Hello, we’re from Florida and we’ll be staying in the Rising Fawn area during Thanksgiving week. We wanted some hiking trail suggestions that are kid friendly and/or any general hiking with kids tips/tricks.

We’re planning to hike in Cloud Canyon and visit Chattanooga area for hiking.

Thank you so much for your help, hiking pros!

Hello everyone, I wanted to get a pulse check from those who have camped at Jellystone Park in Bremen, GA. I know it’s not a rustic or scenic campground by any means… I am wanting to book a cabin (the Dogwood floor plan) for myself, my husband, and my 16 month old son this fall.

If you’ve stayed there, especially in a cabin, please share your experience. I am wondering a couple things:

1) Do you feel that it was worth the price? The cabin prices seem equivalent to an average hotel price.

2) Do the cabins have any cooking utensils, plates, or pots/pans included? I didn’t notice a grill outside of them either… Maybe I need to look at the pictures closer.

3) Are there any activities on the schedule during the week? Looking at their website, it seems they only have entertainment on the weekend.

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

We are booked at lake Russell recreation area next weekend and curious if it’s a good place for kids and if any issues. See lots of complaints about the bathrooms.. We are near campsite 14 but we’re going to tent camp and wanted to see what was good to do there and around the area. Any info would be helpful and appreciated! Thank you!

EDIT: bathroom near site 14 has many issues but the place itself is GREAT. Quiet, lake is beautiful.. really enjoyed it. THANK YOU for your insight.

Whole tent is flooded right now, everything is soaked, with a thunderstorm right on top of me. But… still pretty awesome. I sorta accepted it at this point. Currently dipping my toes into the puddles of my tent.

I used to hike that trail some years ago. I really liked seeing that big poplar tree. Never did encounter a bear back then. If you have any wildlife sightings story there please let me know.

looking for some new solo hikes!! i usually just do stone mountain because i’m comfortable there and there’s always a lot of people around but i wanna branch out

i don’t mind distance or difficulty since i’m pretty athletic. i just want something busy with lots of foot traffic + a pretty view. preferably around the 2 hour mark from atlanta but i’ll drive farther if it’s worth it!!

also i’m 100lbs so im scared i’ll get snatched or something 😭 huge emphasis on BUSY lol

North Georgia still has places where cold mountain streams run clear, black bears and other wildlife move through unbroken habitat, and people can walk beyond the reach of roads and development. Approximately 56,000 acres of those public lands could now lose a major federal protection.

TAKE ACTION—IT TAKES FEWER THAN FIVE MINUTES. I was surprised by how easy it was.

Detailed explanation:

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The rule protects more than 63,000 roadless acres in Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest. Approximately 56,000 acres—88% of those lands—could lose this protection.

These public lands include places such as Mountaintown Creek and Rabun Bald. They protect trout streams, waterfalls, wildlife habitat and the wild landscapes surrounding portions of the Appalachian, Bartram and Benton MacKaye trails. Mountaintown Creek is also home to the Gennett Poplar, one of Georgia’s largest trees.

Repeal would not immediately authorize logging everywhere, and some areas have overlapping protections. But it would remove an important safeguard against new roads and the logging and development that roads can enable.

Once a permanent road cuts into an intact forest, the resulting fragmentation, erosion and loss of wild character cannot simply be undone. This decision could shape North Georgia’s mountains, clean-water sources, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation for generations.

Public comments must be received by midnight September 21.

This is not merely a petition. Comments are submitted directly into the official federal rulemaking record. The Forest Service must consider substantive comments and address significant concerns in its final analysis. Those comments can influence the decision, strengthen the public record and help hold the agency accountable.

It takes only a few minutes:

Submit an official comment here:

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FS-2025-0001-223869

You can adapt this:

I live in Georgia and oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Please select the No Action alternative and retain the rule. Georgia’s roadless areas protect clean water, wildlife habitat, intact forests, recreation and local economies. The rule already allows necessary work involving wildfire, disease and public safety. Removing these protections could increase road construction, habitat fragmentation, erosion and long-term maintenance costs. Please retain the Roadless Rule.

Add one sentence about a Georgia forest, trail, stream or community you personally value. You do not need to be an expert—just be specific and explain why protecting these places matters to you. MAKE IT PERSONAL AND UNIQUE SO IT GETS NOTICED.

Wild public land is far easier to protect than to put back together. Please comment before September 21.

Docket: FS-2025-0001 / RIN 0596-AD66

Hello! I’m looking for tent camp site recommendations near Woodstock / ball ground / white area. We’re going with about 6 people in early November for about a night or 2. Most of us have never been camping and others it’s been a very long time.

Located in Stephens County, GA.

I wasn't able to get down to the bottom because my three year old quit on me. Lol

View from the Tennessee Rock Trail at Black Rock Mountain State Park on 8/17

A wonderful hike, and it was so easy that my three year old did it with hardly any complaining. Highly recommend this one, guys!

I was planning to Fall Branch Falls, Swinging Bridge, and Long Creek to hit the number of miles I wanted. The issue is, I’ve done all these hikes before and many of the nearby ones. Are there lesser known ones that may be better instead?

Can anyone suggest good hostels in Georgia? I am gonna travel from India and wish to celebrate NYE'26 there , I wish to socialize and meet people ? I am planning multi city tour , so if anyone can hook me with some local community tour guide types it would be great!

