Nice campground in the Georgia backcountry under new management. The new owners are very nice and helpful. 

The campground has multiple offers for accommodations: Sites with and without Power/Water, rooms available above the office, tent area, cabins and long term spaces. 

Lots of history here and in the area with an old mill onsite. This mill milled the wood for the office building/house onsite and many other houses in the area back in the early 1900s.  There is a small river that runs along the campground, with a waterfall and water wheel that powers the mill. The own will do tours of the old mill if there is enough interest (mainly on the weekends). 

Firewood is available for purchase. 

There is a large pavilion that has table and chairs in it that is available for guests to use and gives a nice option for people to gather even if its raining out. 

This campground is along the Georgia Traverse (that is how we found it) and also along popular motorcycle touring routes, so you may see lots of overnight travelers. 

The lightning bugs in the spring are amazing here!

This is a great off grid camping spot along a creek. There are about 7 spots here with most of them each able to hold multiple vehicles and set ups. We had 3 vehicles (two with rooftop tents and one with a small teardrop trailer) and we still had room for more set ups in the spot we set up in. All the sites have at least 1 fire ring, most had multiple.

This is primitive camping, so there are no facilities (no bathhouse, no power, no dump station, no trash, ect). It's all pack it in, pack it out. We had no service with Verizon. 

This is also bear country, so you need to practice bear safety with your food and trash. We did not see any bears in camp, but did spot one just down the road the morning we were leaving. 

There is hiking in the area and there are areas in the creek deep enough for wading and soaking. 

This is along Forest Service Road 221 which this section of FS 221 shares driving trails such as the Big Frog Loop, the Georgia Traverse, and the Trans America Trail (TAT), so there could be lots of traffic with overlanders, adventure bikers, and off-roaders.

We used this campground as a staging point for our Overlanding trip on the Big Frog Loop. Nice campground serving kayakers, white water rafters, hikers, mountain bikers, and trail riders/overlanders. Friendly camp host that regularly checks the grounds and bathrooms. Camp sites are level and and shaded, and include at least one lantern pole, table, and a fire ring. Water points and multiple Bear safe trash receptacles located around the campground. See our video review at https://youtu.be/rrmt3FDzlX8

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.

Just a short distance from Windrock. RV sites have power and water, but are very close together, in my opinion. There are also a few tent sites and cabins. Parking for off-road vehicle trailers. Firewood and ice available at the office. Nearest grocery is about 15-20 minutes away.

Halfmoon Campground is located near Windrock Off-Road Park and has RV sites, tent sites, and cabins. RV sites have power (up to 50amp) and water, and have decent separation between sites. The RV sites are in a grassy field so minimal shade. The majority of the Tent sites are dry camping (no power or water), however, there are 3 tent sites near the bathhouse that do have power and water. The tents site are in the woods so plenty of shade. The cabins have parking that can accommodate multiple vehicles. Clean and functional bathhouse. Dump station near the bathhouse. Fire wood and ice is available near the bathhouse and has a self pay setup. The campground also includes a vehicle wash station and trailer parking area if you trailered in your off-road vehicles. The nearest grocery store is about 15 minutes away. Beautiful views of the mountains from the RV area.

Link to my YouTube review: Campground Review: https://youtu.be/ZOEj0QoXqfM

This is primitive camping in the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area. There is a large open field for group camping and some more private sites in the woods if you go down Otter Creek Road a little bit past the open field. I believe this is manly used for hunters or fishermen, but is a boondocking option for other outdoor enthusiasts. Again, this is primitive, boondocking, so no amenities or hookups. Pretty basic.

The is a small store at the Deer Run RV Resort less than a mile away. Other than that it’s about a 20 minute drive to the nearest Food City.

We had reservations but on arrival someone else was in our reserved spot. The office was closed for the weekend and no one answering the phone to resolve the issue, so we moved on down the road (not sure how a business like this just closes up office for a weekend). After repeated voicemails left they finally called back 3 days later and told us standard camping practice is that if someone is in your site you just go take another site (please help me with this. I’ve been camping all my life, 50 years, and have never heard of such a practice). After some discussion they refunded our reservation.

As far as the campground on our very short visit, I’m not too disappointed this situation happened and we moved down the road. This place was a RV parking lot (see pics). I’ve seen RV places with really close sites, but this was ridiculous. Additionally, I-40 was literally about 200 feet away so highway traffic noise has to be an issue 24/7.

This one is on our do not return list.

