Awesome Fall Foliage in Georgia's Vogel State Park

General Info: One of Georgia’s oldest state parks, Vogel State Park is a popular destination for visitors searching for outdoor recreation in Blairsville. Located at the base of Blood Mountain (about 20 miles as the crow flies from the North Carolina border) the park’s 233 acres are surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Hours and Fees: The park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., while the park office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call the park office at (706) 745-2628 for more information.

Activities: The 22-acre lake is open for non-motorized boats only, and there is a scenic beach for swimming along the shores. You can bring your own canoe or kayak, or rent a pedal boat on site in the summer to cruise around the lake. Take a break at the covered picnic areas, where you can enjoy your refreshments in the shade of the park’s woodland canopy. Vogel State Park has several hiking trails of various length and intensity where you can get a better look at the park’s beautiful wilderness. Gather the troops for a round of miniature golf on the park’s course for $3 per person, or challenge a friend or campsite neighbor to a round of horseshoes after your morning fishing.

Camping Info: Vogel State Park’s campground features 85 gravel trailer/RV campsites with good paved interior roads. Each site has a patio and water and electrical (30/50 amp) hookups only. Back-ins measure 18×30′ and pull-thru sites measure 18×45′. But be warned: there are several tight turnarounds! Handicap accessible showers and restrooms are located throughout the campground. Laundry facilities and a dump station are available for your convenience. Firewood and limited groceries can also be purchased on site. The kids will enjoy the ball field and playground located near the campground entrance. Nightly rates range from $23-$25 per site. Download the park campground map PDF.

Those of you with longer trailers or rigs may want to try Trackrock Campground and Cabins in nearby Blairsville, which features 60’ pull-thrus and back-ins.

From Blairsville you can follow the Woodall’s One Tank Trip route down to Atlanta for some historic and cultural sight-seeing. If you’re from Georgia or have visited Vogel State Park in the past, please chime in with your stories and travel tips!