The 5 Best Spots For Camping In Georgia's State Parks

As a tourist destination, much of Georgia's reputation centers around its major cities and towns. Residents and out-of-state visitors alike can enjoy memorable urban escapes, like the walkable streets and unique shops of Atlanta's historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Or, they can head to Savannah and Athens, areas rich in hospitable Southern charm, cultural treasures, and beautiful settings. While these destinations are worth exploring, the state also protects some of the best outdoor recreational destinations in the Southeast. Plus, within some of the area's exceptional parks, you can find several great camping experiences.

Georgia's state parks cover virtually every corner of the region, from its towering Blue Ridge Mountains to its serene coastline. Camping options within these parks are nearly as diverse as Georgia's geography. Many grounds offer well-equipped, developed campsites and convenient amenities (including electrical outlets and hot showers). Others are more suited for dedicated outdoorsy types who can handle primitive backcountry camping in the state's wildest areas. A few parks even offer unique camping experiences, like the covered "squirrel's nest" platforms available at Fort Mountain, Unicoi, and Victoria Bryant or the paddle-in campsites at Reed Bingham and High Falls.

While each campground has its charms, a few places do stand out for their lodging options, natural scenery, and overall amenities. For some of the Peach State's best camping spots, here are the five Georgia state parks to prioritize.

Founded in 1931, Vogel State Park is the second-oldest state park in Georgia and remains one of the area's most beloved family-friendly outdoor retreats. Find it located approximately two hours north of Atlanta, where the rugged Appalachian Mountains dominate the forested landscape. Accessing the park usually involves traveling past Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest point. Vogel's own borders sit at the base of the roughly 4,450-foot Blood Mountain. Despite its somewhat gruesome name, Blood Mountain is actually a lavish hiker's paradise, complete with a segment of the iconic Appalachian Trail. 

Elsewhere in the park, visitors can enjoy a 22-acre lake and excellent hiking trails leading to scenic wonders like Trahlyta Falls. Much of the modern infrastructure here was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, though there are plenty of more recent additions (including a new visitor center as of August 2025). Vogel is enveloped by the much larger Chattahoochee National Forest, which offers even more trails, facilities, and recreational activities to park visitors. 

The Vogel State Park Campground is likewise rich in amenities, featuring 90 campsites equipped with complimentary electrical hookups suitable for tents, RVs, and trailers. Campers can also take advantage of the campground's 34 cozy cottages, 18 walk-in tent campsites, and unique pioneer campground (plus picnic shelters, pavilions, and reservable event spaces). The park's camping areas also include toilets, laundry facilities, hot showers, drinking water, and a dump station. Reviewers on camping app/website The Dyrt note that the Vogel State Park Campground offers "plenty of privacy" (despite the park's popularity), convenient amenities, and easy access to natural beauty and outdoor recreation. 

Moving from the mountains to Georgia's moss-draped coastal edge, Skidaway Island State Park is a ravishing preserve of wetland marshes, maritime forests, and intercoastal waterways within its namesake barrier island. A prime spot along the Atlantic coast provides an abundance of cultural riches, too. The park is a mere 15 miles from Savannah, where visitors can enjoy lush gardens, Southern food, and picturesque streets.

Not that Skidway Island needs any help from adjacent cities. The state park's 588 acres feature wetland forests and salt marshes decorated with Spanish moss, oak trees, and evergreens. This rich ecosystem is also home to an outstanding variety of bird species. The gorgeous wetland environments are accessible via numerous trails, boardwalks, and even an observation tower. Meanwhile, an interpretive center hosts several indoor exhibits detailing the park's complex ecosystems, plus fun learning activities for kids. 

The Skidaway Island State Park Campground features 87 individual campsites (with electric hookups), three cabins, three yurts, and three group pioneer camping areas. Overnight rates generally run $46-54 for electric campsites, $125 for yurts, and $165 for cabins (though rates may vary between the peak and off-peak seasons). Skidaway Island's campsites are particularly noteworthy for their exquisite surrounding scenery beneath groves of oaks and Spanish moss. Additionally, reviewers say that the campground's facilities are clean, the employees are friendly, and the entire setting is "very peaceful, quiet and serene." Despite the large quantity of campsites here, many people also mention how sizeable each site is and how much privacy campers have, even during peak season. 

Further south along Georgia's splendid Intracoastal Waterway sits the warm and inviting Crooked River State Park. Taking its name from the 26.8-mile Crooked River (actually a tidal inlet between Cumberland Island and the mainland), the park is just to the north of the Georgia-Florida border, which should give you some idea of the kind of vibrant wetland scenery you'll find there! Like Skidaway Island, Crooked River showcases ravishing wetlands, maritime forests dominated by Spanish moss, and fertile riverbanks. 

With such premier waterways, Crooked River State Park is one of Georgia's best destinations for paddling adventures. It even has several multi-mile paddling trails through local marine ecosystems, where visitors might be able to see the dolphins that frequently swim upriver to catch fish. On land, Crooked River State Park has excellent hiking trails along peaceful boardwalks and through enchanting woodland settings. Parkgoers also have access to nearby Cumberland Island National Seashore and unique historical sites like the McIntosh Sugar Mill Ruins. Crooked River's blend of ecosystems makes it a top Georgia birdwatching destination, too. The region gives birders great opportunities to see ospreys, bald eagles, storks, and more than 300 other species. 