This a nice, less heard of state park (in my opinion) that offers a lot of options for things to do. The campground is on hilly ground, but the parking pads are fairly level. Many of the sites have multilevel (parking pad on one level and then table and fire pit on another level). Many of the sites also have railings because of the steep terrain on the edges. If you like hiking and waterfalls, there is a lot to experience. There are also kayak outfitters near by to rent equipment from. This park is a little more remote in the respect that if you need supplies there are some local convenient stores with limited supplies about 5 minutes away and a Dollar General about 15 minutes away. If you something more than that you will have to drive about a half hour.

This was our first time visiting and we found this to be a hidden gem that we’re not sure how it took so long to find. 150 sites with a good potion of them being waterfront and the majority of the others having water views. Multiple bathhouses throughout the park that we found to be clean and functional. Lots to do here with hiking trails, mountain bike trails, beach, playground, boat launch, and all the lake activities. There were lots of deer that roam the grounds in the evening and all night long until the morning, so beware if you’re out walking your dog and you dog likes to chase other animals. There is a Dollar General about 8 minutes away and Walmart and regular grocery stores about 15 minutes away. We’ll really enjoyed our stay and plan to visit again.

Link to my YouTube review: Campground Review: https://youtu.be/AT0dnS4fTec

This park is less than 10 minutes from I-81, so very convenient for a one night stop over like we did on this trip. The camping loop is on a hill, so the sites are not 100% level (makes sure you have leveling gear). Also, we found the sites to be very short (and this is coming from someone in a teardrop trailer). Pay attention to the site lengths when making your reservations. The bathhouse was very nice; individual suites with a bench, sink, toilet, and shower. We'll definitely keep this on our list for I-81 stopovers and hope to have a point where we can explore it some more.

We stayed here just for an overnight stop but wish we had more time. Beautiful park that is less than 8 minutes from I-81 so makes for a get stopover point when traveling. There are 4 camping loops, 3 with no hook ups and 1 with power and water (no sewer hook up). The majority of the power/water sites are pull through making life easy, but there are some back ins. Either way, the power/water sites are very large and wide, so you get plenty of space. The bathhouse in loop D was clean and functionable. We'll definitely keep this one on our list for I-81 stop overs and hope that we have more time to explore it another time.

The Turkey Creek campsite is a campsite along the Walls of Jericho trail and is located just feet from Turkey Creek. The site is approximately 3.3 miles from the Alabama hikers trailhead parking lot. The campsite is level and large enough to accommodate a handful of tents. There are also many trees that would be suitable for hammock camping and in my opinion, this site is the best along the trail for hammocks. This site is fully shaded. There were 3 or 4 fire rings at this site, so multiple groups could be accommodated. 

This is backcountry camping so plan appropriately(no bathroom, pack it in- pack is out). We found no cell phone service with Verizon at this site. Water can be sourced from Turkey Creek if it is flowing, but should be treated/filtered(on this visit Turkey Creek was pretty dry at the campsite after a very dry summer, but was flowing a little better up stream closer to the falls).

The Clark Cemetery campsite is a moderate sized campsite along the Walls of Jericho trail and is located just yards from the Clark Cemetery and the Turkey Creek Bridge. The site is approximately 3.1 miles from the Alabama hikers trailhead parking lot. The campsite is level and large enough to accommodate many tents. There are also many trees that would be suitable for hammock camping. You can choose from a shaded space to a sunny space depending on which side of the site you set up on. I counted at least six fire rings at this site, so multiple groups could be accommodated. With the very close proximity to the Clark Cemetery (a 1800’s family cemetery) I imagine the campfire stories could be very entertaining. 

This is backcountry camping so plan appropriately (no bathroom, pack it in- pack is out). We found no cell phone service with Verizon at this site. Water can be sourced from Turkey Creek if it is flowing, but should be treated/filtered (on this visit Turkey Creek was pretty dry after a very dry summer, but Hurricane Creek is just a short walk away).

The Hurricane Creek campsite is the smallest campsite along the Walls of Jericho trail and is located near the junction of the TN and AL trails and just yards from the Hurricane Creek Bridge. The site is approximately 2.7 miles from the Alabama hikers trailhead parking lot. The campsite is level and large enough to accommodate a handful of tents in close proximity to each other. There are also many trees that would be suitable for hammock camping. The site is mainly shaded and has one large fire ring. 

This is backcountry camping so plan appropriately (no bathroom, pack it in- pack is out). We found ok to weak cell phone service with Verizon at this site. Water can be sourced from Hurricane Creek, but should be treated/filtered.

