1. Unicoi State Park

0

Helen, GA

Cancel

Open app

Search

Unicoi State Park

4.0 (79 reviews)
ModerateHiking, Parks, Hotels
Open • Open 24 hours

Unicoi State Park Photos

You might also consider

More like Unicoi State Park

Recommended Reviews - Unicoi State Park

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Dirty cup from cabinet
Kathy W.

I stayed in barrel cabin no. 1. It was grungy and reeked of old bacon grease. The comforter had brown stains. The stove was dirty. I wiped the kitchen counters with disinfectant wipes and they turned brown. The bottom of the dishwasher cutlery basket was broken in multiple spots. The kitchen had cobwebs attached to the wall and light fixture. The coating on the cookware was so scratched, it was unusable. Overall, the park looks unkempt and neglected. It is managed by Coral hospitality. I've never seen such a neglected Georgia state park.

Falling trees.

NA.... DO NOT CAMP HERE. First of all gonna start with the bathroom being the scary set for a murder horror film. DIRTY!!! Old 1970's raggedy bathroom!!! busted missing floor tiles, busted leaky crusty old shower heads that sprayed everywhere, dilapidated bathroom sink and toilets, no urnal - piss on the seat, all the floors were wet from the crazy shower heads. They literally had two walmart space heaters hanging from the ceiling for winter heat. It was summer no ventilation or ac and was like a Sauna in there from people taking showers mixed with odorous bowel movements!!! Only positive to the whole "comfort station" was it did have hot water!! Second they had DANGEROUS dead trees and limbs hanging over camp sites, one tree landed on neighbors beautiful truck. Two more huge trees came down the next day. Third.... BEARS. Someone in the camp was harassed every night during our 7 night stay by a bear, we knew ahead of time and took everything out of our popup, all utensils, microwave, and soap. Locked everything in our car! First night the bear shook our camper looking a snack. I had to get up in my skivies to yell and scream to chase him off. The last night three sites down the bear got into some coolers, they didn't know! Sleep with both eye's open! Warning The route from TN/NC took us via Russell scenic hwy, hog pen gap this crazy mountain, we're local and used to mountain's this was extra. motors revving like 3500 rpm at a crawl for 7 -10 miles. the rig in site next to us melted the rear calipers and had to go to the shop. The route 17/75 from Hiwasee Ga was safer. We do a-lot of camping and this was the worst place we've ever stayed. Possibly the other campground loop has a newer bathroom? Vogel State Park is 20 min away.

Victor M.

This is a nice State Park located just about 4 miles from Helen and that is the reason why we booked two nights here and that is exactly why the price/value is high, location, location, location other than that 64 per night is a little steep. The fourth star is for location Sites are very level and are surrounded by a six by six lumber to contain the gravel when it rains with a nice 6 inch corrugated drainage for runoff water to drain underneath the pad but lack of maintenance prevents the water from draining properly and our site was flooded on the second night of our stay because the mouth of the drain was totally clogged up. Not much of a view either, our site was surrounded just like all the others by the thick forest providing a nice lush feeling. Spent our time in Helen like most everyone else

Beautiful trail around the lake.

Beautiful trail around the lake. This is a nice trail to do with the family/kiddos. It also looks like a fun place to go during the summer.

My grandson had a wonderful time. The staff take safety very serious. They make sure you understand what you're doing. Next time they're ready to try level 2.

Danielle P.

Unicoi State Park has alot to offer for the activities for the whole family. I spent 4 days in the area, hiking, wandering, and just some relaxing. We stayed in the barrel looking cottages, you have to stay at least 2 or more days. Kinda pricey, military receive 25% off which is a plus. The views were spectacular, we daily walked the lake. Keep in mind cell phone service is Zero depending were you at in the park. Check in/out: easy, they explain and give you maps to the whole park, and will recommend places, you are minutes from Helen, GA where there are good foodie stops, 90 min from Atlanta. Cottage: Big kitchen with coffee, no cream or sugar, clean, roomy, fireplace/ matches no wood, very warm & cozy electric heat. Bed was comfortable, nice size bathroom. The lake was at my backdoor, I enjoyed my views daily. I posted a video on my UTube channel if you wanna see the outside/ inside close and personal. (Dani Derives). Restaurant: Gets a 1 star*, We arrived at 7pm, they close at 8pm. The buffet was open but the food was cold and dried up. I asked the waitress if they were going to put more food out, she stated Yes, but this didn't happen. The fresh sea bass was tasty, but I was so disappointed that I paid $17.95...plus tax. I completed the survey but haven't heard anything from them. Plenty of parking toward the back of the dining hall. Park: Beautiful prk, lots of ourdoorsy activities to do, zip lines, rockwall, fishing, hiking, biking, lot of trails, and a beach. I dont swim in water were beware of snake warning signs are posted...No Thanks, Lol! Tip:The whole place could use some updating, so food was a 1*. Dont let this discourage you go, remember Helen has plenty of places to eat.

