Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area Campground (Clayton, GA)

We had so much fun exploring the area! The campground was well kept, clean vault toilets. We camped on site 6 and loved it! Great sun/shade combo, easy access to the water, close to potable and toilet. We saw a mountain lion one morning across the creek but he kept moving. Pay attention to your driving directions! GPS sent us to upper Hightower road and unless you have a vehicle made for major off road and creek crossings- DONT go that way! I was in an Acadia and almost got stuck. Fortunately someone came along who knew the area, helped me turn around on a super sketch incline and redirected me to turn on Persimmion. There is zero cell service at campground and for miles leading to it- so be sure to map it beforehand. Loved exploring Tate City. A local told us about a waterfall and where the AT crosses nearby. We didn’t do the hike to falls bc I couldn’t find the trailhead and again no service. I had my 80 yo mother with me so I didn’t want to risk it. Take your flyrods because there’s lots of places to fish! This was our first visit to Sandy Bottoms as well as the Clayton area. We LOVED IT! There was literally not a bad campsite. All the ones along the water were my favorites and while I loved site 6, the only other one I preferred more was site 2. Site 7 is popular because it’s at the end of the loop and has a cool small waterfall as well as access to a deeper swimming hole, but I noticed it didn’t have much shade. We stayed 5 nights and the first 2 someone was on it- then Sunday and Monday people used it as a day use area until another camper came along. We saw a sheriff ride through a few times which for a female was comforting. Also may want to check Nicolas campground to see about paying for a hot shower for lengthy trips. I drove down but couldn’t find anyone to ask, so maybe call ahead if that’s an interest for you. Sandy Bottoms was our favorite, but Tate Branch seemed nice too if you can’t get in at Sandy Bottom.

Y

Always enjoy camping at Sandy Bottoms. The campsites are sized fairly large giving ample room for setup and mobility. The restrooms are maintained well. Overall the campsites are left pretty clean by other campers. I wish the campground remained open longer since our area really doesn’t experience winter until Jan/Feb. Now that the campground is on the reservation calendar, you can be sure of a campsite. However, the site we desired showed a reservation for the weekend we camped but no one ever showed up for the entire weekend.

Very nice campground and very clean. Great spot on the lake.

Quiet and private campground. Bathrooms were clean and neighbors were nice and respectful. No cell service for quite a distance. Trout fishing was good.