VAN PUGH SOUTH CAMPGROUND
VAN PUGH SOUTH CAMPGROUND

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly Pet Friendly
Showers Showers

About Van Pugh South Day Use Facility

Van Pugh South Day Use Facility lies on the banks of Lake Sidney Lanier in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northern Georgia. The popular lake boasts nearly 700 mi of shoreline and over 100 small islands, providing over 11 million annual visitors with limitless recreation opportunities.

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Boating

Boating

Spring Summer Fall
Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Kayaking

Kayaking

Spring Summer Fall
Swimming

Swimming

Summer

Seasonal information

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly Pet friendly
Showers Showers
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
  • Showers
Water Access

Water Access

  • Lake Access
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information?

Reviews (631)

What Guests Are Saying

Van Pugh South Day Use Facility is highly praised for its friendly and accommodating staff, well-maintained sites, and cleanliness, making it a perfect spot for a day at the lake. Many visitors express a desire for the campground to reopen for overnight camping, highlighting its appeal for extended stays. Overall, guests enjoy the privacy and experience offered, especially in comparison to public beaches.

Review Summary

4.3
631 reviews
5
62.4%
394
4
21.6%
136
3
5.9%
37
2
3.8%
24
1
6.3%
40

Kathy C

April 24, 2021

5

Beautiful area,clean and VERY friendly and courteous staff.

Susan B

April 24, 2021

2

The RV sites at Van Pugh are not close to the water, so we were not able to fish every day like we thought we would. The tent sites are on the water, but RV campers would need to locate a place to hike down to the water and most RV sites don't have water access. We thought it strange as the campground is located on Lake Lanier. Site #16 is much steeper than was described ("slight" incline) on Recreation.gov. So much so, that we were not able to back our small travel trailer up the hill and into the site with our full size truck A bit unsettling experience to say the least, but thankfully the host was able to move us to their emergency holding site (#1), where we stayed for the entire six nights of our trip.

Larry W

April 24, 2021

5

Beautiful location right on the lake. Would love to go there again.

Kathy C

April 24, 2021

5

Beautiful area,clean and VERY friendly and courteous staff.

Susan B

April 24, 2021

2

The RV sites at Van Pugh are not close to the water, so we were not able to fish every day like we thought we would. The tent sites are on the water, but RV campers would need to locate a place to hike down to the water and most RV sites don't have water access. We thought it strange as the campground is located on Lake Lanier. Site #16 is much steeper than was described ("slight" incline) on Recreation.gov. So much so, that we were not able to back our small travel trailer up the hill and into the site with our full size truck A bit unsettling experience to say the least, but thankfully the host was able to move us to their emergency holding site (#1), where we stayed for the entire six nights of our trip.

Larry W

April 24, 2021

5

Beautiful location right on the lake. Would love to go there again.

Kathy C

April 24, 2021

5

Beautiful area,clean and VERY friendly and courteous staff.

Susan B

April 24, 2021

2

The RV sites at Van Pugh are not close to the water, so we were not able to fish every day like we thought we would. The tent sites are on the water, but RV campers would need to locate a place to hike down to the water and most RV sites don't have water access. We thought it strange as the campground is located on Lake Lanier. Site #16 is much steeper than was described ("slight" incline) on Recreation.gov. So much so, that we were not able to back our small travel trailer up the hill and into the site with our full size truck A bit unsettling experience to say the least, but thankfully the host was able to move us to their emergency holding site (#1), where we stayed for the entire six nights of our trip.

Stephen L

April 25, 2021

4

Clean place to camp, Reasonable prices, Friendly staff. Overall a pretty good place to camp.

Stephen L

April 25, 2021

4

Clean place to camp, Reasonable prices, Friendly staff. Overall a pretty good place to camp.

Location & Directions for Van Pugh South Day Use Facility

6749 Gaines Ferry Road, Flowery Branch, GA 30542 United States

Elevation: 344 ft

Getting There

Take I-85 north to I-985, take Exit 8, turn left on Highway 347/Friendship Road. Turn right on McEver Road, then left on Gaines Ferry Road and follow signs to the campground.

Nearest town

Flowery Branch, GA - 5 mi

About 12 min to downtown

Highway access

The campground is accessible via I-85 and I-985, with Exit 8 leading to Highway 347/Friendship Road. McEver Road and Gaines Ferry Road provide further access to the facility.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 7, 2026

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Explore Flowery Branch, GA

Population: 10,925

Nearby city: Alpharetta, GA

Approx. 19 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 1,122 ft

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