Demorest is attempting to build a water treatment plant on Tallulah Lake, inside Rabun County. Demorest is 20 miles away in a separate county, yet they think they can just take private property and build a large water plant to fund data centers for profit. Tallulah Falls and Rabun County do not want this project. We do not want Demorest taking our property. We do not want or need a water treatment plant on a recreational lake directly across from the public beach. We’re standing together to protect our town, our county, and our lake. Please sign and share our petition to stop this unnecessary land seizure.

TL;DR: **\* Looking for 1–2 night backpacking and day hike recommendations to escape the summer heat. Hikes must be manageable for my wife with mild cerebral palsy who uses trekking poles—she does well on inclines, but needs options without severe technical obstacles, rocks, or steep drop-offs. ***

I'm an intermediate hiker and have had a few overnights in the past. My wife has recently gotten into hiking with me and I really want to encourage it. She has some challenges. She has mild cerebral palsy, limited use of her left hand, limited strength and movement in her left ankle/foot, and poor depth perception.

What this means is that obstacles (roots, rocks, off-camber slope) on trail make us slow waaaay down. The hardest trails we've done so far are were in Cloudland Canyon - West rim and gorge floor, both waterfalls. We did the west rim trail in one day and it took us 7 hours to get through it... but we loved it! She always hikes with trek poles no matter the difficulty. Uphill is no problem. Downhill is difficult but doable and slow if there are obstacles or drops over a few inches.

I'm planning on taking us south to the coast and Providence State Park in the cooler months, but we need recommendations for day hikes, but especially 1-2 night trips during the warmer months. We need to escape the heat. We'll drive as far as TN, AL, NC, SC, FL.

I'm driving myself crazy looking through Alltrails, Gaia, OnX, etc. trying to figure out the best places for us to start. I seriously have 30 tabs open.

Please help me with your recommendations.

Edit: I'm currently following https://www.reddit.com/r/GeorgiaCampAndHike/comments/1vfwggx/suggestions_in_north_ga_for_easy_hikes_with_water/ and a couple others

I’m looking forward to cooler weather and interested in doing some cowboy camping, but honestly somewhat worried… mostly about bugs. Where I grew up there were no ticks (but I think those subside in the fall?) and no millipedes.

What advice, warnings, or tips should I know?!

I will probably still bring my tent, or maybe just the fly and ground sheet as my tents can be pitched fly first, so should be covered for rain if it happens.

Thank you!

(Two night backpacking loops you like would also appreciated! 7-12 miles a day)

Edit: I’ll probably still use a tent here.

Hey y'all! Looking to plan a camping trip in late Aug/early Sept. I am deciding between Cloudland Canyon and Tallulah Gorge. I haven't been to either, but I am hoping to camp in both parks this year. My partner is a less experienced hiker but still a good sport. We have gone camping together, but I think a drive up would site would be preferable. Wondering if anyone had any strong recommendations or opinions? In my eyes, the benefits of Cloudland are the views and proximity to Chattanooga. While Tallulah looks like a more interesting hike, the suspended bridges are enticing. Any thoughts or tips?

I've done some state park camping and really enjoyed it. I'm curious to try something a little more secluded like the dispersed camping on forest roads. I'm just wondering how accessible these roads are typically or if there are any areas more accessible than others. I drive a Nissan Versa and I'm not trying to get stuck.

Im camping there very soon and I've been there once before when it was closed so I didnt do any hiking. I've read that theres a hike that goes to Panther Creek Falls but I am not sure how long that hike is from the campground. Ideally I am trying to figure out if there's a trail that goes to Panther creek which I can start from somewhere close (short drive maybe) to the campground and then hike the rest.

Other than that, are there any other cool hikes in the area?

We used to camp at the Ball Field Group Camp on the southside of Conasauga Lake campground in the Cohuttas.

Anyone know the current condition of the field? FS used to mow it a couple times per summer.

I would hope the tent sites by the treeline are still good.

I'll be staying near Ranger, GA next week. I'm not looking for the big tourist waterfalls. I'm hoping to find some lesser known spots where I can:

• Swim at the base of a waterfall
• Possibly jump from rocks or cliffs
• Don't mind hiking

If you know any waterfalls, swimming holes, or areas worth checking out within about 1–2 hours of Ranger, I'd really appreciate it. Even if it's not a named waterfall, I'd love to hear about it.

Specifically looking for sites that you can drive in and use a rooftop tent. Prefer free camping. Don’t need utilities. The less crowded the better if anyone is willing to share some areas I can look into!

Hello! Not sure if this is the right place for this, so if not I apologize! My partner and I recently decided we wanted to elope in Georgia. We both love hiking, however we want our mothers to come with us who are beginner. They both are able to walk trails, maybe up to two miles max. We were seeing if anyone knew any places that we could either drive to a beautiful spot, or has one close by to the entrance. The ideas we have now are cloudland canyon or Vogel state park, but we have not been to either of these yet so aren’t too familiar with the trails. We’re open to any ideas in Georgia :). Thank you!!

I’m looking to tent camp in the fall. Don’t know which place would be better for a tent. Unicoi is closer to Helen. Which do people prefer?