Fort Yargo Visitor's Center

Our favorite place to visit to enjoy nature and wildlife. The trails and greenway are well marked and there are so many different trails to explore. The lake is a beautiful setting and offers a great view while exercising and exploring. Our dog loves the water and creeks and smelling all the things!!

First time here, but very impressed with facilities and trails! Will definitely come back!

Great new look! Clean & updated areas to enjoy. The cost to get in is fair in price! Many activities are offered. 🏊‍♂️⛳️🎣🥾⛰️

Great welcome center. 5$ per carload to enter. You can buy a yearly pass. Supplies and souvenirs. Drinks and ice cream. They have a conference area as well.

This place is continuing to improve its' facilities. We liked it even before the new beach area or the visitor center but the improvements are very nice. Take yourself, friends, family(Dog too) and enjoy the day.

Great State Park! The lake and trail is abundant with different ecotones and wonderful varieties of wildflowers that attract butterflies and birds. The staff is friendly and helpful (a special thanks to Diana, a volunteer).

Fort Yargo State Park is a great place to enjoy nature and take a break from the daily routine. The 260-acre lake is perfect for kayaking, fishing, and swimming, and the well-kept trails are ideal for hiking and biking at any skill level.

Ft. Yargo State Park is a beautiful, peaceful place that is prime for connecting with the Creator and one's self. It's the place where I do some of my best soul care! Here are a few pictures to draw your attention to one Georgia's premier sites, great for personal and family adventures. I love this place! Join me! Nature awaits! #FtYargoStatePark🤎

Walking counterclockwise along the loop trail around the lake, the elevation is very flat, the lake is sparkling, and people are boating, fishing, and biking, but few people are hiking. The reflections of the two bridges in the lake are very beautiful, and there are several natural tree tunnels on the trail for people to enjoy. In the south in summer, the grass and trees are lush and grow at an all directions. It is a pleasure to walk alone and quietly. In the 18th century, the land of this park had a complicated historical dispute between the local Indian tribes and the early settlers, and it was once traded for $167. I was a little annoyed to be charged a $5 parking fee at the entrance. Senior cards are not accepted here. You need to buy a State Park Pass with 50% off.

We came here for a buddy's 40th bday. The park is a little confusing as the gps gets lost. The park is beautiful. The cabin was nice. Not the greatest but nice. Everything is being redone for like mini golf and other stuff. So maybe next time we would see that. We went hiking which was nice. Cabins have a tv and only 1 bathroom. It has satellite tv channels with not much on it. Beds weren't comfortable at least for me but this is rough necking it so I understand. I'd come back.

Firstly, the visitor center was absolutely beautiful! It sits on a lovely lake across from an old fort. Not the big army type forts, but an old relocated homestead fort. I took a short stroll in a light drizzle around a very small part ofthe lake to the fort and back before it got too rainy for the dog to be happy about, but was surprised by how much I enjoyed the area. It's not too far from Atlanta right off the highway, and definitely a worthwhile stop, There's a whole lot to see and do there, l I'll definitely be back!

The walking trails are amazing!!! 7 miles around we ended up doing 5 miles because we got lost and ended up on the bike trail ( dont judge us -lol Google walking map got us back on track ) we cant wait to try it again!

Scam! They charge for parking even knowing there are no spots left. We asked if they are at capacity and lied to us even though I had to drop my family off and drive circles for 45 mins waiting for someone else to leave. The bathrooms are out of order and splash pad does not work. Why are they charging us ? The lady said since the boss isn't there they can let people in. I would rather have just been told the truth.

I'm a senior citizen,have been coming to this park for several years now.My granddaughter,brings her group up every summer.Camp Rara is the group name.Age 6-12,they have such a great time.We look forward to coming back every summer.....,

So much updating has been going on at this park for the past decade we finally decided to stop by. Today we took the walkins Greenway trail into the park. It is about a mile one way. Greatly appreciated that it was paved. No fee for parking. Not much shade but it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the sun. Path is along side a little creek that my boys loved looking into. Probably wouldn't want to walk the trail on a wet day being the walkway has puddles from run offs and can get slippery. Or a very hot day since there's almost no shade. We got to the information pavilion and saw even more construction going on. Definitely miss what Fort Yargo used to be but looking forward to what it will become.

