Black Rock Mountain State Park

We have camped here multiple times when we had a 28 foot Argosy motorhome. The website lists that the maximum RV length is 25 feet but I think you could fit up to 32 feet. I think this because our friends stayed with us in their 32 foot motorhome. I love this campground. It sits at about 3400 feet in elevation in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a bit of a climb, but it the views and the sweet cool summer air...heaven. Mountain Laurels are everywhere, the climate is cool and humid with the sweet smell of mountain foliage. Lots of great hiking can be found right around the park from easy strolls to challenging long hikes.

The Osage Farmers Market, which is open daily in the summer, is not to be missed. it can be found about 15 minutes north of the campground on Hwy 23. Talulah Gorge is about 20 minutes to the south. This part of the Georgia Blue Ridge is quite magical. I have always found Black Rock Mountain to be a great jumping off point to enjoy many of the great things that the area has to offer.

PROS:
Great respite from the summer heat
Excellent hiking right from the park
Lovely views and spectacular foliage
Nice privacy between sites
Good water and electric hookups

CONS:
Not big rig friendly

After years of wanting to camp here we finally did in prime foliage season! This place stays booked most of the year so book early. All sites are listed as 25' but there are about 10 that will handle longer rigs. Unfortunately you can't reserve a specific site so it's luck of the draw what will be available when your arrive. The roads are tight but manageable. The camp and facilities are top notch and well cared for. A few of the sites are private but most are on top of each other with no vegetation between them. The camp host were friendly and very helpful. There are tons of things to do in the surrounding area. Be sure to take the road from Franklin NC to Highlands NC. The Dillard house restaurant is a delicious eatery just a few miles up the road. Black rock gives you a sense of isolation with the conveniences you want close by.

This state park is at 3,400 foot elevation (approx.) making it the highest state park in Georgia. The road in was fairly narrow and twisty as well as the campground roads themselves. The sites are nicely maintained but on the small side. Each site has a table, fire ring and grill with water & electric hook ups. They are perfect for tent camping and/or smaller travel trailers and pop-ups. There are a couple sites large enough for conventional 20 to 26 foot travel trailers but only a couple. We were there in August and it was cooler than the lower elevations. There are many scenic overlooks and the north Georgia mountains are beautiful anytime of the year. If anyone is interested, you can see the Campground in the video from our trip .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGIS1SLssho&index=1&list=PL2v8LB6vz74sfHnqrsK05tUxQ04kIz1ZN

This park is my favorite overall GA state park so far. I loved the cool air in July, the incredible views, and the many opportunities to get out and explore nature. The climb is steep so take your time if you ever visit this park. The summit of the mountain is 3,640 feet. When you are about a mile from the Visitor Center you'll see the turn-off for the RV and tent camping. You can actually turn there and check in with the nice folks at the Trading Post instead of continuing up to the Visitor Center at the top of the mountain, but the view from up there is absolutely stunning. You don't even have to hike at all in order to see the vista before you. You can see NC, SC, and TN all from this point. In the back of the Visitor Center they have a plaque with the names of the mountains you are seeing. Very cool and helpful. By their restrooms they have an enormous relief map of the entire area. I loved that.

This is another park where you don't get to reserve an actual spot but we were blessed with the absolute best spot (in our opinion), Site #40. It was nice and private. Our 19' Aerolite travel trailer was one of the largest RVs up in this park.  The majority of the sites are not very large, but they are set up nicely. Many more tent campers were interspersed in this park among the RVs and it worked just fine. You really can get to know your neighbors if you choose to, or you can just stay in your site and avoid eye contact if interaction isn't your thing. The people that run the park were all very nice and helpful. The guests were considerate and engaging. We met all types of campers from some FL folks with loads of great camping tips that had been returning to this state park every summer for 39 years down to a guy who was having his maiden voyage and learning everything the hard way, to every type of camper in between. There was always something going on. A raccoon was causing some mischief around the campground so I heard a few funny stories about it. I caught a quick glimpse of the masked scoundrel one night as it ran across our site, under our camper, and through the bushes behind it. Definitely put your garbage in the designated garbage building up there.

Check with the good people at the Visitor Center and Trading Post about fun events happening during your stay. One night they hosted a potluck dinner with guitar music and fun. They also had guided hikes and a rock painting party. They really want you to enjoy your visit. You'll be so full of good things to do that you won't even want to spend much time using the incredible cell coverage (Verizon).  Well, maybe just to post pictures...

A definite MUST is driving on down to the Black Rock Mountain Lake. It is gorgeous. The easy trail around it is a .85 mile loop. Sounds of nature soothe the soul there, I'm not kidding. There are babbling creek and waterfall sounds, songbirds, frogs, and the gentle breeze flowing through the trees. You can have a perfect picnic at one of the many tables dispersed throughout the flora and fauna. If fishing is your thing you just can't miss this lake. It is stocked. We saw huge trout just walking around the lake.

