In June 2020, we took a weekend trip to Vogel State Park in Blairsville, Georgia, for Brandon’s birthday. And my, oh my, was this park gorgeous!! We are not the most camp-savvy, but we enjoy camping a lot!
We tent camped in a “primitive walk-in” campsite which was not primitive at all, which was OK with us! I put primitive walk-ins in quotes because our campsite was literally 20 steps away from our car, and the bathroom with a shower was about fifty feet.
The only thing that made it somewhat primitive was no electricity. We only needed electricity for our phones, but we just charged them in the car, which worked great for us.
This campsite was very nice and well maintained. It had a fire pit, grill, picnic table, and tent area. And the park itself is gorgeous!! It is nestled in a valley with a lovely lake in the center.
The park also offers many other amenities like a free miniature golf course, a small beach area, a CCC museum, water sports, and cottages for rent.
On the first night, we realized we had forgotten any fire starter…opps. Luckily our neighbors came to our rescue and gave us some starters. We love cooking brats and potatoes when we go camping and washing it all down with some s’mores.
We set out on a big hike of about 13.5 miles the following day. It probably would have been a little shorter, but I took us down a wrong turn.
This hike was to the top of Blood Mountain, which stands at an elevation of 4,458 feet, making it the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. The hike was gorgeous.
From the Vogel, you hike uphill pretty much the whole time. We took the Bear Hair Gap Trail and made our first stop at the Vogel Outlooks, which gave a stunning view of the lake surrounded by the Appalachian Foothills.
Then, we continued on the trail until we split off at the Coosa Trail for a few miles before we turned off at a USFA trail that led to the Appalachian Trail. I love to say that I hiked on the Appalachian trail, even if it was only for a few miles.
Then we hit the top of Blood Mountain. The view from the top was breathtaking! We stopped and enjoyed our picnic lunch before we headed back down the mountain.
Once we returned to camp, we set off to kayak around the lake. We have these inflatable kayaks that we love!! They are perfect for us because we do not have a big vehicle or much home space to store kayaks, so these fit our lifestyle perfectly.
Kayaking in the lake left me in awe, paddling below the mountains of the Appalachians. It was enchanting. Very few people were out on the lake, so it was like we had it all to ourselves!!
Once again, we enjoyed our brat and potato dinner with s’mores before calling it a night.
Then the next day, we packed up our campsite and went for a little hike in the morning just around the lake. This hike was easy and a great way to start the day!
Before we left the Blairsville area, we explored the Desoto Falls Recreational area, where we saw not one but two beautiful waterfalls. The hike to these falls was short and easy!
We loved our time at Vogel State park, and we hope you put it on your bucket list!