The trailhead campsite is a short walk from the parking lot, but makes for a great basecamp for exploring the area. The campsite is level and large enough to accommodate many tents. There are also trees that would be suitable for hammock camping. The site is on the edge of an overlook of the canyon and has multiple fire rings if there are multiple groups there. This site and trailhead serves both the Walls of Jericho trail and the Bear Den Point Loop Trail. 

This is primitive camping so no bathhouse, but there is a porta-john in the trailhead parking lot. The site is a good distance from any convenient stores or grocery stores so plan accordingly. We found good cell phone service with Verizon at this site. Trash cans are located in the trailhead parking lot. Please pack out your trash from the campsite.

Campground Review: 

This is the second year in a row for us visiting Cloudland Canyon in the fall. Cloudland Canyon is a large state park with 72 water and electrics campsites, 30 walk-in primitive campsites, and 13 backcountry campsites. There are also cabins and yurts to rent. The RV sites are split between the east rim where the sites are close together and are in more of an open field, and the west rim, where the sites are in a wooded setting, shaded, and slightly separated. All of sites include a picnic table and fire ring. 

Check-in was easy at the office at the entrance of the campground. We stayed on site 36 on the west rim. This site was mainly level and close to the bathhouse. 

The bathhouse is centrally located and older, but functional and cleaned daily. There are also laundry machines available between the men’s and women’s area.. 

Firewood, ice, limited supplies, and souvenirs were available at the office. At the office, you can also pick up the phone number to a local that sells firewood by the cord or half cord and will deliver right to your site. We got a half cord(equivalent to about 6 bundles) for$23. 

We found good cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The campground did not have wi-fi. 

There is tons of hiking in and around the state park. On this visit, we hiked about 14 miles on trails in different areas of the park. The west rim campground also has connector trails to some of the main trails and we had our own personal connector off of site 36 to the trail system. The view on both the west and east rims area amazing, and if you decide to take on the 600 stairs to the bottom of the canyon there are two impressive waterfalls. 

With this being our second year to stop here, we have fallen in love with the area. We recommend this campground and will keep returning to this area. I really like that it is less than 2 hours away from home, so we can visit this park often.

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Product Review: 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the RovR RollR 60 Cooler. This cooler from RovR is a new addition to our standard camp gear list. The RollR 60 is a sturdy cooler that has the ability to hold temperature for long periods. During our 5 days of use, we did have some ice melt, but the ice water stayed super cold, kept our items very cold, and some ice remained the entire time. The all-terrain tires and handle made it easy for moving throughout the terrain found at our campsite. The wagon bin that fits on top is great for storing miscellaneous gear and the dry bin inside the cooler is perfect for keeping those items you want cold, but not wet. I also like the fact that is has heavy-duty rubber latches to keep the lid closed tight and the critters out. I highly recommend this cooler and am excited to have this as part of our gear loadout.

Although we have been to Monte Sano many times to hike and attend events, this was our first time camping here. Monte State Park Campground is a large campground with 15 full hookup sites, 59 water& electric sites, and 21 primitive tent sites. All the sites are gravel, most sites are wooded with lots of shade, and most site are mainly level. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. 

Check-in is at the camp store if you arrive during store hours or with camp host if you arrive after hours. We stayed on site 24, which had complete shade throughout the day. This site backs up to a draw and each evening just before dust we could watch the deer walk up through. 

The bathhouse is centrally located, newer, and cleaned daily. There are also laundry machines available between the men’s and women’s area. 

Firewood, ice, limited grocery items, and souvenirs were available at the camp store. There is a full grocery store about 15 minutes away. 

We found ok to limited cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The state park did have wi-fi near the camp store. 

The park has many trails for hiking and mountain biking, as well as host the North Alabama Japanese Garden. The North Alabama Land Trust also connects to the state park and adds many more miles of trails. We hiked about 15 miles this weekend and there are many more miles to explore on another visit. 

The state park is located 5 minutes from Huntsville where you can find many restaurants, breweries, and the Space& Rocket Center. Check the Huntsville visitor’s center website for all that is offered in the area. In addition, the Burritt on the Mountain located just minutes from the park entrance and has an open air museum and an amazing overlook of Huntsville. 

We are very excited that this gem is located so close to use and are proud to call this our home camp!

This was our first time staying at Desoto after being here previously to hike. Desoto State Park Campground is a large campground with 94 full hookup sites, 16 primitive tent sites, and 2 primitive backcountry sites. All sites with hook ups also included cable hook ups. All the sites are gravel and most sites are wooded with lots of shade. The sites are a little sloped, so have leveling equipment ready. The sites vary from small and close together in the pull through area, to medium size with plenty of separation for some privacy. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. 

