Hear so many of these "true" scary camping/hiking stories on youtube alot set in Appalachians . Id love to hear any first hand encounters. Id like to find the closest place with the highest chance of any type of encounters. And possibly a hiking/camping partner or small group to go with . None of my freinds are interested lol please feel free to message me

Panther creek is probably my favorite hike due to the length/rigor, swim factor, and proximity to Atlanta. If you haven’t heard of it, you can thank me later.

Does anyone have any other recommendations for a similar adventure? Cloudland and dukes creek falls are two I considered. A friend suggest Hicky Gap which looks to be very underwhelming.

Thank you!

Wanting to get away with the kids here in a few weeks where would be the best place to do the above?

Edit I’ve been flamed in other socials because I know primitive and drive up are not the same I’d like to just escape with the kids that’s still easy to access 🙏

I discovered two things last year, at the matronly age of 46. 1) I LOVE camping. I had never been before then, but just assumed I'd hate it. I love primitive camping and I love doing it alone. And 2) i hate campgrounds. At least, I hated the one I tried. When im camping i want to be alone in the woods and an organized campground doesn't seem to do it for me.

I'm moving out of the country in the fall, so I want a nice trip to say goodbye. I camped at High Shoals Falls last year and it was amazing both times, but hiking back up the mountain with all my gear just about killed my non-athletic matronly self. Are there places where i can drive up, maybe carry my gear for a bit if needed, but not be in a campground? Any recs? Ideally in the mountains. Even more ideal if there's a river or stream for gold panning and gem grubbing. Or am I trying to have my cake and eat it too?

Pic for taxes

Can anyone reccomend any parks similar to Black Rock where the campsites are up on the mountain? The wife and I visited earlier this year and absolutely loved hiking there and spending evenings in downtown Clayton, unfortunately the park is pretty booked up for our anniversary week we want to go

Coming from Jacksonville, FL for an event in Jefferson, GA. Will be traveling with a dog. Trying to decide between Don Carter, Fort Yargo or Hard Labor state park. Looking for hiking, swimimg and just relaxing. What park should we chose?

I know of a few but I’m wanting to make as exhaustive of a list as possible.

Hi
Trying to get a feel for the distance to walk. I can't figure it out from the map provided. Can you see your car from the site or is it a half mile? Do you have a clear map?

Thanks

Edit: Thank you for all the tips! I’m feeling more confident the closer we get. I do have a headlamp now with a red light and my bear spray will be here the day before I leave. I’m gonna add a carabiner for my make shift door lock to my bag as well! Thank you everyone! I’ve been wanting to go backpacking for a while now! Have got all my gear but have kept putting it off because I couldn’t find anyone to come with me. Well I took the plunge and decided I’m doing it alone and not waiting any longer. I have a backcountry site reservation for this weekend (only a mile from the parking lot so not crazy) Any tips on first trip and staying safe? Tips for handling being in the dark alone?

I’m looking to come back to Cloudland canyon, black rock mountain, or Vogel state park in the early or late spring (March or late May). The walk in sites are the right kind of camping for me… however, I’m concerned about bear activity! Do the walk in sites at any of these parks have bear boxes? Is it a pain to take scented items/cookware/food to and from the site?

Aside from that, I’ve been to Cloudland and black rock mtn in the fall, but never in the spring and I’ve never been to Vogel. Is March or May a better time to camp in any of those spots, and any that is particularly worth visiting that time of year? I’ve only done limited hiking in the two I’ve seen, so there’s plenty more for me to explore.

Thanks all.

Hey. Not sure if this is the right place or not. But me and my friends are big time adventurers, back country camping, overnight hiking, etc. with that said, we’re thinking of doing some type of 2-3 night boating/river floating adventure where we could launch from one spot and float/boat down the river, pull off and camp for the night, then do it again the next day. Are there any rivers big enough to do this in the south east (we’re willing to travel across states if we have too).

I had a one night camping trip planned with a buddy at Lake Lanier this weekend.

When I was booking one of the campsites Forsyth county manages, a red writing appeared saying this site allows minimum 2 night stay on weekends or holidays. Which I think it’s a ridiculous system.

I cannot stay another night and my schedule isn’t that flexible to try another time. So I’m wondering if I could call their office to just book a one night since their website doesn’t allow me to.

Summer break is now over (less people camping)and I wonder if they would be flexible enough for me to do that.

Has anyone had success booking one night on a weekend? Any thoughts?

Thanks a lot!

Hey y’all,

I’m not very familiar with the area but I wanted to know if there were any swimming spots near Dalton or Calhoun, especially swimming along the Oostanaula River.

Thanks!

I'm planning on heading there tomorrow late afternoon and hoping to find a spot and setup before dark then in the morning I'll hike to High shoal falls and leave later in the day.