$75 a night after Sept 1

I tried to make a camping reservation at Unicoi, but not paying $75 a night for campsite. This place has gone downhill since the private company took it over! The last time we were there, it was run down and not kept up. Don't bother!

Archery range

Finding information about the archery range online was near impossible, so here you go. Follow the gravel road back to the range. Grab and envelope for your $5 and deposit it in the box -- honor system, sort of, but you'll want to tear of the receipt, punch the day of week and keep it on your person. Nice covered shooting area and concrete paths to sheltered, large, hung Morrell bag targets. A few different distances to shoot at the range maybe 10, 20, 30 and about 40 yds... We dropped by midday, mid week and nobody was using the range...ymmv.

Park's main lodge
Marqus R.

Unicoi however is a stand out among the state parks considered to be large and beautiful. Its 1,050 acres encompasses everything one could want or expect from a state park. Besides pristine scenery it has a main lodge with 100 rooms along with dining and convention facilities. The park also has 106 campsites, 30 cottages, 7 picnic shelters, a group shelter, all sorts of hiking trails, even a zip line. It also offers boating, swimming, fishing classes, wilderness guides, paddle board classes, the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River, 51 RV sites and the list goes on. I've been here several times, done some wilderness camping as well as having civilization stays in the Unicoi Lodge. In all, one of the very best of state parks to be found anywhere,

Alexandra M.

I received a distasteful message from a Yelper Mike D., calling me derogatory names because my reviews are "biased", that I "make Yelpers out to be banjo playing and RV living" and I do not know why...... those are negative things.Kudos to those who have patience to play an instrument, I have an acoustic that after 2 lessons I threw in the towel.And a domicile on wheels,travel anywhere you please? How invigorating! I recommend committing yourself some time in nature! Even those with their own personal chefs ,frequent stays at the Grand Del Mar,driving custom-made italian cars should find peace in the good ole' outdoors. With that said, I love primitive camping, roughin' it so you will, and want to share with you my experience at Unicoi! ****THIS REVIEW IS FOR CAMPING AS WELL AS THE LODGE! My first night was on a Thurs.which is $15+a $5 parking fee for each car. Then for the weekend price goes up at $35 a night. Mind you this does not include a electric or water hook up, which I find very pricey, but there are bathrooms and showers provided for the primitive camping. It had two stalls for showers, one for handicap, and the water came out warm but not hot. Each site includes a firepit with a grill rack and a picnic table. They do have wood and firestarter log available for purchase in the lobby. I recommend the fire starter which is $6 each. They do have recycling and trash conveniently located steps away. They were having a "Winter Special" for their lodge that weekend,$66 for a night, taxes/fees included which I think was a great deal. With accordance to my birthday I thought it'd be a treat.This has been my 1st time staying at a lodge which brought some high expectations. But this is where mostly the star rating fell short. Its similar to a dingy Ramada Inn, hall ways and room itself had a melancholy feel, nothing warm or inviting to it. I guess you get what you pay for but if thats a special price, then I wouldn't spend anymore than that.It provided a coffee machine with complementary coffee, 2 water bottles, and some toiletries. Shower pressure was very light and water warm at best. For recreational activities, I did not hike their paved trails or zip lining that they offer, but I did visit Anna Ruby Falls. They do charge a separate entrance fee even though its in the park but not on the weekdays. It was absolutely beautiful, a very easy beginner hike to it and a creek streaming all through out my exploration. They have a gift shop for last minute camping essentials, souvenirs, and lots of information on wildlife and the agriculture in Georgia. TIP: If you want to see waterfalls, they have a brochure in the lobby of those near the park, disclosing difficulty of hike, length,height, and directions to each from Unicoi. There was a handful of waterfalls I never heard of even in my 2 week long research on the waterfalls in GA, so it came in handy for fun last min. sights!

