Looking for a recommendations on places to check out.

I’m looking for:
- no camp site, just pick a spot to set up
- car camping
- off-road trails
- POI for multiple quick hikes
- potential place to use the canoe
- 2 day, 1 night trip


What I’m looking to do. Drive moderate to difficult off-road trails, multiple <5mi. hikes with the dogs and lady, find a suitable site to set camp via the off-road trails. I’ve done this multiple times in Colorado on USFS land but haven’t explored much here in GA. Really only checked out WMA land for hunting before but didn’t get far, car with low ground clearance and couldn’t get down most roads.

I have an suv with decent ground clearance and 4x4 but with highway tires. Good amount of off-road experience so not shy for more difficult trails as long as I don’t damage my daily driver.

I’ve been researching areas between Blue Ridge and Tallulah Falls but would like some first hand knowledge from y’all.

Also open to spots to take the canoe if there is an drop off/pickup for solo vehicle. River is preferred. Maybe an area that has a big horseshoe?

Do not want to camp at a set site with others or amenities, prefer to explore an area and find a nice spot to set up camp for the night. Should be easy since sleeping in the car.

I look forward to hearing from y’all.
Thanks in advance.

I always recommend the 3 Forks Area for a first time car camping trip. No area for a boat though. 3 creeks run together and numerous campsites surrounded by rhododendron so most sites have good privacy. Might have a bunch of Boy Scouts show up and get noisy on Saturday afternoon though. I think Noontootla Creek has regular trout stockings.  

It's about 5 miles north of Springer Mountain, the beginning of the AT. A loop of the Benton MacKaye loops off the AT between there and Springer Mtn. too. About a mile north of 3 Forks is Long Creek Falls.

It's on US FS 58. Many, many miles of FS roads there to explore. It's one of the largest areas of USFS property in GA between Ellijay, Suches, Dahlonega, and Blue Ridge. No real off-road trails...depending on recent maintenance the roads themselves can challenge a lot of people.  

No bathrooms, no charge as far as I know. I'd claim my spot early on a Friday. Parking right at the 3 Forks is limited. Many more sites down creek to the west.

Frank

I meant to stick in a google maps link to the area.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Three+Forks+USFS+58+4.3/@34.6751412,-84.3334594,10.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x885f74758ad56c13:0x57ad3c910e46f10d!8m2!3d34.6635164!4d-84.1839318

I don't know three forks but know the rest of this area well. Noontootla is a trophy stream so barbless hooks, but rock creek is within a few miles and has a hatchery. Toccoa river is in the area for canoeing as well as rock creek lake..plenty of primitive camping on those forests service roads. Hawk mountain, coopers gap road, etc. Most are just pick a spot and set up camp.

Noontootla is a trophy stream but the use of barbless hooks is not required. The only requirement is artificial lures only and 16" minimum length.

That is a beautiful area, I visit and fish there often.

Thanks for that tin spinner. Artificial only, right. But the head waters leading in aren't part of noontootla  and are good for some rookies.

But they do have good blueberry pancakes.

Following. I just bought an off road trailer after watching expedition overland and will want to play with it in the woods here soon enough.

I want to eventually do the traverse. Nothing crazy off-road, I have a stock 460 right now but the trailer should be more fun to camp out of. No tent yet:
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Sent you an email OP

I'm also interested in this

Thanks for the recommendations everyone, I had a great time and forgot to post a follow up.

Little late with update, I went last weekend and will give a quick report.

Researched some forest roads around the recommended area and decided to try the one out by Toccoa river. I’ll include some screenshots from my gps. Started it the morning after at the camp site so not entire route.  Pretty much did a loop from Dahlonega to Toccoa River Bridge and back.

Nice roads and became unpaved when I passed Camp Merrill (Army Ranger training base) and was a nice drive for a ways and takes you to the trout Hatchery. Then took a more secluded forest road that runs parallel to the river. Lots of people camping and can make it with trailers for a good distance. Drove along that road past the Appalachian trail that leads to the river bridge and found a small turn off that was pretty rough and overgrown. It worked well for just pulling out the chairs and hanging out then heading to bed in the car.

Roads past here with a little more rough but should be fine with a ground clearance.

Saw many more roads to explore on the way home and will be back. Two amazing campsites at the base of the bridge. Not sure how far the hike is from the other side of the bridge, no parking on my side, but one campsite had big coolers down there and I saw some hikers that didn’t look like they could make it far so imagine it’s close. Probably go back one day and camp down there, water access, multiple large smooth spots for tents, river rock fire ring, flowers in blown, etc. would be great for a medium group/families.

I found out later you can shoot on US forest land in GA as long not WMA or close prox to road and structures. So planning to go explore other areas soon with some Arf buds and have fun with nods and steel targets.

Not extremely detailed so I’ll answer questions if anyone has any. Disappointed I didn’t go sooner.

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The swinging bridge is a really cool place.  Should have checked out Hawk mountain and Jones creek.  Both places were on your way through.

tag