About Stone Mountain Park
Many people use Stone Mountain Park as a day trip for outdoor activities like hiking, picnicking and boating, but outdoor enthusiasts can turn their daily activities into an overnight adventure at the park’s campground. Stone Mountain Park has several different yet connected campsites in one area of the park. There’s a spot for every kind of camper here, from RVs to yurts to primitive tent camping. No matter the site or style, one thing remains at every type: Restrooms with showers and potable water are nearby.
Read our Stone Mountain History and Hiking Guide to learn about the park’s seven hiking trails and to get a better understanding of the history of Stone Mountain Park, including before it became a state park in 1965.
The Campgrounds
With more than 400 sites to book, Stone Mountain Park claims to have the largest family campground in the state of Georgia. It also offers more amenities than the average campground. The central part of the space not only has restrooms with showers, but also a general store, playground, swimming pool and sand volleyball court. There are nine comfort stations (restrooms with showers) spread around the area. Three comfort stations also include washers and dryers to launder clothes.
Many of the campsites come with views of Stone Mountain Lake, but those that aren’t right on the shore are just a short walk away. Swimming isn’t allowed in the lake, but the sunrise view over the water makes for a serene way to rise and shine.
All of Stone Mountain Park’s campsites are in the same large campground, on the east side of the park off Stonewall Jackson Drive. Once campers pass the registration desk, their next turn will be determined by the kind of campsite they reserved. There are several options for sleeping quarters.
Primitive tent camping
There are 41 primitive tent camping sites. Most of them line the outermost point of the campground peninsula, which means they are closest to the lake. Sites 215–220 sit behind some of the yurt rentals, so be aware that these are not ideal for those looking for unobstructed lake views. There are two primitive campsites that are not on the peninsula; they’re nestled between RV campsites near comfort station #3.
No need to hike into any of these primitive sites. Reserved parking for tent campers is a short walk away from each campsite.
Pop-up campers and tent camping
Those who want electricity and water at their campsites have 81 spots to choose from, whether pitching a tent or setting up a pop-up camper. Most of these campsites are on the north side of the campground, but there are a handful located on the peninsula with better views of the lake. Sites #57–84 have the closest access to laundry facilities.
Safari tent camping
Three stationary safari-style tents, made with a wooden frame and a green canvas covering, are good for tent campers who don’t want to set up their own lodging. There’s a queen-size bed, end tables and a small dining table inside the tent. The units are big enough for a family of four—two adults and two kids—although park officials say with just one bed, children will likely need to sleep in sleeping bags on the floor.
Park employees say the safari tents tend to get very hot in summer and very cold in winter. Campers are allowed to use electric blankets inside the tent, but not electric heaters because space heaters are a fire hazard due to the tent’s canvas covering.
A small wooden porch is attached to the front of the tent. Outside of the quarters are standard campsite amenities like a grill, picnic table and fire ring.
The safari tents are located along a quiet inlet on Stone Mountain Lake. They’re on higher ground and further inland compared with the primitive campsites found closer to the shoreline.
One of the three safari tents is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
Yurt
Stone Mountain Park employees say yurts are the most popular rental facilities on its campground. The 17 available yurts line a north-facing bank of Stone Mountain Lake and offer wonderful views, particularly from their back porches. The yurts are made from wood and canvas like the safari tents, but the yurts are more spacious. These structures have a large, clear dome at the top to let natural light pour into the sleeping quarters. The wooden beds, bunk beds and small table with two chairs give each unit a woodsy, cabin feel. Campers only need to bring a sleeping bag or blankets to sleep in these rentals. Standard camping amenities like a grill, picnic table and fire ring are found outside the front door of each yurt. There’s also a fishing area near yurts 13 and 14.
Each unit sleeps between five to eight adults. Every yurt has one queen bed and one bunk bed, with a futon pull-out underneath the bunk bed. The yurts that accommodate six have a full-size bunk bed; those that can sleep seven or eight have a queen-sized bunk. Yurts F1-F3 sleep six people inside, but include a tent pad outside, allowing for two more people to sleep in a nearby tent. One of the yurts is ADA compliant and includes parking that’s van-accessible.
