Camping in Vogel State Park: No Cell Service Here!

With over 100 camping sites and 34 cottages, you won’t want to miss camping in Vogel State Park.  This hidden gem in north Georgia offers a picturesque lake, over 20 miles of trails, and even mini golf!

Whether you are looking for a day on the lake, an unplugged weekend getaway, or a week spent in a cottage in the woods, Vogel State Park has it all.  So check it out and book sooner rather than later.  This state park does fill up!

Important Links

Vogel State Park website

Vogel State Park Campground Map

Camping Reservations for Vogel State Park – reserve here!

Vogel State Park Trail Map

Hiking in Vogel State Park – My Post Here

Camping Checklist FREEBIE

Location

Just south of Blairsville, Georgia, this state park is tucked away in the mountains of northern Georgia.  Vogel State Park is the perfect getaway location for anyone in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and even Alabama.  And here’s why!

• 2 hours east of Chattanooga, TN
• 2 hours north of Atlanta, GA
• 2.5 hours west of Greenville, SC
• 2.5 hours southwest of Charlotte, NC
• 4 hours east of Huntsville, AL

So if you live in or near one of these cities, and want to get away for an unplugged weekend, you can be there within a few hours.  

Time to Spend Here

As far as camping goes, it’s hard to give a straight answer of how much time to spend at Vogel State Park.  If you’re just looking for a lake day and a place to stay that night, then a single night will suffice.  But if you are looking to hike all, or most of the, trails then a weekend to 3 or even 4 days should do.  

On the other hand, if you are looking for a week away from phone service and the hustle and bustle of life, then Vogel is a great choice.  Really, the choice is up to you and what is highest on your priority list. 

Just to give you an idea, we spent a weekend here.  Our itinerary for hiking in Vogel State Park is below.  Feel free to copy this or modify it to fit your agenda!  

Our Itinerary

Friday: We drove to Vogel State Park, set up camp around 7pm.  We had a small fire and went to bed by 10pm to be fresh for the morning’s hike.

Saturday: Early to rise and eat breakfast before hiking Blood Mountain on the Appalachian Trail.  We came back to camp, showered, and just after dinner we walked the Trahlyta Lake Trail to view the sunset from the far side of the lake.  We then walked back to the campsite, packed up most of our stuff and went to bed.

Sunday: Woke up a little later than usual, packed up camp, then hiked the Bear Hair Gap Trail inside Vogel State Park.  We then hit the road and headed back home to middle Tennessee.  

Feel free to copy our Itinerary if this suits you, or stay longer and add other tasks to your agenda.  You could also just visit the lake for the day if that is more your speed.  Whatever your idea of a good visit to this north Georgia park, it’s definitely worth a stop.

Hiking Options – LINK TO HIKING VOGEL STATE PARK POST

If hiking is your main reason for camping in Vogel State Park, here are your options that lie within the park.  

• Byron Herbert Reece Nature Trail – 0.8 Mile Loop – Elevation Gain: 170 feet
• Bear Hair Gap Trail – 4.4 Mile Loop – Elevation Gain: 970 feet
• Trahlyta Lake Trail – 1 Mile Loop – Elevation Gain: 60 feet
• Coosa Backcountry Trail – 12.9 Mile Loop – Elevation Gain: 3600 feet
• Reece Farm Heritage Trail – 1.5 Mile – Connects the Trahlyta Lake to Reece Farm 

There are also a plethora of trails nearby! Trails like the Appalachain Trail…ever heard of it?

Whichever you choose, you will enjoy steep north Georgia mountain hiking.  Get that proper footwear and hit the trails!

For more details on our hikes, check out my post on Hiking in Vogel State Park.  This will provide pictures and details of the trails we did, plus some great information about the park!

Campground 

When it comes to camping in Vogel State Park, there are several options.  You have Walk-in Tent sites, Tent/RV/Camper sites, and for the glampers, there are Cottages.  

This large campground has a total of 90 Tent/Camper/RV sites, 18 Walk-In Tent sites, and 34 Cottages on their own loop.  Essentially, whatever fits your form of camping, or budget, there are options!  Just make sure you book as soon as you know your camping dates.  Like most popular state parks, this place fills up fast!  There were no openings on the weekend that we camped here.

One final word about this campground (and all campgrounds for that matter!).  Be sure to read the description of the site before you book.  Vogel State Park has 2 sizes available, up to a 25 foot camper or up to a 40 foot camper.  So be careful when booking!

In my experience, Georgia State Parks are great at listing all the details of the campsite, but only after you click on them.  So before you bust out those credit card numbers, make sure you read every line so you aren’t caught in a difficult spot when you get there.  

Details

• 90 Tent, Trailer and RV sites with electric hook-up – Book Here
• 18 Walk-In campsites – Book Here
• 34 Cottages – Book Here
• Sand Beach (Seasonal)
• Kayak and SUP rental options
• Mini Golf Course at the Visitor’s Center
• Playground
• Several Bath Houses throughout the park

But what is best for you? Let me help you decide!

Walk-In Sites

Walk-In Sites are a great and cheap option for a solo traveler or a family of up to 6 people.  There is no electricity here, so bring your charger packs, but its a great way to get away on a weekend without breaking the bank.

