OutReserve

Desoto Falls Recreation Area

De Soto Falls Recreation Area, Dahlonega, Georgia, United States

View from the Observation Deck
Foot Bridge(across from host site) that accesses the trail to the upper and lower water falls.

Featured amenities

Parking
Pet Friendly
Picnic Table
Restrooms
River Access
View all amenities

About Desoto Falls Recreation Area

Desoto Falls Recreation Area is a U.S. Forest Service Campground located approximately 2 hours North of Atlanta in the North Georgia mountains of the Chattahoochee National Forest.  Desoto Falls offers visitors year-round recreation opportunities including camping, fishing, picnicking, and beautiful hikes to our nearby waterfalls. The campground is situated along Frogtown Creek with at an elevation of 2,080 feet above sea level, under a dense forest of deciduous and evergreen trees.   23 campsites are neatly arranged in two loops(upper and lower), with each loop having creek sites. The climate here is fairly mild and generally offers all four seasons, so it is a wonderful place to relax and experience each of these throughout the year. North Georgia is a playground for wildlife watchers. An abundance of Deer, Turkey, Bear and, small furbearers can be seen as well as bird watching. If you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, come to Desoto Falls.   

Number of accommodations: 23

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Apr 1 to Oct 31

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Parking
Pet friendly
Picnic Table
Restrooms
River Access
Fire Pit
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Restrooms
Cooking and Fire

Cooking and Fire

  • Picnic Table
  • Grill
  • Fire Pit
Parking and Transport

Parking and Transport

  • Parking
Water Access

Water Access

  • River Access
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

23 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 1, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
⛺ 10, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
⛺ 11, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 12, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
⛺ 13, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 14, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 15, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 16, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 17, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 18, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 19, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 2, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 20, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 21, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 22, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 23, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 3, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 4, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
⛺ 5, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
⛺ 6, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
⛺ 7, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
⛺ 8, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
⛺ 9, Loop: B
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available

Reviews (287)

Verified Only

What Guests Are Saying

Desoto Falls Recreation Area offers clean, spacious campsites, many of which are conveniently located near the creek and hiking trails to beautiful waterfalls. Guests appreciate the well-maintained facilities and the peacefulness, particularly at night when road noise diminishes. However, some reviews mention issues with road noise from traffic, ongoing maintenance concerns for restrooms, and occasional lack of water access, which can detract from the overall experience.

Review Summary

4.3
287 reviews
5
56.4%
162
4
24.4%
70
3
11.1%
32
2
4.9%
14
1
3.1%
9

WILLIAM G

Verified

March 1, 2022 • Stayed at: 7, Loop: B

4

Easy check in, very pretty area. Access to bathroom. Larger fire pit would be great but that's a minor complaint.

Jessica K

Verified

February 27, 2022 • Stayed at: 2, Loop: A

5

Brenda, the camp hostess, was awesome! The site was clean and convenient to the trailhead which was an easy hike to a beautiful waterfall. Definitely recommend.

Darryl S

Verified

February 18, 2022 • Stayed at: 18, Loop: B

5

We had beautiful weather and the campsite was great (Site 18-B) during our stay February 9-11, 2022. The Sheriff Deputy came by the campsite and we had a nice conversation. A great guy! Also, we spoke with the campground hosts, who recognized us from previous stays. A nice couple. A beautiful tree-filled campground. Hiked to the lower falls which was spectacular. It was a great stay.

Noel C

Verified

February 5, 2022 • Stayed at: 15, Loop: B

4

Short hikes to the falls. Clean campsites. Overall great experience! I did see some post about the restrooms. My observations were very different. The ones I visited were very very clean but it was also the dead of winter.

chasity n

Verified

January 31, 2022 • Stayed at: 11, Loop: B

5

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE!! First time winter camping… and should I say, it got down to 21 degrees… BUT I had the best time ever!! ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS

Mark L

Verified

January 24, 2022 • Stayed at: 22, Loop: B

5

Great Place

Kelsie H

Verified

January 11, 2022 • Stayed at: 9, Loop: B

5

This campground is always beautiful! This is my second time staying here, first time during off season. We were the only people on the entire campground for our whole stay! I’m assuming because of the storms and snow. That being said, there is no host and the bathrooms are locked during off season. The trailhead did have vault toilets however. I highly recommend this campground!

Kelly C

Verified

December 29, 2021 • Stayed at: 21, Loop: B

5

Great place to pop up our tent. Elevated, clean spots to place tent. We were in the back of grounds by water. Nice and quite. Very short and easy hikes to both upper and lower falls. Vault toilets in the back area. Showers were closed for the winter. I wish that would have been stated on the site.

Art R

Verified

December 17, 2021 • Stayed at: 23, Loop: B

5

Beautiful falls, very short hike right from campground.

Leah W

Verified

December 14, 2021 • Stayed at: 18, Loop: B

5

Such a lovely area. Great waterfalls, nice sites and well maintained facilities. Did not enjoy having to register online ahead of time, especially since service at the site is very spotty.

Location Desoto Falls Recreation Area

Address:
De Soto Falls Recreation Area
Dahlonega, GA, 30533
United States

Highway access

Desoto Falls Recreation Area is accessible via U.S. Highway 19, with connections to U.S. Highway 129. It is approximately 17 miles from Blairsville and 18 miles from Dahlonega.

Latitude & Longitude: 34.7057 / -83.915

Elevation: 624 feet

Map of Desoto Falls Recreation Area location at Dahlonega, GA, United States
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Policies & Rules

General

  • During non-peak season (November 1 - April 1), all water is turned off to the entire campground.
  • Be bear aware; keep all food in containers or locked inside a vehicle as much as possible. Remove all food from the area after eating and during nighttime hours. Dispose of garbage promptly in our bear proof garbage dumpster.
  • Limit of two vehicles per campsite except the double site (site #14), which is a maximum of 4 vehicles.
  • No generators, music or other loud noises during this time. Be respectful to other campground visitors.
  • Campfires are permitted in grills only.
  • Pets must be on a leash at all times.
  • Discharging of firearms and fireworks is prohibited.
  • Do not leave fires unattended; they must be fully-extinguished and cold to the touch before check-out.
  • Note: cell phone service may not work in some areas due to tower location and terrain.
  • No day use or picnicking in the campground. Please use the day-use area or the picnic area if you do not have a reservation.

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Nearby destinations

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Cleveland

Last updated: June 3, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service