Black Rock Mountain State Park, 54 miles south of Cherokee in Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains, is Georgia's highest state park, at an altitude of 3,600 feet. The park has overlooks with 80-mile vistas, hiking trails through lush forests and a small fishing lake. Black Rock's main campground has sites for tents, trailers and RVs, some with electrical hookups. Black Rock also has walk-in campsites and back country campsites exclusively for tent campers. You'll find plenty of outdoor activities on the nearby Appalachian Trail and at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Oconee State Park, 64 miles southeast of Cherokee in Mountain Rest, South Carolina, is a traditional Appalachian Mountains getaway. Rustic cabins, a lake with a swimming hole, canoe rentals and fishing opportunities make it a great place to escape modern life. The park's main campground has sites for tents, trailers and RVs, with water and electrical hookups and picnic tables. Oconee also has a walk-in tent camping area that has tent pads and a central water spigot. Restrooms with hot showers, dump stations and laundry facilities are convenient to both campgrounds.
Devils Fork State Park, 70 miles southeast of Cherokee in Salem, South Carolina, provides access to Lake Jocassee, a spring-fed lake with clear waters ideal for fishing, boating and swimming. The park has two campgrounds near the shores of the lake. The main campground, which accommodates RVs up to 40 feet long, has paved sites with water and electrical hookups and a central dump site. The rustic tent campground has elevated tent pads and central water spigots. Both campgrounds have picnic tables, fire rings, hot showers and laundry facilities. Other activities at the park include fishing, boating, swimming and hiking.
Gorges State Park, 70 miles southeast of Cherokee in Sapphire, North Carolina, has primitive campsites at Lake Jocassee, with fire rings, picnic tables and lantern hooks. The campsites, which accommodate six campers each, are reached by a 5.5-mile trail from the parking area. Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved. Gorges has miles of hiking trails that wind through rugged terrain, often leading to views of waterfalls. Other activities at the park include fishing, boating, mountain biking, horseback riding and picnicking.
