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Situated on a wooded peninsula, Tugaloo’s cottages and most campsites offer spectacular views of 55,590 acre Lake Hartwell in every direction. Some cottages even have private boat docks for overnight guests. Tent campers can choose between the developed campground or primitive sites located a short walk from the parking area. During summer, the lake is a popular destination for swimming, water skiing, sailing and boating. Both the Sassafras and Muscadine hiking trails wind through oak, walnut, mulberry and cherry trees. Tugaloo State Park boasts a six-lane mega ramp used for large fishing tournaments and easy lake access. Fishing is excellent year-round, and large-mouth bass are plentiful. The name “Tugaloo” comes from an Indian name for the river which once flowed freely prior to the construction of Hartwell Dam.
We had an extremely good time. The weather was perfect- the camp site was a great location for us to walk and fish. Next year we are planning for a longer trip for sure
We stayed in the Yurt village. My only complaint,being a city girl, is that the bathrooms are a walk. The yurt was a fun way to camp without sleeping on the ground. It had air conditioning and heat so that was nice with the weird GA weather. Heat at night and ac during the day. I actually loved having the window covers open instead of the AC on.
Our family has vacationed at Tugaloo State Park for many summers. The setting is beautiful. There are hiking trails and a lovely beach. And best of all, the cabins are along the lake. We look forward to sitting on the private dock in the evenings and watching the sunset. This year we stayed in the newly built accessible cabin. It was gorgeous, well designed, and more like a luxury home than a cabin. The cabin was very well designed for two families to share and the space is welcoming and comfortable, and reasonably priced!
I've been to several of the Georgia State Parks and this is definitely in my top five. This park is super family friendly but also wonderful for a quiet little getaway. My mom and I stayed at a walk-in tent site with a view of the lake and had a great time. It was a short, but slightly strenuous, walk from the parking lot but the path to the comfort station was paved. Our comfort station was immaculately clean thanks to our sweet camp host Julie, and there was even HOT water in the showers! IYKYK. If you're going tent camping with littles who need space to run around, I recommend sites 5 or 11. If you're an older couple who'd also like to tent camp but have some closer amenities I recommend site 2. It's right off of a paved path to the comfort station. Sites 7 and 10 have the best lake view. Sites 1, 2, 3, and 4 have the most privacy from other campers. All the tent sites have 4 electric outlets and potable water on site (a HUGE plus). If you have kids and go to the main playground by the beach and put-put area, don't go to the bathrooms by the beach. Go to the comfort station on the other side of the playground, they're much cleaner. The staff at the visitor center were all very friendly and helpful as well as the other rangers who ride around to take care of things.
Hiked the Sassafras loop today- we parked by visitor center for convenient trail access but if you’re camping at the park there are other access points. There are lots of spots to get close to or go in the water (given it’s Nov we didn’t go in) but occasionally leaving the trail to get closer to the water might be why our total hiking distance came to 4.2 miles. For myself and my 79 yr old mother this trail was a perfect blend of some minor hills and roots to keep the hike interesting and lots of beautiful water views. Weather today was about 60* so no problems with bugs and maybe due to yesterday’s rain, we didn’t encounter any spiders or webs that I’ve heard can be common on GA trails. The trail crosses by one of the campsite areas about halfway through, which was super convenient for a bathroom break (in a clean building with sufficient soap and paper towels) . $5 per vehicle park entry fee that you either pay online ahead of time or put cash in the envelope from the box and then put the paper receipt (which tears off the payment envelope at the pay box) and hang it in your vehicle. Today was exceptionally quiet and I thought the $5 was well worth the hike 👍 My mom was glad to have her hiking pole but middle aged and younger won’t need one. Great trail and dog friendly so I’d definitely visit again!