I have a goal to visit all of Georgia's state parks, and Fort Yargo was an easy hour drive from my house. I wasn't expecting the park to be so pretty. It looks more like a metropolitan city park at the entrance, and I can see people taking wedding photos here. I walked a portion of the lake trail (yellow trail) near the dam. (The official trail start is at the front of the park.) The area around the dam is full sun so be sure to wear sunscreen and a visor. The trail was mostly flat and easy. I want to return in the spring to walk the full yellow trail and the shorter orange trail. The trail was lovely in winter so spring will likely be lovely too. There are yurts and cottages for rent. From the outside they look nice. I used one of the bathrooms and it had a modern shower (dirty from weekend use but modern.) There are multiple boat launches, and the lake was peaceful. I enjoy most Georgia parks, and Fort Yargo was no different. I'm looking forward to visiting again. Yelp #10 2022

This is a really good and beautiful park. Some of the things you can do at Fort Yargo are biking and bike rentals, boating, disc golf, fishing, hiking, camping, swimming, boating, kayaking, and canoeing and so much more. LIKE WOW!! I do feel really lucky to live nearby! They also have a great area for picnicking, and a really big playground. About the hiking trail itself, it isn't the easiest to follow for beginners. It was kinda confusing in the beginning which made me scare and we decided to go back and not finish the 7 mile trail LOL. Next time I will probably head there earlier in the morning so I am not scared of it getting too dark and getting lost lol. Other than that it is a beautiful park, lots of parking and a great gift shop! ESPAÑOL Este es un parque realmente bueno y hermoso. Algunas de las cosas que puede hacer en Fort Yargo son ciclismo y alquiler de bicicletas, paseos en bote, golf de disco, pesca, caminatas, campamentos, natación, paseos en bote, kayak y canoa y mucho más. WOW!! Me siento muy afortunada de vivir tan cerca! También tienen una gran área para hacer un picnic y un área de juegos realmente grande. Acerca de la ruta de senderismo en sí, no es la más fácil de seguir para principiantes. Fue un poco confuso al principio, lo que me asustó y decidimos regresar y no terminar el sendero de 7 millas LOL. La próxima vez probablemente iré allí más temprano en la mañana, para no tener miedo de que oscurezca demasiado y me pierda jajaja. Aparte de eso, es un hermoso parque, mucho estacionamiento y una gran tienda de regalos.

Beautiful campground area! We are right on the lake with a beautiful view! Each campsite is fairly level and has a electric, water, a fire ring, a picnic table, a grill and a lantern hook. The sites are pretty close together. If there was just a little more space between sites I would have given this campground 5 stars. Love all of the improvements this park has made over the last 5 years! Wish they had more sites because it's really hard to get a site here for even one night! Highly recommend!

We have been camping for several years here for Father's Day and this year the lake has a whole bunch of roots/debris in the water which makes it harder to do kayaks off the edge and fishing. Also the campsite is covered with poison ivy. They really need to clean up around the campsite areas. It's a beautiful park otherwise.

This is not a normal park which I had no idea. They have Yurts to rent, bikes, camping, disc golf and its nearly downtown Winder and only a few miles from my house ! Big lake, just never had someone suggest it so I still got to Mulberry park to ride my bike- ( smaller less crowded) but wow. this is the place to bring the kids, and I know my brother would rent a Yurt before he ever got a hotel, so good to see! They do have pay parking, gate, security, just a great campground with electric and water near the lake and so many picnic tables. Looking for a step up in parks and outdoors, this is the place! I just came to walk my 15 yr old dog ( its not a long walk lol) and she's little and there are a lot of dogs -but good times by all it seemed!!!!

I mainly only went to For Yargo State Park for the beach area because my family would have barbecues there. This time, hubby and I went for hiking. The park has been upgraded! It's like wow! The Visitor's Center is nice. You can tell they are still working on the trail. In the beginning, the trails are covered in cement and then you will get on a narrow dirt path. The walking trail is 7 miles but we did half and turned back around. One day, I will explore it all the way around. There is a cyclist trail too that is 12.5 miles. There were tons of cyclists out to ride, from all ages. I really like it and will come back. 19/2021

Absolutely stunning park!!! So peaceful and serene! Great for long walks, biking, taking a dip in the water, and or kayaking. Will definitely be a weekly visit.

Mountain bike playground! 20 miles of single track~ roots, rocks, creek crossings, bridges, bumps and jumps. Serene views around the 260 acre lake. Not much wildlife besides the recreational hiker. Certain days direction designation to keep the trails from becoming mundane. Rent a yurt or an adventure cabin for a weekend getaway and hook some catfish between rides. *The sewer pipe waterfall is ferocious so be prepared for the aroma when peddling by

New amenities make this a go to spot. The trails are well maintained and well traveled. I take my children all the time.