The Tennessee Rock Trail is a 2.2 mile loop. Honestly, it felt to me like it was 8 miles. Very strenuous. The shrubs were growing over the trail in a few places and I was concerned about getting poison ivy on my exposed shins and ankles, but I didn't come across any. Still, I would recommend pants on that hike during the summer months. The hike was really worth the effort. The views were grand. One highlight was when we came to the sign telling us we were at the Eastern Continental Divide. The ridge there separates the rain that flows toward the Atlantic from the rain that flows toward the Gulf of Mexico.

We also did the Ada-Hi Trail which is only .25 miles each way. Don't be fooled, though. You will get a real workout. Thankfully, there are benches on the way just in case you need to catch your breath. The many stairs down to the little waterfall flowing over a small area of exposed rock are definitely harder to traverse on the way back up. Take your time and bring water to drink.

We didn't do the 7.2 mile loop of the James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail. I definitely want to work up to it. They sell a t-shirt in the Visitor Center that is for those who survived this trail. I want that.  LOL There are many other trails at this park that we didn't get a chance to try. We are absolutely set on coming back.

The town of Clayton has some delicious food. We enjoyed burgers at the Universal Joint and the best reuben and onion rings ever at Rumor Hazit. The town has cute stores to check out, too. Outside Clayton is a town called Tiger. They have a roadside attraction called Goats on the Roof that is just adorable. Goats...walking on their grass-covered roofs, across bridges, and into a pen where you can feed them. The owners sell fudge, jellies, ice cream, and lots of souveniers. I'm glad we stopped because it was just fun backroads Americana at it's best.

On our last night we could hear thunder echoing over the mountain ranges and we got a little rain. Then a cloud came up over the campground and cooled everyone off. It cleared up in about an hour. You just don't get these experiences everywhere. This is a very special place.

Black Rock Mountain State Park 
3085 Black Rock Mountain Pkwy
Mountain City, Georgia 30562
Phone: (706) 746-2141
Sites: 66
Recent Rate: $32

This is a small campground with several overlooks offering spectacular views! We plan on returning in a couple of weeks. I was not impressed by the bathhouse and hope that situation is improved when we return. The lower part of the shower had several areas covered in mold/mildew. All someone has to do is use a brush and some bleach! The visitor’s center is very nice and sits next to more areas to take in those amazing views. The campground is not too far from grocery, pharmacy, fast food, etc. The campground is quiet with a couple of exceptions. An employee golf cart backfired right at our site several times. The first time I thought the noise was gunfire! A Ga Park truck (with side rails?) came through the campsite several nights very noisily around 10 pm. I’m not sure why the truck would need to be coming through at that time, especially since it was making a lot of noise. Our site was next to the road and it woke us up. Our windows almost rattled! Noise reduction would have made our experience more pleasant.

Due to limited space at the Visitor Center we were advised to go directly to the campsite first and set up before checking in. This worked at great. While the roads are narrow and campsites small they are manageable. We were able to hike to the trail head from our campsite which was nice since the parking at the trail head was packed. If you are thinking of visiting this park, do it.

About the drive up, take great care. The road is narrow and anything longer than 20' towed or 30' overall will likely need to use all of the road in some spots. There are tight switchbacks and opposing traffic can be a showstopper if they don't know what they're doing. There are no turnouts or backing up. for the most of the ascent. Good brakes are needed for the descent. Also, the turnaround at the end of the park is super tight. Longer rigs, you may want to walk it before approaching it. Also consider making the approach/descent during off peak hours to avoid opposing traffic.

If you can make it up, you'll be rewarded with some of the best views anywhere in a state park!

I was in a 26 foot bumper pull and it was hairy!

Stayed 5/1 - 5/ 3 - our site (22) we could barely fit our 19' and two cars. However, it offered some privacy and had a decent view and nice sunsets. Road up to park is narrow, but not so narrow that if careful, two cars couldn't pass. Very nice views that can be accessed by walking/hiking or parking with a short walk. Being the highest state park in GA, the air was cooler than surrounding areas and seemed fresh. Park was clean and quiet.

Highest state park in Georgia earns its name. It’s a beautiful lush campground that is best suited for tent camping and smaller rigs although we did see a couple of brave fifth wheelers. The ride up is certainly not for the faint of heart but we made it up and down without any problems. Our site number 44 was long enough for our airstream but not a lot of parking room for our truck. While the sites were somewhat close together there was enough foliage and trees so that you still maintained some privacy. Site was clean with a fire pit and table. Great hiking trails that you can access right from the campground. Check-in was easy by going directly to the camp Ground trading post. The bathrooms and laundry facilities were very clean. We had full bars on Verizon so great Wi-Fi coverage. I really recommend walking the trails around the park as they give you some beautiful vistas, although the 7.2 mile Edmonds Trail is fairly challenging.You’re also close enough to North Carolina that you can take advantage of some hikes such as Dryfalls and Glen Falls. We didn’t eat out at any restaurants due to Covid but we did stop by goats on the roof for some of their ice cream which was very tasty. Plus, a chance to see goats on the roof is not something you see every day..

I would say that Black Rock Mountain State Park is a Top 5 Georgia State Park in our opinion. Great overlooks and nice hiking trails. Being close to the town of Clayton is a plus also! They only have 44 campsites but they also have cabins and the view from Cabin 4 there is as good as I have seen at any state park!