As winter settles in, camping opportunities become more limited in most parts of the United States. However, for much of the South—as well as RVers and ambitious cold-weather enthusiasts—camping season never ends. Throughout national forests across the U.S., year-round camping options are abundant, offering many amenities and accessibility options.
Outwander used Forest Service data from the Department of Agriculture to identify Georgia campgrounds in national forests available throughout the year, based on a national analysis. We looked at the number and names of available year-round campgrounds for each.
National parks, from Yellowstone and Grand Canyon to Acadia and Valley Forge, focus largely on preserving natural and historic resources. National forests, meanwhile, are managed for everything from recreation and resource preservation to grazing and wildlife.
With the overcrowding (especially in recent years) of visitors to national parks, national forests can offer a welcome respite for travelers seeking peace and solitude. Visitors should always check forest and campground websites before traveling in case of weather advisories or temporary closures.
Several national forests feature just one or two year-round campgrounds, while Idaho's Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest boasts 40. Depending on the adventure you're pursuing—whether snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or avoiding the white stuff altogether and opting for a trip south for warm-weather hiking—these campgrounds provide a range of settings to serve as home base during every kind of outdoor escape.
Keep reading to discover which national forests have year-round campgrounds in Georgia.
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Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 19
- Campground names:
--- Cottonwood Patch Campground
--- Hickey Gap Campground
--- Jacks River Fields Campground (Limited access in winter)
--- Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area
--- Lake Russell Boat Launch and Beach Areas
--- Sarah's Creek Campground
--- Tallulah River Campground
--- West Fork Campground
--- Willis Knob Horse Camp
--- Panther Creek Recreation Area
--- Cooper Creek Recreation Area
--- Deep Hole Recreation Area
--- DeSoto Falls Recreation Area
--- Lake Winfield Scott Campground (Partial seasonal closure)
--- Morganton Point Campground
--- Mulky Campground
--- Toccoa River Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area
--- Lake Sinclair Recreation Area
--- Oconee River Campground
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Nicole Caldwell, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 28 states.
This story originally appeared on Outwander and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.