Check-in is at the camp store if you arrive during store hours or at the lodge if you arrive after hours. We stayed on site 15, which had a little sun in the morning and complete shade in the afternoon. This site does have a little slope in it, which was no problem for leveling our trailer, but our friends that were with us and in a tent had to deal with setting up on a little slope. 

The bathhouse is centrally located, newer, and cleaned daily. There are also laundry machines available between the men’s and women’s area.. 

Firewood, ice, limited grocery items, and lots of souvenirs were available at the camp store. There is a full grocery store less than 15 minutes away. 

We found ok to limited cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The state park did have wi-fi near the camp store. 

The park has lots of hiking to enjoy the outdoors, a few smaller waterfalls along some of the trails, a zipline and sky bridge course(for a fee), and a large waterfall a short 5 minute drive from the campground. The river above the large waterfall is also available for kayaking and canoeing, and a small outfitter rents boats if you need one. 

The state park is located in a very outdoorsy area with various activities to take inn. We look forward to visiting here again.

Campground Review: 

This is the second year in a row of us ending our summer road trip at Honey Bear Campground in Boone, NC. Honey Bear is a medium sized campground with around 60 sites that are a mix of full hook up, RV water& electric, Tent water& electric, primitive camp sites, and a group tent camp area. There is also two small cabins to rent. All sites with hook ups also included cable hook ups. I have included a campground map in my pictures for your orientation. All the sites are gravel and most sites are wooded with lots of shade. The sites are a little sloped, so have leveling equipment ready. The sites vary from small and close together, to medium size with established plumeria shrubs separating sites for some privacy. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. If the campground is full, they do have an overflow area that they allow you to boondock at until a site opens up. 

Check-in was easy at the office at the entrance of the campground. We stayed on site B12 again this year as we find it private, well shaded, and close to a small creek that provided background water noise when it’s flowing good. This site does have a good slope to it and we had to use a stack of 3 Cacmo leveling blocks to get level, but if anything, this is my only minor complaint about this site. 

The bathhouse is centrally located and older, but functional and cleaned daily. There are also laundry machines available between the men’s and women’s area. 

Firewood and ice was available at the office. You can even walk down, pay for wood and/or ice and they will deliver it to your site! The office also has limited other supplies. There is a full grocery store less than 10 minutes away. Connected to the office is a coffee bar that also had some seating and a TV(Seemed to be a teen hang out in the evenings). 

We found good cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The campground did have wi-fi, however we only got a good connection if we were near the office/coffee bar. 

The campground also has a dog run, which our dogs loved. After being on the road for two weeks they enjoy every opportunity to get off leash and run. The dog area was surprisingly clean, so either the dog owners are doing the right thing and cleaning up after their dogs, or the staff monitors and cleans this area regularly. 

Being right on the outskirts of Boone is very beneficial. The area offers all types of outdoor activities, from hiking, rock climbing, fishing, mountain biking, and an assortment of snow sports in the winter. Additionally, you’ll find lots of shopping, restaurants, breweries & wineries, and appealing little towns around the area to explore. Also, Boone sits at 3,333 feet (surrounding mountains go up to 6K), so even in the middle of the summer you’ll find very comfortable day and night temperatures. 

Pro Tip: Check with the office for the Saturday night movie! Weather dependent, they show a movie outdoors on the front lawn. Bring your chair or blanket and a cooler/snacks, and come hang out for a movie with fellow campers. They had multiple fire pits going the Saturday we were there, so bring your favorite snacks to toast over the fire. 

With this being our second year to stop here, we have fallen in love with the area. We recommend this campground and will keep returning to this area. I wish it was a little closer to where we live and we’d come here a lot more often!

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Product Review: 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Gregory Intertia 20 H2O Hydration Pack. This backpack from Gregory turned out to be my new favorite day hiking pack. The 20L easily fits all my day hiking equipment with room to spare. The 3L reservoir is plenty of water for a day hike even on the warmest of days. What I also really like is the side pockets. They are very deep, so if you are on a shorter hike where you are not using the 3L reservoir, you don’t have to worry about water bottles popping out of the side pockets (I’ve had other packs with short side pockets where water bottles fall out easily). The front mesh pocket is also large enough to hold all that“need now” type gear and there is a small quick stow pocket that is lined and perfect for storing glasses or sunglasses. Even loaded down with more than I’d usually take for a day hike, I found that with the multiple adjustment straps, this pack proved to be very comfortable and rode perfect on my back. I highly recommend this pack for day hikes and look forward to trying some of their larger packs in the future.