Cooper Creek Campground is absolutely the most beautiful, off the beaten path, places I've ever…read moretraveled and it's practically in Atlanta's back yard! Located on the beautiful and noisy Cooper/Mulky Creek just an hour north of Dahlonega up Hwy 60 and then up some of the most beautiful and winding mountain roads that make you think you're never going to get there! By the time you turn on to Forest Service Rd 236 (a beautiful and peaceful dirt mountain road that climbs up through the pine and hardwood forests), you realize there is something amazing waiting for you. And there is. Cooper Creek Campground is like reaching a little slice of heaven. Fifteen campsites scatter through out the lush forest, and five of them sit right on the banks of Cooper/Mulky Creek. I advise getting there early during the week so you can get a creek side spot ... there is nothing like it! The creek is rocky and noisy and if you fish, the trout are plentiful! I walked the loop and all of the campsites were beautiful and within easy walking distance to the creek. As a solo hiker and camper, I chose spot #1 for the way the creek opened up and the trees opened up around my tent site to give me a clear view of a beautiful moon. I also liked the quiet solitude of this site ... few cars passed here since it's on the back loop. The campground hosts also live two spots up. As an avid (delirious almost) rock stacker, I fell in love with this creek. The rocks are amazing and perfect for stacking and balancing. It was so relaxing I stacked till after dark and was up just after sunrise stacking again! The pine cones in camp are plentiful, so I got a good pine smoke going and didn't have the first mosquito or black fly. I'm telling you ... this place is heaven! After dark a bunch of deer came through my camp and lapped at the creek for almost a half hour. Two fawns frolicked in the fern thickets next to my tent for a while and were bouncing around like puppies! With the light of the moon, I felt like I had a front row seat for natures big show that night! Also, there are synchronous fireflies here, which surprised me. Just after dark during the Summer Solstice, I thought it was kids playing with flashlights, but it was fireflies, all blinking in unison! It was amazing! I can't WAIT to go back! In fact, now that I'm home, I'm missing it. Cooper Creek is open year round and keep their gates open 24 hours a day. You won't get a phone signal here, so you may as well turn it off ... the solitude is amazing! Each site has a tent pad, grills, lantern pole and a picnic table. There are also bear bins that are an easy walk from each site for discarding trash. For hikers, you won't be disappointed. There are five interconnected trails that start in or near the camping area (Yellow Mountain Trail- 3.2 miles, Connector Trail- 0.4 miles, Mill Shoals Trail- 0.9 miles, Shope Gap Trail- 0.6 miles, and Cooper Creek Trail- 1.7). I found myself hiking in and out and exploring trail after trail. The abundance of trees at Cooper Creek keep the temperatures down, much cooler than up on the main road. I paid $10 a night for my site. There are faucets for drinking water and there are two vaults for bathrooms. There are no electric hook ups or dump stations. Primitive camping at it's finest! There are no reservations ... everything is first come, first serve. Have fun everyone!

This review is more for adults who are taking students to this camp. I took my youth group this…read moreweekend. I was a little hesitant because we are so small that we usually all stay together and don't have to have two adults. As a structured camp they needed to split us into boy and girl groups, which was fine... it just cost a bit more. I was also hesitant because my husband had some other obligations on Saturday during the day, but the people at the camp told me that would be fine. If I had reviewed this on the first night, I would not have given it 5 stars. People who attend this camp seem to do so regularly and have done so for many years. This was my first time and I was kind of confused about what was going on. They have college age- or college age looking- students who are implementing a lot of the program and enforcing the rules- but they just looked like students who were attending so it was difficult to figure out who was in charge. After the youth leader meeting I was feeling a little more acclimated, but still went to a session that I didn't really even need to go to. After going back to my cabin and talking to another leader I found out that I had a lot more freedom than I was expecting. The kids had a lot of freedom, which was great for them in this contained environment. By Saturday I was just setting up check in times with the kids because they had structured activities and I had six hours of time to spend walking around the camp, reading, or spending time with other people there. That was really unexpected for a youth trip. It was refreshing for me as well which was really nice. I was very surprised that they had a lot of healthy food options during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fresh fruit and veggies were present at every meal, and the cooked veggies were good- not covered in butter or cheese. The kids liked the food too. The speaking/music was great. Very good balance of encouraging the kids spiritual growth and not over spiritual-izing the sessions in an emotional way. I really enjoyed and appreciated that. The kids loved it. There was a theme for the weekend and it wasn't superficial or lame. They did a really great job with the camp. I will definitely be taking my kids back.

My daughter has attended the special needs part of Glisson, Camp Sparrowwood for over 15 years.I…read morehave never had any problem with trusting the counselors and staff with my daughter who has Downs Syndrome. She starts planning her next trip to Sparrowwood as we are leaving after her week there. We have gotten to know many of the counselors through the years. They all are grounded in the word and love our kids. Many of them have gone on to finish college and work in missions, teach special ed. ect. My 92 year old mother in law actually went to Camp Glisson when she was 10 years old.

