
This used to be my family’s summer vacation place to stay, and I would recommend you make it a tradition as well!
We didn’t have reservations and got to the area later than planned, so we were lucky to get the last spot at this campground. The view of the river here is amazing. We camped right on the edge of the river and the sound of it rushing was so peaceful.
The facilities were immaculate. We didn’t use the laundry room or the game room but as far as I could tell they were also very clean.
The only drawbacks are how close the sites are to the edge of the river. There was very little space between the fire ring and the river’s edge; so little we couldn’t walk all the way around the fire ring. Also, some sites have a small fire rings that leave a lot to be desired. It would have also been nice to have access to a permanent grill.
A very quiet campground that does allow you to have a fire in your campsite. There is wood for sale. The bathhouse is very nice. The views from most of the sites are breathtaking.
Nice campground. Clean bathhouse. Sites are close together, but terraced off because it’s very steep terrain. Friendly hosts.
Sites are super close together. There was construction on the hatchery dam that started at 8:00 am M-F while we were there. Bathhouses were very clean. Everything was tidy, just could use about 30% less spaces.
I had wanted to stay at this campground for several years, and I finally got the opportunity to do so. It looked inviting every time I passed by it. When I looked on the website, it showed tent sites, but most of the sites are for RVs. I was surprised to see that the best sites are along Jonathan Creek. These do not have water or electricity, but that didn’t matter to me. There are tent sites that have water and electricity, but they are behind the office, which is part of the main building. I am guessing that there are well over 100 RV sites. Most sites(if not all) have water, electricity, and sewer hookups. There are not many tangible amenities; there is no pool or playground, basketball court, etc. However, this campground is all about location. Not too far from the campground is Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hemphill Bald(mountain and trail), the Cataloochee Divide Trail, and the natural beauty of the mountains. There is also Jonathan Creek, which is known for trout fishing. The tent sites along the creek are beautifully arranged in a line with enough space not to be crowded. Unfortunately, most of them do not have fire rings, but I found one at T5 that did have. I am guessing that the picnic tables at the entrance to the tent sites are for the tents since only one or two tent sites had picnic tables and it is close to the end of the season. My favorite part about the tent sites is that you can sit facing the creek and look at the mountains in the background, although you will see a few houses in the mountains. Another advantage of the tent sites by the creek is that you hear the creek all night long, which drowns out any road noise. This campground is privately owned and not part of a franchise. It is good to see that they still welcome tent campers.
This campground is about views. It doesn’t have water or electric hookups. It doesn’t have sewer hookups. It doesn’t have a swimming pool, playground equipment, an entertainment pavilion, or any of the other things many campgrounds and RV resorts have. The biggest attraction for Mile High Campgound is the view, but I guess I should say views(plural). The campground is adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but there is a long approach road to lessen any traffic noise—not that there would be any anyway. It seems to be situated on a ridge, so it offers different views in several directions. The host was nice and suggested that I pick a site before paying. I camped during the week and when it was cold, so I had a good choice of sites. She highlighted the available ones with the best views, and it was difficult to decide which one I liked best. I chose one with a view of a sunset rather than one with a sunrise, knowing I might not get up early enough to catch the sun rise. You can expect it to be at least ten degrees(or more) colder than down in the valleys. There is a reason it is called“Mile High.” This is a primitive campground, and there are no hookups that I know of. There is, however, a bath house with flush toilets and showers. The bath house is a bit rustic, but it serves the purpose. Some people might not like that it has a concrete floor and just one stand up sink, but again, it serves its purpose. There are also“toilet facilities” at opposite ends of the campground since it is a long, narrow campground. Since I forgot to take any firewood, I bought a bundle of kindling for$5.00. I knew I wouldn’t have a long fire anyway. As I mentioned earlier, there are no modern amenities like a swimming pool, playground, or recreation hall. Did I mention that this campground is all about the views? There is a platform for viewing the sunsets close to the camp office. The campground is within a short driving distance of several waterfalls, places to view elk, Harrah’s casino, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so sticking around the campground all day is not something you probably want to do. The towns of Maggie Valley and Cherokee are close, so if you like shopping, those towns have several quaint shops and other attractions. Overall, this campground is a pleasant campground to stay in because of the peace and quiet and the beauty.