Like the main park itself, the Crooked River State Park Campground is rich in lovely seaside scenery and trail access. It consists of 63 electric campsites, 11 cottages, and one group pioneer camping area. All electric campsites are suitable for tents, trailers, or RV camping and generally run $38-44 per night. Meanwhile, cottages run $175-275 per night. Past campers (via The Dyrt) have praised the campground's beautiful scenery, clean spaces, convenient amenities, and great location. Many reviewers also mention the park's excellent cellular service and Starlink connections. 

The "black" in Black Rock Mountain State Park's name refers to the large quantity of darkly-colored gneiss metamorphic rock that decorates the region's many dramatic cliffs. Despite that, Black Rock Mountain State Park is pure Blue Ridge Mountain bliss, complete with many of Georgia's most prominent Blue Ridge summits. Sitting at an elevation of around 3,640 feet, Black Rock Mountain is Georgia's highest state park. Such an unparalleled altitude usually means an equally unparalleled display of spectacular vistas, and this destination certainly doesn't disappoint.

Here, roadside overlooks offer visitors panoramic views of Southern Appalachian mountain ridges. More magical scenery comes in the form of heavenly wildflower meadows, wonderful waterfalls, and ethereal forests, all of which are easily viewable along Black Rock Mountain State Park's many superb trails. Some of the trails, like the moderately challenging Tennessee Rock Trail and the more difficult James Edmonds Loop, are among the most stunning in all of Georgia.

Lodging options at Black Rock Mountain State Park Campground are as rich as the surrounding landscapes. The area includes 44 campsites with electrical outlets, 12 tent-only walk-in campsites, four backcountry camping areas, 10 cottages, and one group camping area. No matter where you end up camping, you'll be close to Black Rock Mountain's scenic trails, magnificent overlooks, and opportunities for fishing, boating, and mountain biking. Overnight rates range from $20 for backcountry camping to $255 for cottage rentals, though the standard electric campsite is usually $36-38 per night. Reviews for the campground are favorable, with Black Rock Mountain's combination of clean, modern amenities and breathtaking mountain scenery frequently lauded by reviewers on The Dyrt. 

Georgia is often associated with rolling Appalachian Mountains and serene southeastern coastlines. One thing it is not generally associated with is canyons. And yet, the very fact that one of this state's biggest and best state parks is called Cloudland Canyon should be a clear enough indication that breathtaking canyons are not the sole property of the American Southwest.

Cloudland Canyon State Park's distinctive geography comes from its location within the scenic Cumberland Plateau region of northwestern Georgia, "the world's longest expanse of hardwood-forested plateau" per The Nature Conservancy. Sitting at the edge of the approximately 2,390-foot-tall Lookout Mountain, the park is rich in picture-perfect views of the Appalachians. Thanks to the hard work of nearby Sitton Gulch Creek, the chunk of land next to Lookout Mountain features dramatic gorges, towering cliffs, intricate caves, and several waterfalls. With so many magnificent natural features, Cloudland Canyon enjoys a wealth of incredible views (including some right next to the parking lot). Throughout the park, you can also find miles upon miles of extraordinary hiking trails. One of them, the 4.8-mile West Rim Loop, was even listed among "the best day hikes in America" by Backpacker Magazine.

Camping options at Cloudland Canyon include 75 electric hookup campsites for $38-44 per night, 18 cottages for $155-290 per night, 30 tent-only walk-in campsites for $22-27 per night, 10 yurts for $115-125 per night, 13 backcountry campsites for $10 per night, and one pioneer group campsite for $60 per night. In addition to amenities like showers, flush toilets, and drinking water, campers will also appreciate the park's tennis courts, disc golf facilities, and lovely picnic areas. Unsurprisingly, campers love the combination of spectacular scenery and comfortable amenities here. As one reviewer on The Dyrt noted, Cloudland Canyon offers "well-maintained" facilities "without losing its outdoors credentials."

According to Explore Georgia, "there are more than 60 Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites," and many of these places offer some sort of camping experience. So, narrowing this list of parks down to five was no easy feat. To determine the best camping spots in Georgia state parks, we focused on three factors: lodging options, campground amenities, and user reviews. The first two criteria are, of course, interconnected. Each state park on this list has campgrounds with various accommodations, from cabins to tent, RV, and backcountry campsites. Many also host spacious "pioneer-style" camping areas for large groups, and a few feature yurts. Because we sought to focus on parks suitable for all types of campers (not just experienced outdoor adventurers), we also made sure that all five parks provided convenient and helpful amenities (electrical outlets, hot showers, and drinking water). Most of these campgrounds also showcase developed infrastructure, with easily accessible spaces such as interactive visitor centers and athletic facilities. 

To get a sense of how past campers felt about each state park, we referenced reviews from The Dyrt. This platform proved useful for exploring a large sample size of diverse voices from the camping community. The Dyrt also allowed us to see which features at each campground drew particular praise. Additionally, each of the five parks on this list received high cumulative ratings online.

One final, minor consideration factored into this list was the natural beauty at each Georgia state park campground. The destinations highlighted represent a diverse spectrum of scenery, from the Appalachian Mountains in the north to the coastal wetlands in the east. These spots aren't where Georgia's wild wonders end, though. For woodland trails and lake beach views, check out this underrated state park. Or, enjoy waterfalls and cottages at Georgia's largest state park.