Garner is a beautiful and happening place! The river is lovely, there are neat hikes, it’s dog friendly, there’s a general store, restaurant, and (before Covid at least) dances. The restrooms have flush toilets and showers and there is WiFi at the store. All that said, I prefer my outdoor time quiet and full of solitude, and this is not that. 😂 I most recently camped there on a Tuesday in late September, and even then, the place was absolutely packed. I love Garner for what it is, and as long as you know what you’re getting into, it’s sure to be a great time.

My best friend and I stayed October 22-25. I was looking for a quiet, small campground with minimal amenities and cool features that was driving distance to good hikes. This was perfect. Only six spots. Fire rings and low to the ground grills. Vault toilets near the entrance. Short walk to the river as it was dry season and lots of beautiful fall leaves. Close to a more developed campground with flush toilets and showers if ya need ‘em. Some noise from the road but pretty minimal compared to other places I’ve stayed. Coyotes passed by close our first night and it was neat to lay in my tent listening to them. Slight struggle with ants but possibly just set up my tent in an unlucky spot. If you prefer your nature with as few humans in it as possible, then I highly recommend this spot.

Forks Campground is at the top of a cliff. It has a phenomenal view of the river, is an excellent location for stargazing, and has a fantastic swimming hole a short hike down the hill. HOWEVER, these wonderful features make it a bit of a destination. There was a good amount of thru traffic during my stay, the worst of which were some drunk guys blasting music til midnight my last night. I found that to be unfortunate, as my favorite thing about camping in the forest is falling asleep to forest sounds. There is no cell service here or pretty much anywhere in the forest. There is a general store up the road (closed Wednesdays) that will let you use WiFi to let loved ones know you’re ok, but otherwise it’s entirely off the grid. I was there Tuesday afternoon thru Friday morning in mid August 2020. Pros -great view -swimming hole -clean camp sites -short drive to dwellings and multiple trailheads Cons -thru traffic, sometimes very loud and/or late at night -some campsites do not have much shade