Free camping near Hiawassee, GA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Hiawassee, GA there are 44 camps: 26 free, 18 fee. The closest is Lake Chatuge Recreation Area, 2.0 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Lake Chatuge Recreation Area, 2.0 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: GA and NC.
Who manages them: 43 on the Forest Service; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Chatuge Recreation Area | 2.0 | Free | Hog Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Friendship | — |
| Jackrabbit Mountain Campground | 4.7 | Fee | Shooting Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Elf | — |
| A.T. Deep Gap Shelter | 7.2 | Free | Chastain Creek (stream) | 4.1 mi to Osborn | — |
| Indian Grave Gap Road Dispersed Campsite 1 | 8.6 | Free | Hiwassee River (stream) | 2.6 mi to Mountain Scene | — |
| A.T. Plum Orchard Shelter | 8.9 | Free | Plumorchard Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Titus | — |
| A.T. Blue Mountain Shelter | 9.0 | Free | Watkins Branch (stream) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Scene | — |
| Wildcat Campground #2 | 10 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Helen | — |
| A.T. Tray Mountain Shelter | 11 | Free | Mossy Cove Branch (stream) | 4.5 mi to Mountain Scene | — |
| A.T. Muskrat Creek Shelter | 11 | Free | Muskrat Branch (stream) | 3.1 mi to Tate City | — |
| Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area (Campground) | 11 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Tate | — |
| Wildcat Campground #1 | 11 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Sautee-Nacoochee | — |
| Tate Branch Campground | 11 | Fee | — | 1.5 mi to Tate | — |
| Upper Chattahoochee River Campground | 11 | Fee | — | 6.3 mi to Helen | — |
| Tallulah River | 11 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Tate | — |
| Andrew'S Cove | 12 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Helen | — |
| Bristol Horse Camp | 12 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Hayesville | — |
| Fires Creek Campground | 12 | Free | Huskins Branch (stream) | 0.8 mi to Fires Creek | — |
| A.T. Low Gap Shelter | 13 | Free | Low Gap Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Hood | — |
| Low Gap Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Helen | — |
| A.T. Carter Gap Shelter | 15 | Free | — | 3.5 mi to Tate | — |
| Kimsey Creek Group Campground | 15 | Fee | — | 6.7 mi to Tate | — |
| Hurricane Creek Horse & Primitive Camp | 15 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Tate | — |
| Nantahala Lake Dispersed Camping Site - Lake Access | 16 | Free | Johnson Branch (stream) | 3.6 mi to Aquone | — |
| A.T. Rock Gap Shelter | 16 | Free | Little Rock Branch (stream) | 2.4 mi to Rainbow Springs | — |
| A.T. Long Branch Shelter | 16 | Free | Long Branch (stream) | 3.5 mi to Teresita | — |
| A.T. Standing Indian Shelter | 17 | Free | Bearpen Creek (stream) | 4.4 mi to McDonald Mill | — |
| A.T. Siler Bald Shelter | 17 | Free | Right Prong Rough Fork (stream) | 3.5 mi to Rainbow Springs | — |
| A.T. Whitley Gap Shelter | 17 | Free | Dodd Creek (stream) | 4.2 mi to Hood | — |
| Macon CountyDave slept here | 17 | Free | Shope Fork (stream) | 4.1 mi to McDonald Mill | — |
| Wine Spring Horse Camp | 18 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Andrews | — |
| A.T. Blood Mountain Shelter | 18 | Free | Slaughter Creek (stream) | 4.0 mi to Hood | — |
| A.T. Woods Hole Shelter | 19 | Free | Slaughter Creek (stream) | 4.9 mi to Hood | — |
| Lake Winfield Scott Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Blairsville | — |
| Desoto Falls Recreation Area | 19 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Yonah | — |
| A.T. Wayah Bald Shelter | 20 | Free | Little Laurel Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Slickrock Ford | — |
| Appletree Group Camp | 20 | Free | Appletree Branch (stream) | 2.3 mi to Aquone | — |
| Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Tallulah Falls | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Union County, GA | 20 | Free | — | — | — |
| Dicks Creek Dispersed Area | 21 | Free | Dicks Creek (stream) | 3.7 mi to Porter Springs | — |
| Cooper Creek Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Blairsville | — |
| Hanging Dog Campground | 22 | Free | Hanging Dog Creek (stream) | 0.7 mi to Grape Creek | — |
| A.T. Cold Spring Shelter | 22 | Free | Burningtown Branch (stream) | 2.3 mi to Burnett Fields | — |
| Dockery Lake Recreation Area | 23 | Fee | — | 10.0 mi to Dahlonega | — |
| Big Snowbird Rd USFS Free Campground | 25 | Free | Polecat Branch (stream) | 1.7 mi to Dentons | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Hiawassee, 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.