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

Gayle H

Verified

August 1, 2025 • Stayed at: 17, Loop: B

3

Showers are not working- bathroom odor stronger than usual
Hosts are super !

Aly H

Verified

July 29, 2025 • Stayed at: 14, Loop: B

3

The only reason it wasn’t excellent is that the showers were not working. Other than that being stinky… it was a slice of heaven.
However, there is a very large dead tree across the creek leaning over site 14 that needs to be removed before a tragedy occurs

Shane B

Verified

July 25, 2025 • Stayed at: 14, Loop: B

2

The hot water didn’t work and it was $48 a night. Way too expensive. Love the place though. Great host.

Kevin D

Verified

July 14, 2025 • Stayed at: 21, Loop: B

2

Only fair stars because, yes, it is a beautiful looking place but the smell of the pit toilets, no showers that work and limited working water spigots, and truckers using Jake brake all night and day makes it stressful.

Denietra D

Verified

July 6, 2025 • Stayed at: 13, Loop: B

2

No showers the entire 2 weeks of my stay

Ken D

Verified

July 3, 2025 • Stayed at: 15, Loop: B

4

I had a great visit & really enjoyed my stay.
I would give 1 more star if only the bath house had had water so that I could get a shower.
The weather was hot & a shower each day would have been better.
The entry to site 5 is a little tight but overall that site would be a favorite.
I’m looking forward to a return trip & maybe the water will be working at the bath house.

Claire K

Verified

June 27, 2025 • Stayed at: 14, Loop: B

5

Being next to the water was amazing. The space was ample 10 out of 10

Pamela B

Verified

June 16, 2025 • Stayed at: 23, Loop: B

4

WE ENJOY CAMPIMG HERE EVERY YEAR WITH FAMILY
THE CAMPSITES ARE WELL TAKING CARE OF
THE CAMPHOST ARE GREAT

Marla P

Verified

June 9, 2025 • Stayed at: 19, Loop: B

4

We enjoyed our stay at Desoto Falls campground, so much so that our kids said they want to come back. The site was very clean and well maintained. There was easy access to the trails to the falls. Site 19 is right next to the pit toilet bathrooms. There is a lot of road noise from motorcycles on the nearby road during the day, but the traffic lightened at a reasonable time at night so that it didn't keep us awake and overall didn't bother us. It is conveniently located to the cute downtown Dahlonega area. Our kids loved the Consolidated Gold Mine tour and gold panning and the North Georgia Wildlife Safari. One small thing to note-the campground map on recreation.gov makes it look like the site is on the outside of the loop when it is actually on the inside of the loop. Overall a great place to camp.

Mireille T

Verified

May 26, 2025 • Stayed at: 21, Loop: B

5

Nice flat camp site, with a path that goes to the river and close to the bathroom.
One of the best site on this campground

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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Last updated: June 3, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service