Moccasin Creek State Park, Clarkesville

Upon arrival you will be given a stern scolding and read the rules of the park line by line. Some of the rules will be highlighted for you just in case you didn't get it during the reading. Before we had even finished setting up camp we were rudely and without tact told that our dog needs to be on a leash, which is understandable. However, our dog was laying at our camper door sleeping. They also had to go out of their way on their little golf cart to even be able to see the dog. Guess they were looking for something to break us in. A little fresh meat hazing I guess. On their next lap around the campground we were told with a stern tone to move a vehicle because one of the tires was touching the grass. This was grass that had infiltrated the gravel. We did not park in the grass. Hope they keep the Round-Up handy or they could lose a drive or 2. Maybe they really like us and just wanted to speak to us again? Also while were setting up camp, (keep in mind we are experienced campers, so it doesn't take us long to set up) our son was riding his bike in the grass by our truck. Here they come again on that golf cart, what now? Another grass violation? Nope. It was a violation of Moccasin Creek Rule #13. Children must wear a helmet at all times while riding bikes. Also understandable, it is a state law. But, my son can't ride his bike yet, so he was really just sitting on it with his training wheels balancing him and pretending he was Batman. His sound effects are top notch though, so maybe they thought he was really screeching tires. They lock the gate at 10:00pm sharp and will not open it for any reason until 7:00pm. So I guess in an emergency you would have to Dukes of Hazard it out of there or see if you are man enough to wrestle the keys from "Hitler and Harriet" (that's what we called them) Anyway, you are trapped there like a prisoner during that time, whether you like it or not. This went on all weekend, with Hitler and Harriet just driving around all day and night harassing everyone in the campground about every little thing. My advice is to avoid this campground unless you are over 65 or you are some sort of twisted camping masochist. On a good note, the campground is very clean and the amenities are well kept. If you are able to make light if the harassment you will proably enjoy it very much. We were able to make it into a joke and have a very good time. The lake and stream are beautiful. You just can't fish in them from the campground unless you are under 11 or over 65.

We were sent here by the site manager at Unicoi State Park after our reservation somehow did not go through their system. We were told at check-in that gates would be locked from 10pm - 7am and I asked for the gate lock combination. She said we don't have one. She said this is a small park and we don't like our campers to be disturbed. It was late in the day after the debocle at Unicoi, so I was concerned as we wanted to visit Helen GA and would have to rush to be back by 10pm. She said that we could park next door at the fish camp and take a short walk over. She also said that if we needed to get out of the park, we could contact the camp host. This morning, we began to worry about getting out of the park early enough for our 10-hour drive home. We both work the next day. My husband went to the campground office and was told that it was "against the rules" to let us out at 5am, and "if we did that for one person,we would have to do it for everyone". She stated that they don't have enough employees to be here with the key to let people out. My husband stated that every state park he has ever been to has had a combo lock or electronic keypad. She replied "Well, some don't". He asked about the camp host having a key and she replied that they don't like to be bothered. I too wish that we'd read the reviews, but we were in a pinch. Every other state park in the area was booked. We had no choice. I was dismayed to see the layout was much like an overcrowded RV park, which we avoid like the plague, but was pleased to see the fishing decks and swings right by our site. That is, until I took a breath and smelled the overwhelming smell of dead fish. Then I read in the materials that we could not fish at all. Only the children and the elderly could fish. I can understand (the review below) the little boy living across the street being enamoured with a place like this where he could walk in anytime and fish his heart out. But trust me, you wouldn't want to stay here. This park is run like no other park we have experienced and we stay at state parks in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee frequently. They need to realize that campers are not kindergarteners or senile folk in the nursing home. We don't have to be locked up with no means of escape. People camp to enjoy the outdoors and see the sights. No one should be able to tell people to go to bed at 10pm and hold them captive in the park until 7am. Not everyone is retired so that extra 1 or 2 hours at night enjoying family fime is precious for people who work. By locking up the campers, they are robbing the nearby businesses of revenue or they're robbing YOU of your precious vacation time. This is Campground California....you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave - till 7am!

first of all the park has too many campsites for its small space. No sewage hookups. The Camp gound host named PETE is the rudest man we have ever come accross in any state park that we have camped at. This is not a place for families to go, the only people Pete wants in the campground is older people 60 years old or older. It is aparent that he does not like children. He is always getting on to the small children for anything they do. We were there for the weekend of 8/6/11 and our 5 year old son was told not to ride his little scotter that was smaller than an bicycle. Pete was always coming to our camp site with some issue, He told our 12 year old son on Saturday night that he couldn't use the bathroom there after 10 pm he could not leave his campsite for anything.If you like to be hassled by a rude camp host that is badge heavy this is the perfect place for you, but if not don't go here. It is a very pretty campground,just way too small. Needs to have 1/2 of the sites it has.Pete and his wife are the rudest camphost ever. I guess that is because they may just be too old to handle this job with tact. Lake Burton is a very beautiful lake but the campsite at the lake is not.