This trip was pure nostalgia for me and I enjoyed hiking up the falls this time as I'm on a huge…read morehealth journey ! The hike up Amicalola Falls is a 1 to 2-mile round trip depending on your exact route, requiring 1 to 1.5 hours. The trail is famous for its steep incline and roughly 425 to 600 metal and wooden stairs that climb alongside the 729-foot waterfall which was absolutely beautiful! I met some really cool people along the hike and even a new friend & we ended going for lunch and beer after our hike at the overlook. If you've never visited Amicalola falls, start planning now. Your soul will be at such peace and joy afterward !

This amazing state park has it all. Love to visit when I'm in the area. It's $5 to park all day and…read moreif you're feeling energetic, taking the hike from the base of the falls to the top is a great workout and the view from the top is work the sweat. Main scenic trail up starts with a walking path with an incline. You'll have a total of about 650 steps throughout your hike with plenty to landing spots with seats to rest. Every turn is a beautiful scene. Love the sounds of the relaxing water fall with every step! There's also hiking trails you can take and if hiking is not your thing, you can also drive to the top and enjoy the view without breaking a sweat. There are nice pavilions as well if you want to host a party and cabins too if you wanna spend the evening. Beautiful water fall and lovely state park with many trails for you to enjoy the amazing outdoors!

This has become an annual tradition for my wife and granddaughters. They love the rustic cabin and…read moretalking with Mr Mike. We try to make it here every fall and spend the weekend hiking and apple picking

My family had a wonderful weekend camping in one of their cabins. Mike & his wife, the owners,…read moremade sure we had everything we needed and even gave my kids ice cream before we headed home. We loved cooking all of our meals over the fire pit. It does include a grate to balance on the rocks n cook food on. We brought some fireproof pans to cook more stuff over our coals. We made gourmet meals every time. We took advantage of the waterfall 5 minutes up the road n caught some trout to bring back to camp n cook over the fire! At night, we slept great in our king-size bed and A/C. This is definitely our new camping spot!

Just had the nicest interaction with the person in charge at this campground!…read more I'm new to the area, staying at a rental cabin up the road. She saw me walking along the road (which I like to do in the evening at a new place) and she came out to ask if I was OK. Warned me about the wildlife, and made a recommendation about a local state park. "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world"

Great little RV hideaway nestled in the woods. Friendly owners that you can tell take care of their…read morefacilities. I arrived late, after dark but was warmly welcomed and assisted into a campsite that I stayed in for 4 nights. I love that its an adult only campground. no need to worry about loud music or in and out travel in the middle of the night. Short drive to Helen and the recommendations given for activities and restaurants were fantastic. Will certainly be staying again when I do a return visit.

Loved the falls. We are no longer able to climb 600 stairs, so the great people in the welcome…read morecenter told us about the paved walking trail to the falls that you can easily get to by car. It's the West Ridge Falls Access Trail. The trailhead parking area is woefully small, so you may not get a parking spot if you arrive during a busy time. Another advantage of the walking trial is going by an old crashed car from Prohibition on the side of the hill. There's a photo in the visitor's center if you miss it. It's cool to see the beginning of the Appalachian trail behind the visitor's center. There's a nice photo spot with a stone arch. We didn't stay at the lodge but went there after our hike for the famous view. Unfortunately it was foggy that day. Still, it's a cool lodge with a large window in the lobby and seating outside to enjoy the glorious view. There's a kickass map of the Appalachian trail on the lobby wall. The staff in the gift shop were pleasant and helpful.

A very special place to enjoy Mothers' Day, if you make an early reservation. It has spectacular…read moreviews, a gift shop, a cute front desk attendant with fur. Loads of sights to see and delicious buffet style foods. This was our first time we enjoyed this location and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a get away or just a day date. ( please make a reservation to dine, you need to respect the dinning process). The staff here is courteous and friendly. Great smokes and attitudes all the way around. We loved the buffet which had an assortment of delicious items. There's something here for everyone. Come on by the staff welcomed you.

We went tubing here while on vacation, it was the second time and it was amazing. It's easy to get…read moreto, park, and launch in the river. People are extremely friendly. Will definitely be returning on our next trip!

Amazing! Breathtaking views, relaxing tubing down the Toccoa River. Best of all the staff was so…read morekind and helpful. We will most certainly come back yearly. My boys and I had so much fun doing this!

Wonderful owners and campground managers! The campground is well-maintained and clean. Excellent…read moreview of the mountains, wooded areas and the lake. Ideal for get-togethers, families and for getting away(while still being near town and stores). We have hosted and attended Vintage Cruiser camper get-togethers and often stay for a week at a time. (I am in no way affiliated with the campground or the owners and/or managers).

Diamond Lure campground is amazing. We have been coming here from Texas several times a year. Staff…read moreis friendly, helpful, and professional. Bathrooms are so clean and well maintained they always look new. Each time we visit, they have made new improvements. Such a well maintained place.

Best Christian summer camp! I went as a child and fell in love then. Now, I send my kids and they…read morelove it, too. It's great to disconnect for a week a praise our Lord in the beauty of nature. It's a blessing to experience Gods love with so many wonderful people!