RVing In Georgia: A Guide To Don Carter State Park Camping

Looking for a great early-spring destination? If your travel plans include Georgia, then don’t miss Don Carter State Park, the only state park located on scenic Lake Lanier. With an all new travel season in sight and your destination in question, give Don Carter the opportunity to start a beautiful new annual tradition.

Don Carter State Park: In A Class All By Itself

Named in honor of real-estate executive Don Carter, who served on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources board for 29 years, Lake Lanier’s first state park was established in 2013. 

This is the newest Georgia State Park (2013), so the facilities are in generally good condition. It is the only state park on Lake Lanier, so is especially appreciated when all of the Corp of Engineer campgrounds are closed there for the season. —George, RV LIFE Campgrounds.   

Recreation.gov recently reported a 34% increase in camping reservations made in the state of Georgia and now, one of the most popular destinations in Georgia is Lake Sidney Lanier. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed 692 miles of shoreline in the foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains. Additionally, Lake Sidney Lanier draws more than 7.5 million visitors each year and won the best operated lake of the year award in 1990, 1997, and 2002.

Georgia’s Premier Destination 

Lake Lanier is not only the most popular lake in the southeast, but also the largest lake in Georgia. All things considered, Don Carter State Park is the perfect base camp. After all, it is surrounded by 76 recreational areas, aqua-blue colored water, and picture-perfect scenery. 

What To Expect    

Beautifully maintained. Staff was extremely helpful, professional & pleasant. Situated on Lake Lanier and close to shopping, restaurants, etc. — TELeavitt, RV LIFE Campgrounds 

Don Carter State Park boasts a rating 9.0 on the 10-point RV LIFE Campgrounds rating scale. Since it is on a lake, boating and water activities take center stage. Bring your own gear and travel back and forth to the dock areas from a magnificent pull-through site. 

Since friends and family without an RV like to tag along, sharing the firepit or the wood burning stove at one of the eight cottages is a great change of pace. All are open year-round and offer two bedrooms that are practically fully furnished.

Adjacent to Lake Lanier are two RV Campgrounds. One is suited to the tastes of the adventurous boondocker. On the other hand, perhaps primitive camping in the Georgia sun amongst the pines for more than a weekend with no full hook ups may not suit everyone.  

No Gray Water Hookups, No Problem!

Don Carter State Park doesn’t offer full hookups, but more than one review mentions “Grey Water Buckets“. 

A huge plus for us was the fact that each site has a gray water “bucket’ that is dug into the ground with charcoal in it (presumably to absorb smell) and you are allowed to open your gray valve and just let it drain into it. — mobilefleet, RV LIFE Campgrounds

Don Carter State Park thoughtfully managed the age old graywater problem. You can easily book longer stays without having to deal with frequent trips to a dump station. Problem solved.

Candid Explorations

Beyond the park being very well-maintained, the 46 electric RV campsites have a fire ring, a table and hookups with 30- or 50-amp service, and a graywater bucket. You are ready for an extended stay, a weekend or a short restful campground layover.

Campers will enjoy wandering around the paved roads at Don Carter State Park in search of the perfect site for the next time. All things considered, campers return to the only state park on Lake Lanier over and over again. It is the remote location, the numerous activities, the lake, the picnic shelters, a swimming beach, playgrounds, boat ramps, and a visitor center to orient you that make this the premier year-round destination in Georgia. 

Don Carter State Park: Deep Dive

The North Georgia hills provide the perfect backdrop to enjoy the outdoors. There are 14.5 miles of hiking trails to wear your boots or electric bike battery out. For the equestrian, there are horseback riding trails for a fee. To say nothing of the lake, where there are eight miles of paddling water trails.

In fact, if your desire to wander takes you beyond the lake, don’t miss the Atlanta Botanical Garden. You can find restaurants, fast food, fuel, and food markets within a 10-mile radius. The RV Life Trip Wizard will get you back and forth with ease. All you have to do is choose your destination.  

Getting To Don Carter State Park

Located on the north end of Lake Lanier reservoir, on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, north of Gainesville, near Clermont, Georgia. It is always a good idea to make reservations well in advance.

We were able to book this site online although the only availability was for a Sunday and Monday night stay. The park is booked solid for most nights and weekends seem to be full through December. —RoadWarriorCpl, RV LIFE Campgrounds

For all of your camping and trip planning needs, look no further than RV LIFE Campgrounds and RV LIFE Trip Wizard. RV LIFE Campgrounds is a trusted source of campground and RV park reviews offered by camping and RV enthusiasts just like you. With its accompanying RV LIFE App, RV LIFE Trip Wizard gets you to your camping destinations utilizing RV-friendly routes specific to your RV and travel preferences.

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Source: https://rvlife.com/don-carter-state-park-camping/