Vogel State Park

Very beautiful park. Very clean and was a nice walk. The scenery is gorgeous and it is a great place to take a stroll and get some fresh air. The cabins look nice and I will be renting one in the future when we go back to the area.

Beautiful area!
I actually wasn’t planning to visit Vogel, but was in the area and the day was so beautiful that I decided to visit this State park.
Taken from their website:
«One of Georgia’s oldest and most beloved state parks, Vogel is located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Hikers can choose from a variety of trails, including the popular 4-​mile Bear Hair Gap loop, an easy lake loop that leads to Trahlyta Falls, and the challenging 13-​mile Coosa Backcountry Trail.
Accommodations & Facilities:
* 233 Acres
* 35 Cottages ($ 100-​$ 250) — #5, #6 & #30 are dog friendly ($ 45/​dog, max 2)
* 85 Campsites ($ 27-​$ 33) — some seasonal
* 18 Walk-​in Campsites ($ 25)
* Pioneer Campground ($ 55)
* 22-​Acre Lake with Beach
* 5 Picnic Shelters ($ 35)
* Group Shelter (seats 90, $ 100-​$ 175)
* Lake Pavilion (seats 100, $ 350)
* Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum — seasonal
* General Store
* wireless connection Available in the cottages
Their website says everything and more than I can say, although i’ll say a bit more. On this specific day (and all beautiful days), Vogel will be packed, and parking is surprisingly limited. Be prepared to park on grass or wherever you can.
The 4 mile Bear Hair Gap loop is very easy, flat, and in some cases is flush with the water below, and goes from wooden board walk, to gravel, to natural grassy trail. Very photogenic and well worth the walk. Should you get tired or if you just want to smell the roses, several benches line the edge of the trails so you can get a front row seat to kayakers, people fishing, and the lovely lake.
Definitely take the time if you can to visit Trahlyta falls, which is the base of the spillway, that drains the lake when it becomes too full. Because of this, the falls are always beautiful and don’t really require rain to feed it
Vogel also has a very small artificial beach and swimming area for little kids, that’s worth a visit.
I hope you get to visit Vogel, which is more of a leisurely stroll than a hike, but that’s okay! This park is beautiful, large, and has lots of activities that I hope you get to enjoy.

3.5 on Vogel.
Very friendly staff
Nice amenities
Great place to camp with kids
Clean bathrooms
The 3.5 reasons
–If a first timer don’t believe camp map, spaces are a lot closer than they seem
— bring your own firewood, the wood from shop is not aged and will not burn
–lots of construction on new cabins, but none on campsites, some need more gravel and smoothing out

We had a great time at Vogel and will be back soon. We stayed at spot number 59 right next to the creek. Very private and the trees were beautiful and lined the campground perfectly. The fact that it’s one of the oldest parks in Georgia is why it feels more rustic and you feel closer to nature but with all the common amenities such as 30 amp service with water and gray water waste areas every couple of spots so you can dump without moving your trailer. Everyone is helpful and pleasant. The lake was nice without any motored boats. Very close to many hiking spots and brasstown bald, the highest point in Georgia.

I’ve been going to Vogel since I was a little kid. This is my first time back in probably 10 years. It’s just as I remembered and an amazing place to stay. The cabins have been updated and are cozy and gorgeous. The park has so many things to offer: lake, swimming, store, hiking, mini golf, and is overall a beautiful park to stay. This is the first time I’ve been here in winter and am so excited that snow is predicted for tonight!

This is a beautiful & even historic park. They only have water and electric hookups (no sewer, wifi, or cable but this IS camping). Most sites are a fair size snd flat. Beautiful creek w rocks. Nice lake w waterfalls at end. Nice walking trail & picnic areas. The only reason we wouldn’t give it 5 stars is that you can’t book a site # so you could end up w a less desirable site w a 40′ fifth wheel. Sure wish GA State parks would get on board with this!

I agree with Mark S a few posts down, Amnicola and Fort Mtn. Bathrooms are clean and Rangers were polite, but sites are very close together.

Vogel state park is awesome! We have camped here a few times and we love it. The park has a nice lake that is great for fishing with kids, and their walk in sites are great. Plenty of things to do to get out and in the fresh air. The walk in sites all have a tent pad that is bigger than most, a fire ring and a picnic table. Several sites close to the restrooms and some good ones back much further. Take your family and enjoy the outdoors. Don’t forget about the junior ranger program for kids!