On our quest to explore as many GA state parks as possible, we ended up at Fort Yargo on a Sunday afternoon. It was an quick and easy ride from North Fulton. The entrance was a little tricky as there is a lot of construction at the entrance of the park, so we didn't realize we had driven past the visitor center. We found a cool little village after going over the bridge and opted to park there and explore the rest by foot. In this asking area there were a couple of historic buildings and a nice lake with a picnic table around it. The area looked clean but the only restrooms were the portopotties near the parking lot. I found the park to be a bit empty for the beautiful afternoon and it felt borderline creepy walking through the trail next to the lake. We had decided to leave but on the way out we found a whole other section of the park, there were playgrounds, a beach, paddle boat rentals and restrooms ( not very clean ones). So my suggestion is, don't stop at the first parking lot. Drive all the way around then park at the beach and work your way back to the historic buildings. The coolest thing I found at this Park was that someone had left small fires all around the trails and the kiddos got to use our marshmallows to roast over the fires.

There are several beautiful trails to walk or bike. The yurts are a really fun way to experience the park without roughing it too much. Leashed dogs are allowed on most trails, but can only stay in yurt #1. They book out fairly quickly so plan ahead.

Fort Yargo is the closest State Park to my home. Ironically, as much as I love to hike and explore nature, it is a natural resource that I surprisingly underused! ~ WATER FUN Fort Yargo is 1,816-acres of pure nature with a 260-acre lake for recreational activities such as swimming at their man-made beach, boat ramps for private boats and boat rental offerings such as Jon boats, kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddle boards & pedal boats as well as piers for fishing (although my yelp friend Paul R says the fishing sucks). ~ FEATURES One of the many features of the park is a 1792 era fort built by settlers to protect against Creek and Cherokee Indians. The historic fort includes a number of buildings with monument signs for historic background. Other great features include 3 fully equipped cottages, 13 rustic cabins and multiple campsites for tents, trailers and RV's. The park also offers 6 yurt (which are basically permanent tents) that include furniture, electricity, a deck, fire ring, picnic table and grill with a squared off gravel pad for a mud free sitting area. All of the yurts are located on a wooded peninsula overlooking the lake with a convenient bathhouse nearby. There are 20.5 miles of mountain bike/hiking trails, a disc golf course that is said to be "exceptionally challenging" and a cemetery dating back to the 1800's. Other amenities include: 5 Picnic Shelters 2 Group Shelters (seats 80 & 100) 1 Event Room (seats 62) 1 Lake Pavilion (seats 75) 1 Beach Pavilion (seats 150) 1 Pioneer Campground 2 Boat Ramps Gift Shop Playgrounds Biking and bike rentals Disc Golf (fee) -- annual passes available Educational Programs Geocaching Miniature Golf (fee) Muddy Spokes Club Picnicking Swimming Weddings [park approval required] ~ TRAILS & GIFT SHOP The new park entrance and gift shop are only a few years old and still have that new car smell. They did a beautiful job with the design and have a number of cool things for sale. Near the new building is an easy nature trail to take young children called Bird Berry Trail. It's a half mile sensory trail with signs that tell about all of the natural wonders from beavers to Muscadine trees. 23 signs in all with both text and Braille. It is a very pleasant trail especially for kindergarten aged children. The trail is suitable for both wheelchairs and strollers. A 12-mile Mountain Bike Loop with one section known as "heart attack hill" and a 7-mile Lake Loop trail offer a great challenge to those wanting to burn some calories. ~ EVENTS If all I've mentioned isn't enough, they also host several events throughout the year which (in the past) have included reenactments and ax throwing. The current COVID-19 pandemic has the calendar unavailable, but check with the State Park website here: http://explore.gastateparks.org/calendar?p=61 [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Indeed I have totally underutilized this amazing park, but I plan to change that for 2020! Enjoy, but avoid holidays if you prefer smaller crowds! Parking fee required. 2020 / 23

Beautiful park. Short little paved trail. Handicap accessible with little to no incline. Would be great for anyone looking for a lovely path for fresh air.

Nice camp sites, trails and lake . Has children's playgrounds for your little ones fun.

Great place to camp and spend an awesome time with family friends. You can hike, lay out on the sand by the lake. Safe place for kids to play and have fun.

