Fort Yargo State Park is a popular state park in Georgia located northeast of Atlanta midway between Athens and Atlanta.
It has a pretty campground located along a lake and surrounded by a wide variety of outdoor recreational amenities and activities in the park.
The 1,816 acre park is located at 201 South Broad St in Winder, Georgia. It is about 50 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta in a suburban area.
See the map below.
If you’re looking for RV parks and campgrounds that are closer to Atlanta, here are 24 RV parks and campgrounds within 40 miles of downtown Atlanta.
Fort Yargo
Settlers built a 1793 log blockhouse in the state park to serve as protection from Creek and Cherokee Indians, giving the park its name.
Visitors can tour the log fort located by the lake near the newly constructed visitor center.
Visitor Center at Fort Yargo State Park
When you enter the state park (admission is $5 per vehicle), you’ll come to the new visitor center which was opened in May 2019.
Inside the state park rangers have maps available and plenty of advice for what types of activities you can enjoy depending on your preferences.
The first page of the map of the park is presented below.
Fort Yargo Recreational Activities
The state park has many things for the outdoor recreation enthusiast.
The main attraction, called the Marbury Creek Reservoir, spans 260 acres.
There are yurts, cabins and a campground for staying overnight, a beach for swimming, boat rentals, playgrounds, disc golf course, miniature golf, and more.
Fort Yargo Lake
When we visited the park in May 2019, the beach was a flurry of activity. Many families were grilling out and enjoying swimming in the warm water.
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You can rent different types of boats, including kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards, and more.
Or, if you have your own boat, you’re welcome to bring it on the lake as well.
Boats up to 10 HP are permitted on the lake. There are several boat ramps available throughout the park.
We brought our own paddleboards and enjoyed paddling around the lake.
We came across this cute little family of geese, including baby goslings.
There are several hiking and mountain biking trails that wrap around the lake.
Hiking and Biking Trails
Be sure to stop in at the visitor center to get a printout of the trail map to help you navigate the routes. The map looks like the one below.
While we paddled around the lake, we saw many people hiking, biking, and having picnics around the reservoir.
In addition to hiking trails, there are mountain bike trails in the park.
The park frequently hosts mountain biking races.
If relaxing is more your style, there are plenty of picnic tables and picnic pavilions located around the park.
For frisbee disc (golf) enthusiasts, there’s also a disc golf course available for park visitors.
Fort Yargo State Park Campground
The park’s campground has facilities for RVs and tents, as well as having cabins and yurts available for rental.
All sites can be reserved in advance, using the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reservation website.
The campground consists of two loops that have 40 campsites for RVs and tents.
The first loop is slightly larger, and also includes an area for walk-in campers with tents.
The map below shows the RV, tent, and yurt campsites located in the park.
The campground road is paved, with campsites located on either side of the two campground loop roads.
The campsites vary in size, but most are large enough to comfortably fit a large class A motorhome with room to spare.
Campsites on the Lake
Several of the campsites are located along the lake, making for some beautiful views right from your campsite.
Some of the best campsites are campsites numbered 5-10 in the first campground loop. Those usually fill up first, so be sure to reserve early for the best sites!
RV Hookups
Each of the 40 campsites has water and electrical hookups.
There are several RV dump stations located in the campground as well.
Individual campsites do not have sewer connections so you must empty your tanks at one of the dump stations.
There are also several places located around the two campground loops where you can dump water from your sink.
Campground Bathrooms
Campers also have access to fully equipped bathrooms with toilets and hot showers.
Known as “comfort stations,” there are three in total. Two are available in the campground loop #1 and another in campground loop #2.
Final Thoughts on Fort Yargo State Park
Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Georgia is a great place to camp while also enjoying many outdoor recreational activities.
The campground is located among lots of trees along a lake with plenty of water activities. You can boat or fish right by your campsite.
If you don’t have your own RV or tent, you can rent a yurt or cabin to stay in with friends and family.
Overall, we highly recommend this state park.
It’s located about 50 miles from Atlanta, so is about an hour drive away, depending on traffic.
The park is a great place to stay if you’re visiting people who live north or east of Atlanta or in the Athens area.
