Lake Winfield Scott Campground

Stayed in the off season. No attendants but they provided a fee box to pay. Hiking and fishing on site.

This Forest Service park has two camping areas. The south loop is closed during the winter while the north loop remains open all year. There are no hookups at any time, but water and porta potties are available during the winter. There are bath houses open during the season. It appeared that the park is unattended during this time of year as we saw no rangers or other staff at any time.

Check the FS site for pricing. The signage at the entry referred to 2017 and did not reflect their winter rates (generally 1/2 of the in-season rates). You'll need cash for the envelope! You can reserve sites in the south loop during the season, but the north is walk-in all year.

Most of the sites are suitable for RVs of various sizes; several are pull-through. Most are very generously spaced. Sites 24-28 are realistic only for tent or truck camping. Only #4 in the south loop looked impossibly un-level. I've attached pictures of my favorites. The drive to the park, while winding on narrow roads, was completely fine for our truck and 25ft AS. It was about 1-1/2 hours from Atlanta.

But enough with the practicalities. This was, so far, my favorite camping experience in Georgia!! So much goodness:
1. Quiet! We arrived on a sunny Friday in March. There was not a soul in the campground until later that night. Over the entire weekend, there were only a few others, all tent campers and well dispersed and quiet.
2. Space! We took the double site ($18/night at the winter or pass rate) and had so much space and our own private creek access. The dogs were in heaven and we had a perfect happy hour spot at the edge. But the single sites offer plenty of space too!
3. Stars! The 1st night was incredibly clear; something we don't see often so close to Atlanta.
4. Activities! A 2.7 mile trail from the park connects to the Appalachian Trail. A small lake is available for fishing/paddling and there's a beach area that's open during the season. By connecting the lake trail with the campground loops and the entrance road, you can put together a 4-5mile running route. This area is also popular with cyclists though the roads are hilly, narrow and there is little shoulder.

We had such a nice, peaceful weekend. The only "downside" was NO cell service. It was about 2 miles back towards the community of Suches until we had VZ and ATT bars.

We'll be back in the fall!

We loved our stay here. We stayed during the quarantine for COVID-19. Only 4 other campers. It was like having the place to ourselves, which was the point. Very nice trials. We had site 34 in the North loop which is a pull thru site. It had a pretty good slope down hill but it worked. The South loop wasn’t open yet. We had a creek for my daughter and the dogs to play in. A very relaxing weekend despite my husband breaking the battery switch on the camper. Sites are well spaced for the most part. We will be back.

Sites are well separated by the woods and are level. Only about 4 have electricity and water. Trails lead out of the campground. A favorite is the trail to the lake and the trail around the lake. Even on a fall weekend, the silence of the woods was extraordinary.

We stayed here in October. We had a terrific weekend at one of only four hookup sites at Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The hookup sites, 12-15 on the South Loop, are closer together than the dry camping sites, but still had decent spacing. We parked a 28 foot trailer with tow vehicle on Site 13, with room to spare. The campground is operated by a concessionaire, and we saw them driving through regularly. Very quiet and dark at night. Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia, is nearby, along with a lot of beautiful waterfalls. This is a great place to get away from it all, and we do mean all. We had no cell phone signal and no over the air tv. We drove a couple miles toward Suches and got a good signal on Verizon. One big caveat-- access is not friendly for larger rigs. Getting here requires driving up a very winding mountain road. Georgia 60 up from Dahlonega is the way we came, and it was very tight with our 28 foot trailer. We wouldn't recommend anything larger. (On the way out, we passed a three-axle fifth-wheeler trying to make a curve on the way up. It had tires in the ditch, with the tow vehicle halfway across the other lanes blocking traffic. Don't try it.) We would absolutely not recommend coming up on Georgia 180 from Vogel State Park with anything larger than a pop-up or Casita type trailer. We marked access down for that reason, but if you are small enough to make the climb, it is well worth it.

There was one other camper there. No staff, restrooms closed and water off in the 1st come area of 18 sites but the sites are wonderful. It probably is much more populated during summer with day users. It was a great overnight since we are completely self sufficient. There is a couple trails, one 1.8 miles around the lake and the other goes off into the wilderness.