Michael B.

What can I say about Unicoi State Park that hasn't already been said. It is a wonderful and beautiful park ran by the state of Georgia. Unicoi State Park offers a little bit of something for everyone. At Unicoi you can hike, bike, fish, camp, swim, or just plain be lazy if you like. This past weekend we went camping at Unicoi and enjoyed hiking, fishing, and being lazy while we were there. The campsites are great, we were able to place 2 tents in one site, hang up a hammock, and build a big campfire in the fire pit; it also had a build in picnic table in the site. A few yards away from the campsite was a very nice (but small) lake which had a trail to hike on leading around it, also was able to catch a huge .10 lb crappie out of it. While roughing it in the outdoors we loaded up the suv and headed for the town of Helen (a whole mile away). In Helen we were able to enjoy some of the local flavors of town such as German sausage, German beer, German music, and other scenery that the town offers. Once back at camp we cooked dinner over the open fire pit and were worn out. Needing a shower badly I had to only walk about 10 yards away to the public showers near the campground. So while you are "roughing" it, you can also pamper yourself as well. Unicoi State Park is a wonderful place and the only issue we had the whole time we were there is the other campers. If you go during peak season be prepared to deal with lots of people camping out around you. Other than that, it is a nature lover's and sportsman's paradise.

Flying it out

See all

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 37
Thanks 10
Love this 30
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Brian H.
1707
999
7914

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 1

9 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1
Photo of W L.
0
8
1

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Marqus R.
1827
4513
26566

10 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 1

15 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Matt G.
90
1441
1630

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

I had a great time at Unicoi State Park and they had a ropes course nearby. I also went on a paddle boat. It was a lot of fun.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

9 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Sonia M.
78
25
10

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

The beach area is small and way too crowded on the Fourth of July. There are plenty of picnic spots but none were available.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Suzy N.
22
113
151

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

We went for the zip lining and it was AMAZING! Our guides, Jesse and Scott we're phenomenal and 10/10 would recommend

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Unicoi State Park

Are dogs allowed?

No, pets are not allowed in the restaurant. Service animals that are well behaved are admitted but must not cause any issues with customers.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Unicoi State Park

“Our guides Forest and Anna were great and the tours (both level 1 and level 2) were good courses.”

Mentioned in 11 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Hiking 352 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Anna Ruby Falls

Anna Ruby Falls

(205 reviews)

He came here late August 2026. The website said it was only…read moreopen until 5:00 p.m. We got there right at 4:30 and the guy said we could stay as long as we want because the arm to get out will open automatically. We paid $6 per person to get in we were able to check out the gift shop a little bit before it closed at 5:00 p.m. we walked up to the falls which is not paved but it's not a bad walk at all once you get to the top they Have some wood walkways that take you closer to the falls. I loved it because we were basically the only ones out there until another couple showed up and they helped us take photos of each other so that was good. We stayed for about 20 minutes and then headed back. I must see if you're in this area.

If you are visiting Helen, GA, be sure to place visiting Ruby Falls at the top of your list…read more Honestly, this was the best part of our stop in Helen. You gain access to the falls through Unicoi State Park & Lodge. Anna Ruby Falls are nestled in the Chattahoochee Oconee National Forest. It's about a 5-minute drive uphill through the park and once you reach gate to the Unicoi State Park there is a $6 per person (per carload) fee. Once past the gate they have a Visitor Center with a large parking lot, a clean restroom, and gift shop with some refreshments available. On the back side of the visitor area lays a massive patio overlooking Smith Creek. There is a wooden boardwalk to the right that follows the creek down for a short walk but it comes to an end and you must turn back; this area was really buggy (they kept going for my eyes). If you go to the left of the main entrance, you will start walking upward the trail to Ruby Falls. The path is not paved and there is no boardwalk leading to the falls until you are within a 200' or so of the falls. However, the path is wide and clear of most debris so you could get a stroller through here but I wouldn't recommend it because you will have to really work at it. It's a 1/2 mile walk to the falls and it's a continuous uphill climb to 219 feet of elevation. Once you do get to the boardwalk there are stairs leading upward to platforms where you can take photos and achieve better views of the falls. Note: You can bring your dog but they must be leashed. Anna Ruby Falls are stunning; they are essentially two separate creeks crashing down; Curtis Creek - drops 153 feet and York Creek - drops 50 feet, they come together to form Smith Creek which flows through the south of the mountains and into the Chattahoochee River. There are plenty of wonderful photo op areas here and it's a great way to get away from the touristy downtown area of Helen and experience the natural beauty Georgia has to offer. Nancy and I came late in the day, about an hour and a half before close and there was only one other couple up here with us, so we basically had the whole place to ourselves at one point so this was a magical experience for us. Anna Ruby Falls was the most memorable experience we had while in Helen, GA. I highly recommend going if you happen to be traveling through the area.

