Camping, trails, maps & photo credits — Chattahoochee National Forest
Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia offers Forest Service recreation at Lake Winfield Scott Campground, Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area. For a walking or hiking visit, start with Lake Winfield Scott Campground, Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area. Each recreation site has its own facilities and access rules; use the official maps and current site instructions to plan your visit.
Camping & reservations
The booking button opens the official reservation destination for Lake Winfield Scott Campground. Other campgrounds in this forest may have separate reservations, first-come sites or district permits. Read the current instructions for your chosen site.
Lake Winfield Scott Campground ↗
Open with no water. Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area is a destination recreation location situated high in a mountain valley. The recreation area offers year-round recreation opportunities including camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, swimming and hiking centered around the beautiful 18-acre lake. The campground is divided into a north loop and a south loop.
Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area ↗
Cradled in the hills of the North Georgia Mountains overlooking beautiful Lake Rabun, this developed recreation area offers hiking, all sorts of water activities like swimming, boating, and fishing, and an opportunity to absorb the peaceful lake scenery. The 80-site campground located across the highway is closed in the winter months. This area is open year-round. Please feel free to print out the Rabun Beach Recreation Overview Guide (which has a map of the campground!) for your convenience.
Reservations / current camping instructions ↗
Site rules: No overnight parking except those companies under a special use permit and it is stated in the permit.
Dockery Lake Recreation Area ↗
Overlooking Dockery Lake and nestled deep within the mountains, Dockery Lake Recreation Area offers camping, hiking, picnicking and fishing for all ages. Dockery Lake Recreation Area consists of 10 camping sites. Each campsite is equipped with a tent pad, picnic table, lantern pole, and grill. There are no water hook-ups or electrical hook-ups or dump station available in the campground. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For those looking to spend the day at Dockery Lake, six lakefront picnic sites are available. These picnic sites can be accessed from the day-use parking lot. Hikers can enjoy the Lakeshore Trail a 0.5 mile easy loop trail around Dockery Lake. The Dockery Lake Trail is another trail which begins in the Dockery Lake Recreation Area, west of the lake. The trail is 3.5 miles and is an easy to strenuous trail. This blue blazed trail crosses several creeks, and then climbs steeply up to the Appalachian Trail in Miller Gap. A portion of this trail is within the Blood Mountain Wilderness.
Reservations: Reservations are required to camp in this campground. Reservations can be made through the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS). The website (www.Recreation.gov) offers convenient round the clock access to the Online Reservation Service or visitors may call NRRS at 1-877-444-6777 (toll free) between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. You may reserve camp sites the same day as you arrive and as far as six (6) months in advance.
Reservations / current camping instructions ↗
Site rules: Swimming prohibited in Dockery Lake 14 day stay limit. Maximum 2 vehicles per campsite Dogs must be leashed at all times.
Truck-camping & permitted overnight use
Lake Russell Campground is currently open and ready for you to reserve a site on your next visit to this beautiful campground. Camping is by reservation only. This developed campground offers 42 campsites that accommodate both tent and RV camping distributed along two paved campground loop roads for easy access to the Lake Russell Recreation Area . Loop A 16 camping sites 1 Conventional flush restroom. Standard amenities (i.e. fire rings, picnic tables, lantern posts, etc) Easy access to the Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area on the trail system that goes around the lake Dump Station located just outside Loop A. Loop B 26 camping sites. 2 Conventional flush restrooms, all with hot showers Standard amenities (i.e. grill, picnic tables, lantern post, etc). Easy access to the Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area on the trail system that…
The official recreation inventory lists Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area, Wildcat Creek Road Corridor for dispersed camping. Read each site’s current rules; this does not authorize camping on every forest road.
Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area ↗ — A large grassy field located approximately 1 mile from Lake Conasauga Recreation area. Primitive camping--no amenities. Campers may utilitize Lake Conasauga recreation opportunities by parking in the picnic area parking lot, which has a $5 parking fee, or the boat ramp parking area. Emery Creek trail departs from the Ball Field, and Tearbritches Trailhead is just across the road for those interested in Cohutta Wilderness hiking. Emery Creek Trail map
Wildcat Creek Road Corridor ↗ — West Wildcat Road has received damage from storms and is not open for use at this time. West Wildcat Road is currently closed due to needed road repairs in new sites. Wildcat Creek Campground #1 Lower Wildcat Creek Campground #2 Upper Wildcat Road has sustained 4 slides in recent years (with the first slide happening in 2019). Due to the risk of additional slides, the road has been closed in the interest of public safety. Funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Relief on Federally Owned roads program has been submitted for all 4 slides. Since then, slide 1 has been repaired with slides 2-4 remaining. It is our goal to…
Activities, hiking & trails
Lake Winfield Scott Campground ↗
Open with no water. Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area is a destination recreation location situated high in a mountain valley. The recreation area offers year-round recreation opportunities including camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, swimming and hiking centered around the beautiful 18-acre lake. The campground is divided into a north loop and a south loop.
Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area ↗
Cradled in the hills of the North Georgia Mountains overlooking beautiful Lake Rabun, this developed recreation area offers hiking, all sorts of water activities like swimming, boating, and fishing, and an opportunity to absorb the peaceful lake scenery. The 80-site campground located across the highway is closed in the winter months. This area is open year-round. Please feel free to print out the Rabun Beach Recreation Overview Guide (which has a map of the campground!) for your convenience.
Dockery Lake Recreation Area ↗
Overlooking Dockery Lake and nestled deep within the mountains, Dockery Lake Recreation Area offers camping, hiking, picnicking and fishing for all ages. Dockery Lake Recreation Area consists of 10 camping sites. Each campsite is equipped with a tent pad, picnic table, lantern pole, and grill. There are no water hook-ups or electrical hook-ups or dump station available in the campground. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For those looking to spend the day at Dockery Lake, six lakefront picnic sites are available. These picnic sites can be accessed from the day-use parking lot. Hikers can enjoy the Lakeshore Trail a 0.5 mile easy loop trail around Dockery Lake. The Dockery Lake Trail is another trail which begins in the Dockery Lake Recreation Area, west of the lake. The trail is 3.5 miles and is an easy to strenuous trail. This blue blazed trail crosses several creeks, and then climbs steeply up to the Appalachian Trail in Miller Gap. A portion of this trail…
Maps & road access
- Official visitor maps, trail maps and Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) ↗
- Official interactive Forest Service visitor map (search by forest) ↗
Consult the current Motor Vehicle Use Map for permitted motor routes, vehicle classes and seasonal designations. A route on an MVUM is not a guarantee that it is maintained or passable. Check current road closures and conditions with the district; carry an offline map.
Use the official directions for the exact named campground or trailhead; forest boundaries and administrative offices are not campsite entrances. Official directions / site access ↗
Before you travel
Check the forest’s current alerts, seasonal services, fire orders and campground rules. Download the relevant official maps before entering areas with limited reception.
Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. USDA Forest Service official information ↗
Photograph sources & licensing
Banner: Autumn forest near Woody Gap
2012 Fall Color in the Chattahoochee National Forest Fall color from the Appalachian Trail just east of Woody Gap, 10/21/2012, photo by Mitch Cohen
Credit: Mitch Cohen / ChattOconeeNF. Original source ↗ · CC BY 2.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Second large photograph: Appalachian Trail hiker near Woody Gap
2012 Fall Color in the Chattahoochee National Forest Hiker on the Appalachian Trail just east of Woody Gap, 10/21/2012, photo by Mitch Cohen
Credit: Mitch Cohen / ChattOconeeNF. Original source ↗ · CC BY 2.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.