Great park, so lucky to live nearby. It has so much to offer!! Kayaking, mountain biking, camping, trails. Noticeably more busy over the last few years, but this park has improved significantly with updates, new entrance, better amenities. I live too close to camp, but it is a popular spot to come stay for a week.

A great state park for camping and cub scouts and boy scout outings and outdoor activities. I like how the camp grounds are spacious and ideal for camping and outdoor life. There's a nice lake and suitable for water sports such as kayaking and fishing. Son had his "Crossover" to boyscouts event here and unfortunately our camping trip was cut short due to rain and inclement weather warnings. I look forward to coming here again as a big plus about this location is that it's so close to home and not a far commute at all. Tip: There are more than 1 entrances to this park, so please be aware of that as we initially went into the wrong entrance as we relied on Google Maps which took us to the main entrance. Parking seems to be a set fee, but when we went, the parking attendant was closed, so parking was free for our visit. Nice. Overall a 5 star establishment and thank you to the owners of this great state park!

There's tons to do at Fort Yargo park! Seriously there is something for everyone here, especially if you love the great outdoors! Mama bear and I enjoyed a beautiful day off work and wanted to check out this hidden gem just 15 miles from Loganville. $5 gets you a parking pass for the day and the visitor center is located at section A. They have trail maps available as well as tons of gifts, tshirts and misc camping gear (Incase you forgot something). This park is bigger than I thought and they have tons of activities. Mini golf, disc golf, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boats, biking, hiking and picnicking! Literally something for everyone. The pavilions available for rent are huge so you can have parties of all sizes. We walked around the lake but there are 7+ miles of trails to explore. They have a small man made beach that would be fun to visit when you need a quick beach fix in the summer. They have cottages, cabins and yurts available for rent. You can of course bring tents and campers/RVs. I am waiting for it to get just a little warmed and am looking forward to returning to stay in a yurt! Overall I really enjoyed checking out a new park. It was well maintained and has a lot of pretty views!

Really nice calm lake for kayakers and paddle boards . Lots of picnic areas by the lake and some cute little cottages you can actually rent. Tent camping and RV camping. Beach for swimming. Boat ramp although this lake is very shallow I would think kayaking Or canoeing would be the best. Several big pavilions for big groups to get together.

This is a great park with miles of easy trails, lots of flat options and is pretty year-round. The trees are really blooming if yiu get her quick!

Great place to get away, kayak and picnic. Great place tucked away in Winder. Reasonably priced for a day of family fun.

The only thing was that the beach was kind of like packed and sand. But other than that it seem clean. I didn't go into the restroom so. One thing I will say, for sure, read the signs! Alcohol is not allowed.

Wonderful place to relax whether alone or with the family. Picnic areas, swimming beach, kayak and canoe rentals, great bicycle and walking trails, some paved!! Very peaceful!

We love it here. For state parks, this a great small sized one that is well taken care of. There's lots to do. Camping, cabins and yurts fill up fast so plan ahead

Bring your Bug spray!! $5.00 for entering $3.50 for Military/vets... I love outdoors! (just not bug friendly) This is My second time Here.The first time YELP didn't allow check ins. I do think it's a Awesome place to do outdoor activities Bring your fully loaded RV, camping tents, bikes and Don't forget the Ingredients to make smores for the kids if your staying overnight to camp. RV $30 a night Tents $28 a night max 2 tents 6 ppl per site. There is wood for sale near every camp site. I saw a lady passing out wood, bottled water that she had left because she was checking out. (Nice) Rangers and very helpful staff. If you want something other than a tent to sleep in or your camper/RV you can rent a Yurt ($70 a night that sleeps 6 with a lake front balcony to fish off!!! really cool) or a cottage $135 a night with a walking path that leads to the lake. (Sleeps 8 with 2bedrooms, fully furnished with 2bathrooms, and kitchen) Only 3 available. I do enjoy the biking and walking trails. The man made beach can be very crowded and filled with kids enjoying the sun. Alcohol is okay inside your camping unit. (Not allowed other areas) I say it is a cool relaxing place to spend a few nights away from all the hustle/bustle of everyday life.