RV
Another popular way to camp at Stone Mountain is with an RV. There are 250 spots for RVs in three different areas of the campground, making it the most plentiful option for camping.
There are two kinds of RV sites: premium and regular. Premium RV sites are newly renovated and don’t need much leveling. They’re located on the lakeside peninsula or just behind the general store, near the playground and pool. The farther you go out from this central area, the more likely you are to book a regular, unlevel, yet more secluded RV site. If you book a regular site, be prepared; some RVers report these campsites require lots of work to level. Here’s a rundown of all the different RV sites by color:
- Blue, not level: The park has 44 partial hookups located on the south side of the campground. The park says these are ideal for short stays. Sites #337–345 have close access to extra parking and a dock.
- Peach, not level: The peach sites are located next to the blue sites on the south side of the campground. There are also a few peach sites next to the yellow campsite on the north side of the campground. They’re advertised as being in the most secluded area. Campsites #17–20, #370 and #372 are pull-through sites. Peach sites have full hookups, but do not include cable.
- Red, regular (not level): The red campsites are found on the other side of the blue ones, closer to the center of the campgrounds. These sites are good for motorized campers of all sizes, and some of the spaces face Stone Mountain Lake.
Lime Green, regular (not level): These campsites, next to the red section, are also found closer to the center of the campground. They’re suitable for medium and large RVs.
Orange, premium (level): Orange sites are found in the central part of the camping peninsula, which puts RVers steps away from the lake on three sides. This section is also close to two restrooms, the playground, pool and the fishing area. These sites are good for larger RV units.
Purple, premium (level): The purple site also caters to large RVs. It’s the first campsite drivers come to when pulling into the campground and located right behind the general store. These sites are best if the pool and playground are a priority.
Stone Mountain Park also has a sizable community of RVers who live at the park permanently. You can see their lot while driving on Stonewall Jackson Drive in between the golf course and the campground registration office. Their living quarters are separate from the weekly rentals available to temporary park campers, however.
RV Rental
Stone Mountain Park calls these sites RV Rentals, but a more accurate way to picture these units would be to think of a compact, stationary trailer. The six available Hy-Line stationary RVs are in a wooded area across a one-way street from the yurts. They’re a little more inland but still close to Stone Mountain Lake and feature large windows to be able to take in the lake views from inside the trailers.
Like the yurts, these units have furniture inside, so campers only need to bring sleeping gear and cooking utensils. Each unit has a private bathroom and bedroom with either a queen- or full-size bed. Each unit also has a pull-out couch. These rentals can house four to six people each.
Entering the park
One thing that tends to catch campers by surprise is that campers will have to pay the daily per-vehicle entrance fee upon arrival to Stone Mountain Park. Those with reservations to camp will get a parking pass for the entirety of their stay after they register at the campground.
When entering the park, the east gate (accessed via Highway 78) gives the most direct route to the campgrounds. After coming through the east gate, make the first left onto Stonewall Jackson Drive. Drive about 1.5 miles and the campground will be on the right.
Rules
A two-night stay is required for all bookings except on holiday weekends, in which a three-night stay is required. Seven nights is the maximum stay, except for motorhomes, which allow a two-week stay.
Campers can check in from 2 pm until midnight, even though the registration desk and general store close at 5 pm on weekdays and 4 pm on weekends.
Check out time for yurts, RV trailers and safari tents is 11am to give staff time to clean the units. Check out time for RVs, pop-up campers and tents is noon.
Pro Tips
Wi-Fi is advertised for many of the campsites, but several campers have reported the service to be slow and occasionally inoperable.
Booking a campsite over a holiday weekend like July 4th or during a popular festival like Stone Mountain’s Yellow Daisy Festival may require booking up to a year in advance.
Anyone can call the Stone Mountain Park campground office at 800-385-9807 to book any campsite. For those booking an RV, pop-up trailer or tent campsite, avoid the long wait times on the phone by booking online.