By:
Submission
It’s nothing like being out on the water. There’s a lot of down trees at the beginning of the trail but if you stay the course, things clear up a bit. It’s nice hiking along side the water. I came out early morning, right after sunrise. It was an awesome morning hike. Don’t wash it away as a lil walk in the woods, there’s some grades that’ll make you forget where you are. Another reason I love exploring Georgia. I wish more attention was given to this trail to keep it safe and accessible. I plan to hike it again and explore the full length and all of its beauty along the way.
Love this new found glory! I’ve brought friends and family back since finding it a few weeks ago. The trials all interconnect and lead to the water- love it. So many places to duck off along side the water to enjoy the rapids (or streams) depending on where you are. Picnic tables near parking areas (on the travel) with background soundscapes of the water to enjoy a meal, or walk down to the water and enjoy a getaway. Be careful going down the rocks (path depending) if knees or ankles need extra attention. The same for being near the water, it’s slippery and rapid, especially after a fresh rain. Depending on what parts of the trail, you get areas of elevation that can over look the water vs being in it. People come to fish, canoe, boat, fly fish, and swim in the water. They have camping. Primitive camp sites on the water (lazy river type, no shoals so no tranquil water sounds) but near water nonetheless. 7 sites on water, 2 across. Restrooms in camp area. Didn’t go in so not sure how they are inside. Overall, I always enjoy Factory Shoals and it’s low trafficked easy access to nature and water right in Newton County.
Primitive camping, kinda out there. Only allow 21 feet or under. We spent 4 days here and loved it.
It's a public Park and has a 7 day limit with 48 hr leave. We did witness some of the campers being semi homeless and taking refuge at $15 a night. Which comes with it's problems like drug use and DV so that wasn't the best but everyone kept to themselves but I'd definitely keep your stuff locked up here as the people seemed a little trashy.
The worker was very cool and helpful directing us to cool hiking spots. One man show but he was doing a great job.
The bathroom is in the middle with a sink two toilets and a shower for the men's side. One outlet in the bathroom and water filling station outside.
Right on the river and super peaceful when you don't hear arguing in the background.
Yuppy level 1 out of 10
Hippie level 8 out of 10
Will be back one day for sure.
$2 per car entry! This river trail is something to see. Hike or take a dip in the river. A location for the family. FOLLOW @slickhiking on IG
Note to future campers: the campground is NOT located at the address provided. This is the recreational park. The campground is actually up the road, on the opposite side of the park, at the entrance of the graveyard.
This campground is first come, first serve. It is $15 dollars a night. Some of the sites are waterfront. There is a bathroom with a shower that was kept up with and stocked with toilet paper and paper towels. There is also a water spigot near the bathroom and electrical outlets in the bathroom.
We arrived late at night and didn’t see how to pay for the campground so we just set up but the next morning, the campground manager, Raymond, stopped by to welcome us and take our payment. He was very nice and helpful, keeping up with the grounds and the bathroom, and answering any questions we had.
We lucked out and got a waterfront site (site 4) due to the fact somebody checked out early. We had a happy little bonus of getting to watch the beavers play in the river early in the morning. Each of the sites have a raised gravel platform for tents, a grill, and a fire pit.
The campground was full on Saturday when we arrived but cleared out during the week.
All in all, we enjoyed our stay and would definitely be back if we ever come back to the area.
Thanks again, Raymond, for all that you do to keep up with the place and make it an enjoyable experience for campers like us!
The recreational park was nice, with some good trails to hike, pretty views, and water that you could get in to if you wanted.
On a final note: this campground is definitely set up for primitive camping, focusing more on tents. We have a 10 foot trailer. We were able to back in to our spot with no problem. The site was not level but that wasn’t a big deal for us in our rooftop tent. We didn’t check out the other sites but an RV would probably have a hard time setting up here.