Pros: Nice bath facilities with dumpsters on site Cons: The sites are way too close to each other and our site was right beside the road. We were disturbed early in the morning by speeding cars and late night honking. Ranger came up to our site to tell us that our dogs were barking. Of course when someone walks up to the site, the dogs will bark. The dogs were not barking this late at night until he walked up on us. It was about 10p or 11p and he threatened to kick us off site if we couldn't keep the dogs quiet. We asked if the other campers with dogs barking were due to him and he said that he was talking to us not the other campers. We booked 2 nights there but left early because the ranger. We will NEVER come here again.

I used to go to this campground when I was a kid and loved it. However, the atmosphere has changed for the worse. The rangers here seem to do their best impression of the Gestapo. Quiet time starts at 10pm. And they mean it. Four families in my neighborhood plan an annual campout, and we tried this place for the last two years. We were yelled at both times at around 11pm. We had a campfire going and we were all sitting around the fire. As far as I know, there were no complaints from any of the neighbors, yet the ranger yelled for us to go to bed, and he was extremely rude to boot.

We have been trying to go camping here certain weekends etc booked for months,last min someone must have cancled so we booked and 2 days later went. So whats the Hype?, There are BETTER state parks! Its way too Small, I was shocked you are on top of each other no privacy at all. Got there had to wait for site 38 at 1PM they were not pulled out. Worker tried to talk me into another few no too close. For I wanted at least no one behind us.Many sites are right by the HWY. Ranger finally came wrote them up and the site next to them I am sure was mad at me for it was their friends. SIte 37 was pulling out to take a better site so he gave us our so at least we had some privacy but did not realize table had no table pad of gravel like the rest.( so when it rained Mon/ Tue our stuff was trashed. On our back porch now a wreck! They tried to talk me into site 55 while waiting. There was no fire ring you are near trash cans and they had bears at cans, off edge of lake traliers are parked there and pavilion. You have to walk your trash to big open cans well most state park you do not. NO SWIMMING.Trout area SO SMALL, kids age limit is too low. Told us no scooters yet 2 wks ago at another park it was okay, yet a kid hit an older man with her bike while we were there.*I read one comment here. Wine bottles were open at some tables!!! SO why is guy in last comment in trouble? Lady at front office would not open a box of ice cream cones for my daughter since her brother got last one. Said cannot open till some of the other 2 kinds were gone. THats older gals for you sorry but she is to please the Customer. When it rains just about every site in the middle area is flooded,mine had no gravel under table and mud flew up and got everything nasty,THey were Cleaning Bathroom each day 2 times thats a plus. Restraunts close about 2PM in the area.In Batesville there is a general store/ restraunt that only serves 2 nights but open up till 2 daily. There is another close to park by convienent store so have a plan if it rains bad one night and you cannot cook.( *they are not too helpful in that area* Close by headed towards Clayton is Lake Burton CAfe/ sports Bar. SO far my Vote is for Vogel, Ft. Mtn, AM. Falls, Red Top. There is some fishing on Wildcat Creek. This campground place is very small,smaller than Wal Mart! you could have some one on all 4 sides and be able to toss and apple to.

We showed up to the camp site and expressed how nice the site was. We loved the fact that we had a place to park and lanuch our boat and that the camp site was a short walk from the lake. We were extremely excited to have some well needed fun and rest. But that came to a very quick end when the ranger came over to interupt our hot dog roast. We where sitting around the camp fire when he came over and said if we where drinking we where going to rabun county jail. I told him my wife and I had a beer and a margarita, typical for us while on vacation....We like to have a few drinks while on vacation. He then proceded to accuse my kids of drinking who are 12 and 15 years old and told us to stay out of it or we would go to jail. He had a badge and a gun so he was throwing his power around like he was a super hero. He had the nerve to do a sobriety test on them and make them blow 4 times, because he said he thought they where drinking. To no avail he could not get any results on the test. He then accused them of smoking dope since he couldn't get a reading on the sobriety test. That was so humiliating to me and the kids that have never had a drink in there life. I understand he has a job to do and rules are set to keep the site maintained but this was not the way to handle this matter....not to mention the rules/regulations posted on the Georgia National Parks Website are completely different from what he told us. I think we where targeted and harrassed by the game warden. He continuosly confronted the kids the rest of the trip time and time again....the trip that we set our hearts on was a total disaster and the worst experience i have ever encounterd. We nor any of my friends will ever go there again. Sad to say because it is a beautiful place. Worst of all, one mans doing will effect the fun my family could have close to home in our rv. Hopefully no other family will ever have to go through what we experienced.