One of the better GA State Parks due to its location in the north Ga mountains. I’ve camped at this park several times via tent. For whatever reason it always gets colder than anticipated in the middle off the night. Higher elevation.
The staff is usually nice and informative about the area. As suggested when you check in, make sure not to leave any food out at night or you will have visitors. We have heard raccoons seeking out food from nearby sites who don’t go by the rules.
Only slight downside would be the campsites are pretty close to each other compared to similar state parks.

Seriously beautiful and serene… although the «Watch out for bears!!!» signs made me suspect that camping in a tent would be akin to serving yourself up as hors’ dourves. This park is incredibly scenic and serene. It’s an easy drive from Atlanta, especially if you are used to an extended commute every day. There’s a gift shop, water, and cozy cabins… what more could you desire?

If you are staying in Blue Ridge, go to Amicalola first, and Fort Mountain second. Vogel should be a distant third if you have the time. Better still would be a trip to
Tallulah Falls (though it is quite a trip).
I went on the Bear Hair trail and was disappointed with how poorly marked it was (can’t my $ 5 parking fee fund the purchase of a can of green spray paint to properly mark this trail?). There is only one good view in the whole 3 hour hike.
A positive: not many people. The only couple I ran into explained that I should be wearing a bright vest to not get shot by hunters. Hunting in a state park?! I guess the people with the guns really do make the laws. If anyone should ever find themselves shot in Vogel, please use this post as evidence in the resulting trial that (i) park employees do NOT highlight the danger from hunting, and (ii) there is no notice posted of this risk. I’ll be happy to take your case, assuming you survive the gunshot.
If you go: stick to the lake trail. Has a waterfall. Try not to get shot.

The trails really need to be remark, especially the 13 mile. They aren’t great if you’re looking for a view to make the trek worthwhile but are nice for strenuous exercise.
The staff is nice and helpful but unless you’re car camping, I’d suggest trying another park.

I want to give this park 2 stars but that wouldn’t be fair. For what this park is it’s easy on the eyes. It’s just too small and the waterfall is underwhelming. I mean it’s just a spillway from a man made lake. The pictures made it look more spectacular than it really is. The walk around the lake is pathetic honestly it backs up to a road that had constant motorcycle traffic. The saving grace for this park to us was the store and the staff. They had a ton of merchandise, my girlfriend loves that stuff… The facilities were clean for a state park that’s a plus. Sadly the views and falls did not justify the hellish drive into the park from the burbs. The surrounding waterfalls that can be found off the beaten path are well worth the effort to get to.
This park is perfect for people who are not quite up for an all day trek. I am not counting the back country trail here. I usually stick to the maintained trails with my dog so that’s what I usually review based on. There are countless other parks that offer a much more rewarding experience.

There’s a neat path around the lake. It’s a good loop (probably about a quarter mile or so) with picnic tables and barbecues near the parking area. We brought a stroller along the path, so it’s fairly kind, but there are some spots where the stroller wasn’t ideal.
Sometimes there is a parking fee (like $ 3 or so), but it’s worth it. I wish I had more time to explore the area, because it’s beautiful in the spring time.

Beautiful plot of land the state runs within the Chattahoochee National Forest. It’s no wonder that getting a campsite here is more difficult than robbing Fort Knox. The trails are well-​kept yet still look very natural, you can bring your dog along for the walk, and there’s gorgeous fall foliage awaiting you in October. If walks aren’t your thing, there’s paddle boats you can rent to meander about the lake in, but with so many short trails to choose from, you really should give those a shot.
I want to come back and take one of the long trails up to the top of one of the hills that overlooks the lake and make another feeble attempt to secure a campsite. Love.

Beautiful park for hiking and only about an hour’s drive from downtown. I definitely recommend a day trip and hiking the Bear Trail. A spectacular overlook of the park is reached in after about an hour. The descent is about another hour. Peaceful and enchanting.

We drove to Vogel State Park from our Blue Ridge cabin. It took approximately 45 minutes, but it was worth it! The beach area was clean. It was perfect for five children ages 5 – 8 (no, I’m not nuts; they are not all mine!). The short hike to the waterfall was perfect for «little legs». It was breathtaking. The staff in the welcome center was very pleasant and helpful. It was a very enjoyable day trip.