Free camping near Helen, GA
Yes. 20 of the 37 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Helen, GA are listed as free; 17 charge a fee. The closest free one is A.T. Whitley Gap Shelter, 6.0 miles west, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is Low Gap Campground, 4.3 miles northwest, a fee campground.
Dave has slept at one of these camps. The circle crosses a state line: GA and NC.
All 37 camps near Helen, GA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Gap Campground | 4.3 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Helen | — |
| Andrew'S Cove | 4.8 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Helen | — |
| A.T. Whitley Gap Shelter | 6.0 | Free | Dodd Creek (stream) | 4.2 mi to Hood | — |
| Upper Chattahoochee River Campground | 6.3 | Fee | — | 6.3 mi to Helen | — |
| A.T. Tray Mountain Shelter | 7.2 | Free | Mossy Cove Branch (stream) | 4.5 mi to Mountain Scene | — |
| A.T. Low Gap Shelter | 7.2 | Free | Low Gap Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Hood | — |
| Indian Grave Gap Road Dispersed Campsite 1 | 7.8 | Free | Hiwassee River (stream) | 2.6 mi to Mountain Scene | — |
| A.T. Blue Mountain Shelter | 7.8 | Free | Watkins Branch (stream) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Scene | — |
| Wildcat Campground #1 | 10 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Sautee-Nacoochee | — |
| Wildcat Campground #2 | 10 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Helen | — |
| Desoto Falls Recreation Area | 11 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Yonah | — |
| Dicks Creek Dispersed Area | 12 | Free | Dicks Creek (stream) | 3.7 mi to Porter Springs | — |
| A.T. Blood Mountain Shelter | 12 | Free | Slaughter Creek (stream) | 4.0 mi to Hood | — |
| A.T. Deep Gap Shelter | 13 | Free | Chastain Creek (stream) | 4.1 mi to Osborn | — |
| A.T. Woods Hole Shelter | 13 | Free | Slaughter Creek (stream) | 4.9 mi to Hood | — |
| Lake Winfield Scott Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Blairsville | — |
| Dockery Lake Recreation Area | 14 | Fee | — | 10.0 mi to Dahlonega | — |
| Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area Campground | 15 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Tallulah Falls | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Union County, GA | 17 | Free | — | — | — |
| Lake Chatuge Recreation Area | 17 | Free | Hog Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Friendship | — |
| A.T. Plum Orchard Shelter | 18 | Free | Plumorchard Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Titus | — |
| Tallulah River | 18 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Tate | — |
| A.T. Gooch Mountain Shelter | 19 | Free | Blackwell Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Sarah | — |
| Cooper Creek Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Blairsville | — |
| Tate Branch Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 1.5 mi to Tate | — |
| Lake Russell Recreation Area Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 2.2 mi to Mount Airy | — |
| Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area (Campground) | 20 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Tate | — |
| Jackrabbit Mountain Campground | 21 | Fee | Shooting Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Elf | — |
| Union CountyDave slept here | 21 | Free | — | 11 mi to Dahlonega | — |
| Wilson Shoals WMA - Wilson Shoals Campground | 21 | Free | — | 2.6 mi to Alto | — |
| Rock Creek Dispersed Area | 23 | Free | Little Rock Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Cooper Creek | — |
| A.T. Muskrat Creek Shelter | 23 | Free | Muskrat Branch (stream) | 3.1 mi to Tate City | — |
| A.T. Hawk Mountain Shelter | 23 | Free | Rock Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Three Forks | — |
| Deep Hole Recreation Area | 24 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Morganton | — |
| Montgomery Creek Dispersed Area | 24 | Free | West Fork Montgomery Creek (stream) | 3.7 mi to Three Forks | — |
| Frank Gross Recreation Area | 24 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Morganton | — |
| A.T. Carter Gap Shelter | 24 | Free | — | 3.5 mi to Tate | — |
Who manages the camps near Helen, GA
Who manages them: 35 on the Forest Service; 1 on an agency our record does not name; 1 on Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
- Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests — 33 camps: 17 free, 16 fee
- National Forests in North Carolina — 3 camps: 2 free, 1 fee
- Wilson Shoals WMA — 1 camp: 1 free
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 37 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Helen, GA
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Helen, GA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.