I have camping essentials as I've car camped before but never solo, so it'll be good to know if Tray mountain rd area is a good spot to camp solo?

Also, it's the 4th of July next day so would the crowds make it hard for me to find a spot?

I'll possibly have to camp on Indian grave rd to stay closer to the falls instead of camping on tray mountain rd.

And lastly, how are the camp sites in this area? Just find an empty spot on the side of the road and camp? Or are the campsites some distance away from the road?

I know this is a stretch but we just got to our reserved campsite at low gap campground outside of Helen and someone has a tent pitched. We tell her the site is reserved and she says all the sites are double booked which I don’t believe. The reservation is through recreation.gov and I’m trying to talk to them but no answer. Who should I talk to?

Hi there! My friend and I will be camping at the stafford beach campsite in Cumberland island for the first time on 4th of July wknd. We have a few questions. Are there a lot of park rangers on the island? We were told when we called the customer service phone number that we can’t bring a wagon but it’s a 3.5 mile to the campsite. Wondering if I can get away with bringing one anyways lol I know we can take bikes but we haven’t ridden one in a while and figured a wagon would be easier. Any tips and tricks to carry gear and supplies for a a 3 day 2 night camp would be appreciated. Anything you can tell me about the hike it’s self would also be appreciated, actually anything you feel is important to know about the whole place would be appreciated.

I’m looking for a campsite in north ga that can fit like 8 people and tents and has a place we can park but we don’t want like a designated campsite. If anyone knows any lowkey spots lmk

Me and my wife are planning on doing a weekend camping trip at the end of the month up in the North GA Mountains, I haven't been camping in 20+ years, but I went camping up there with my Grandpa a long time ago before he passed and thought it would be fun to take my wife up there to see the beauty.

I just had a couple questions that I can't seem to get a straight forward answer to just searching Google:
-You only need reservations if you're planning on getting a cottage to "camp" in and not to setup a tent/fire/etc on a campground in GA State Parks, correct?

-How concerned should I be with bears/coyotes/etc up there, and also; I don't have an actual weapons permit, but since we have Constitutional Carry, I should be safe to bring my pistol and rifle to protect us while camping, correct?

-Finally; I haven't been camping in more than 20 years, and we're planning on just 2 nights max for now (maybe 1 depending on how we're feeling!) can anyone recommend a cool camp site up in the North GA mountains? I really wish I could remember where my Grandpa took me camping decades ago but I was a young kid, and I can't ask him anymore, but I do remember we got lost and ended up coming out in Tennessee by accident, so if anyone has any recommendations I'm all ears!

And finally, if anyone just has any tips n tricks in general for a new camper, I'd still love to hear that too, I think this is gonna be a new hobby of ours going out and doing hiking and camping if the trip this month goes well, thanks in advance, and be safe out there everyone!

Help us double check this packing list, first time going camping as the adults in charge :)

context: This is a drive up camping spot in a mountainous area in North GA near a little lake. We will have access to bathrooms & potable water. each site has a fire pit, picnic table, and a lantern hook. There are black bears in the area.

Shelter: - pop up tent - Cots - Sleeping bags & liner - 1 awning that will stretch from the car & over tent to keep cool / dry - Poles for awning - Rope for awning - Mini rope lights - Mini chargeable fan to hang in top of tent - camping chairs

Food: - wood + dryer lint as a fire starter - lighter + matches - 2-3 frozen jugs of water - Pack of hot dogs & buns + cooking skewers - Pre made burritos to heat over coals - premade baked potato’s to heat over coals - Oat meal - Pb & j supplies - Snacks: granola bars, etc.

Bug prevention: - rechargeable bug zapper - Bug spray - Citronella incense

Recreation: - sunscreen - inflatable tube + paddle to hang in lake - life jacket - Swim suit - Hiking boots - Hiking backpack - Ebook reader

Personal safety: - Self defense pepper gel - Bear spray + holster

Anything I’m missing ? Anything you’d leave at home ?

Thanks in advance!

I have my eyes set on a Tesla model Y as my next car and I wonder if it's suitable for dispersed camping in North GA forests? I have not done any in my current car because it's very low to the ground and driving on forest service road was a major pain in the butt. I love the Tesla especially the camping mode and self driving and all these tech stuff, but I wonder if it's ok on dirt roads of North GA public lands.

Second Q: is AWD necessary? The standard Tesla is Rear wheel drive.

Mid-forties woman here looking for a hiking buddy.

I live in ITP Atlanta. I hate the heat but I'm willing to travel to hiking spots in the mountains, or hike in the early morning hours, and anytime during fall, spring, and "winter."

Has anyone swam in the Lula Lake. Is it patrolled by anyone?

the few i’ve been recommended show as closed online; i’m looking for a 5-8 mile hike with a spot to swim!