If you aren’t familiar with walk-in sites, there is truth in the name.  You walk into your site, leaving your car at a parking lot nearby.  

I will admit the first time I booked a walk-in site, I didn’t realize what I was booking and we had to walk over a quarter mile to our site while dragging our stuff all the way out there.  Oops!  Don’t make my mistake!

So if you have a lot of gear, either consider only taking the essentials, or looking at a tent/camper/RV site where you will be able to park right next to your tent.  

Tent/Camper/RV Sites

These sites are the typical camping sites where you park your car, take 3 steps and boom you’ve reached your camp for the weekend.  Simply set up your tent or level your rig and you’re good to go.  

This kind of site does have electricity and water hookup at Vogel State Park, but runs at a slightly higher price.  

There are 2 lengths of campsite.  Some which can accommodate up to a 25 foot rig, and some that can accommodate up to a 40 foot rig.  Make sure you fit before you book!

There is a filter on the reservation site, so you can easily enter what type of equipment  you have and then determine which sites would be a good fit for you.  Just remember, the larger your rig, the fewer options you have.  In other words, book sooner rather than later.

Cottages

And finally we have the nicest (and most expensive) accommodations in Vogel State Park, the cottages.  

There are 34 cottages here and they range from an Efficiency cottage, a 1 bedroom cottage, a 2 bedroom cottage, and all the way up to a 3 bedroom cottage.  

The Efficiency Cottage is for 2 people, the 1 bedroom option will accommodate up to 4 people, the 2 bedroom up to 6, and the 3 bedroom option up to 10 people.  

PLEASE NOTE: If you are planning to bring your furry friend, be aware there is a pet fee and there are only 8 cottages that are pet-friendly.  May the odds be ever in your favor with getting one of those!

Now that you know what each kind of site might be best for you, lets come down to the nitty gritty of the numbers.

Price Comparison

• 1 Walk-in site is $30 per night, or $210 per week
• 1 Tent/Camper/RV site is $42 per night, or $294 per week
• Efficiency Cottage is $135 per night, or $945 per week
• 1 Bedroom Cottage is $155 per night, or $1,085 per week
• 2 Bedroom Cottage is $230 per night, or $1,610 per week
• 3 Bedroom Cottage is $260 per night, or $1,820 per week

Depending on your budget, there is something for everyone.  We chose the $30 per night option as this was the cheapest option.  The way we see it, we are really only sleeping at this campsite, so the cheaper the better!

Which leads me to how do you book a cabin or a campsite?

Here is the link for campsite reservations and Here is the link for cottage reservations.  

Now, we camped here for a weekend at the end of July, and here are our thoughts on the campground.

Our Camping Experience

First thing to note (again), there is literally no service at this park.  Not even a little bit.  So if you are an internet addict, be prepared to bring a book or something to do.  

Next impression: This campground is huge!  We were surprised at how big it was as the last state park we camped at had a very small campground.  

After you enter the park and check-in at the visitor’s center, you turn to the left and head back to all the camping areas.  The cottages appear first and they are on their own loop, which we drove right on through since we were tent camping.  

Next are the electric sites for Tents, Campers and RVs.  These sites are split up into 4 different sections and offer a great deal of space for campers up to 40 feet.  We saw it all, from bus-sized RVs to little tear-drop campers.  But again, we passed through one of these loops to finally come to the walk-in sites.

Our Site

This small loop is home to a mere 18 campsites with no electricity.  Each site has a large tent pad and a fire ring, picnic table and a bear hang.  It’s very bare bones, but it’s all we need.

Now, this is called a walk-in site because you have to park your car and lug all your gear to your site.  I was prepared for this and looked at the map ahead of time so we weren’t stuck walking a quarter mile back to our car like the last time…oops!

In the photo below you can see the tail lights of my truck and the bright green tent is ours. So not a terrible walk-in site.

It took just a few short trips to be set up and we had a small fire the first night before heading to bed.  The next morning we hiked in the Georgia heat, and came back to some much needed showers.  

Now I know what you must be thinking.  How nice could a bath house for a walk-in campground really be?  The answer is pretty nice!  It’s cleaned daily, and the hot water was all I wanted when I got back from a day of hiking.  Sure, it’s not a hotel or your home bathroom, but we were happy to have the warm water and to be clean!

On our last night we were sent to bed early when a nasty thunderstorm rolled through the area.  So yes, our gear was wet when we woke up and packed up the next morning, but this didn’t deter us from having a great stay at this peaceful campground.  

Here’s a quick snapshot before you go!

Pros

• Walk-In Sites are cheap!
• The lake is beautiful
• Bath houses with bathrooms and hot showers
• Great hiking in the area
• Well-kept campground with lots of sites to choose from
• Cottages for Glampers
• Dog Friendly

Cons

• No phone service
• The Walk-In Sites were quite close together 

Conclusion

All and all we had a great experience hiking and camping in Vogel State Park! The walk-in sites offered us a cheap weekend getaway and of course, my required warm shower.

And while there is no phone service here, we had a great time just spending quality and unplugged time together. This is a perfect weekend getaway location to get away from work or school if you need some true peace and quiet.

If you are looking to camp here, make sure you book sooner rather than later, as this campground does fill up, especially on weekends.

Happy Camping!