Tallulah Gorge State Park

Tallulah Gorge State Park

(211 reviews)

Nothing better on a crisp autumn morning than listening to rushing water over rocks, or the hike to…read moresee it! Well-maintained trails and industrial grade stairs (over 1,000 of them) lead you to a beautiful canyon in the Blue Ridge Mountains where you'll be reminded just how small you really are. And that is a very good thing. When the sun comes up, it looks like a totally different scene.

I came here on a very hot summer day with the plans to see some waterfalls. We got here around…read more8:30am which I believe is when the park opens. We took the South Rim (At least I think it was the South Rim) and went to all 5 viewing points which is a flat walk and a round trip of about 1.5 miles. Then we went down into the Gorge which includes 1,099 steps (actual staircase) to the bottom and of course that many steps back up. You can't go all the way to the Gorge floor without a permit but that just means you can only walk down 1,089 steps to a platform. There are plenty of places to stop including a very cool suspension bridge that overlooks Hurricane Falls. This was pretty tough for a 50-year-old fat boy like me but it's doable if you can simply climb stairs. The views are amazing and worth the quads burning for the next 3 days. The visitor's center is really nice. There is of course a gift shop. a huge display of taxidermy of all the local wildlife and a very nice museum that goes through the history of the region. The most important part is they have air conditioning. Suck it up, take the stairs and buy the t-shirt saying you did it when you are done.

Smithgall Woods - Angel of Death Mushroom along the trail - one of the most poisonous in the world

Smithgall Woods

(11 reviews)

Great place! The guy at the visitors center was really nice and gave us information about the…read moretrails! The trails are very nice, and you can see lots of things along the way! 10/10

Venue Smithgall Woods State Park ( Smithgall Cottages) 5 out of 5 stars…read more After copious amounts of research and several venue tours, we decided on Smithgall Woods state park, and more specifically the cottages as the venue for our wedding on June 8th. We just have to say we loved the team we worked with at Smithgall, mainly Todd, Patty, and Art. Todd at Guestservices was simply fantastic! As he will be quick to mention "the venue sells itself", however having him as our man on the inside was a pretty huge selling point on its own. He was with us every step of the way to answer our plethora of questions, work with vendors, and generally keep our minds at ease. Honestly, I doubt the wedding weekend would have gone as smoothly and been as much of a success had it not been for Todd's guidance and cooperation. The venue is magical. I know how that sounds, but it's the truth. It's tucked away deep in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, surrounded by a lush forest teaming with wildlife. This majestic property consists of five "cottages", in quotations because they are more like log cabin style mansions. The two largest being; the expansive 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom cottage called the Smithgall Cottage, and the even larger 5 bedroom 5 bathroom Dover cottage. The Creekside Cottage is 3 bedrooms, and The Laurel and Garden cottages are one bedroom cottages with hot tubs on secluded side porches. All the cottages were clean, modern, and a huge hit with our guests. We were able to house both our families, close friends and wedding party all on the same property. Which saved us a great deal on lodging. Which after factoring in the cost of rooms made this one of the more affordable wedding venues out there. Also you get it for the whole weekend!!! We used the Smithgall Cottage for our wedding location due to the large wrap around porch and decks, and also due to the picturesque, covered foot bridge under which flows a gorgeous champion trout stream. We had some difficulty deciding where on this property to hold our ceremony because it is simply lovely all over. Unfortunately, the record rainfall that weekend made the decision for us. Even though the storms limited our use of the enormous field in front of the Dover cottage, and the gardens next to Smithgall we still were able to comfortably host our 50 or so guests and dozen vendors, at the Smithgall Cottage and our ceremony and reception went along wonderfully. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone wishing to have a once in a lifetime event at a once in a lifetime location.

Unicoi State Park - hiking - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...