Tent Camping in the North Georgia Mountains

Not everyone starts off camping in a motor home or pull behind trailer. Most of us started off in a tent and had just as much fun as everyone else. Tents come in all sizes and shapes now, and most are a breeze to set up.

Where it once took a team of trained engineers to put up a four man tent, now a couple of people can have any size tent up and ready for use in just a few minutes. Just remember to read the instructions. Tents come in all sizes and configurations so choose what you need the first time and save a lot of trouble. With a family of four I would suggest getting at least an eight man tent so there is room and comfort for everyone. Eight man may sound large but you will find out that it can get very cramped if you have six people. Now what kind of tent can you choose from. well there are tents with a porch, tents that are divided into rooms or some that are just one big room and everything between. the choices and prices are up to the one's using the tent.

Now that we have a tent we can look into what else we will need. I suggest starting with a good air mattress because that little pebble that you lay on will be the size of a boulder by morning. Sleeping bags should be carefully chosen, remember you get what you pay for. Going cheap is not always a good idea. I once went cheap and spent a cold miserable weekend. You might want to invest in a cook stove and cooking utensils. Eating out all the time gets costly and takes away from the camping. Paper plates, cups and plastic forks are the greatest. No dishes except for what you cook in. Please be sure to include a large box of trash bags for the trash. Two reasons for this, one to leave your campsite cleaner than when you arrived, two to keep trash out of campsite so that should any animals come around in the night you won't wake up to see your trash scattered everywhere.

OK now that we have everything bought and packed we are ready to go camping. You did buy food I hope. I would suggest that if you are new at camping find a campground somewhere close to home and try tenting for a weekend. It is surprising how many people want to camp until they try it and then never go again. OK lets say you love your tent and want to really go into the wild and spend some time. A nice place to start is Rock Creek. It is primitive camping from the get go. To get there from Atlanta take 400 North to Dahlonega. Once you have looked around a while at the shops and stores. If you and family are ready for some good food I suggest the Smith House. Now Hwy 19 N until you see Hwy 60 turn off to the left. Sit back and enjoy the sights because it is about eight miles before you see the sign on the left for Rock Creek Trout Hatchery. Once you turn left the pavement will end in a couple of miles and the road will become gravel. It is rough in some places. You will soon see Rock Creek running along on your right and you will start to see cleared out spots where others have camped. Use one of these spots or go on to the campground(not many spots so usually full). Once you set up camp grab your fishing rod because the creek is stocked with trout weekly. Have fun and leave nature just as you found it or maybe a litter better.