Fort Yargo is a fine multi-use park but not my favorite of the Georgia state parks, given my preference for hiking parks. Mind you, there are some nice places to walk here. The other reviewers have more than adequately covered the multi-use aspects of the park. This review is for my experience on the southern half of the yellow pedestrian trail and some of the red (blue on the map) biking trails. If you want to walk completely around the lake, you're looking at a six or seven mile trek on the yellow trail (trail map says seven, another Yelper says six). That was more than I wanted to do, so I hiked between the trailhead near campground #2 and the bridge over on the west side of the lake near another parking area. In other words, between points 'S' and 'U' on the park trail map. I also hiked between 'J' and 'H' on a bike trail. Most of the path I walked runs along the lake with very nice views. The bike trail is a bit higher in elevation and goes through more typical Georgia pine forest. Dirt trail all the way. Based on what I saw during the drive in and referring to the map, I'd say the yellow trail between 'S' and 'P' (east side of the lake) might also offer similar hiking. Trails are well-marked and the yellow pedestrian trail is quite wide for a good portion of the way, maybe six to eight feet depending on how you judge what constitutes path. Very easy walking with little elevation change, which means you'll not get much of a workout unless you walk a long, long way. Parking is easy near the trailhead if the park isn't busy but I can see it becoming scarce otherwise. There's only about a dozen spots. Not sure how the park feels about parking on the side of the road. While the walk was nice from a scenery point of view, it was less than what I wanted from a 'get away from the noises of civilization' aspect. Lots of noise from gas-powered weed-eaters over by the dam as workers manicured the grounds there, and the people enjoying the park are not the quietest. One guy was playing with his dog over by the bridge and was yelling at the poor thing constantly. You could hear him halfway across the park. The people renting the yurts over by the trailhead were similarly challenged in understanding the concept of peace and quiet. But that's just my experience based on what I wanted from the park. If you're looking to do any of the other, non-hiking things offered by the facilities here, you may well love the place. The lake is beautiful and I could see getting in a boat or kayak and cruising around (after making sure that dog guy wasn't in the park). If you have kids, the opportunities for them are numerous.

Forts trails and axes Fort Yargo is a great state park of over 1,800 acres. One of those place where you can go and do about anything. The park gets it's name from an old fort that was built in 1792 that was protection from the native people but the fort is really more of a small house. It was cool because they had folks dressed in period clothes and they were practicing axe throwing and let us join in. The park is probably best known for it's huge campground, cool lake for swimming and miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking. A great place to have a family picnic or get some serious exercise. The woods are lovely and everything seems very well maintained. We didn't have enough time to fully explore and take advantage of the huge park but the small part we experienced was wonderful. Georgia is truly blessed to have such magnificent parks.

Love it. Fort Yargos new look.. new additions to the park are fantastic. We can't wait to camp there again this summer..

Love this place great environment. Camp twin lakes is the best we go there for school events all the time.

Out of every stat park I have been to in Georgia this one by far is the worst. The bathrooms at the Beach are haven't been cleaned in ages. I have been here from the time the gates opened today and no one cleaned them. At least they Change the trash bags outside. They spent millions on that new front entrance and building but zero on fixing these outdated bathrooms. What a sad thing to see happen.

Great spot! Took the kids here and we had a blast! We packed a picnic lunch and spent the entire day at the beach.

Clean bathrooms which can be found in various locations of the trails. Beautiful lake view and clearly makes trails.

Outstanding campground. Super clean, well run. The camp sites are 95% level and very spacious. Many many trails for hiking. Park staff is friendly and helpful, as are the camp hosts. Will differently be back.

This is way too expensive of a place just to get into one day. Yes it's beautiful and there's plenty to do. However, there is three stars because of how expensive it is. I'd rather find a park that I already pay my taxes to.

Stayed here many times. Good customer service and great park to hike, bike and camping.

Love the hiking trails, but it's very easy to get confused. Beautiful lake and tree scenery! Love to do my morning yoga here, or walk the trials!

Everyone in my family loves going to parks and doing outdoorsy stuff... except for me. I love staying indoors whenever possible and not having to battle the elements and creepy crawly things. So whenever my parents tell me we're going to have a BBQ or picnic at a park, the main thing I look forward to is the food. That is pretty much it... Recently, my family and about forty others (family friends and friends of friends) went to Fort Yargo State Park around 11 am on a Sunday. Parking costs $5 per car, so be sure to carpool if possible. A family friend had reserved the huge pavilion close to the beach ahead of time at $100 for an entire day. There were more than enough tables for our group, so overall it seemed like the tables pavilion would seat close to 100 people. I'm guessing they would probably provide more tables if you needed them as well. Our group made use of the BBQ grill and brought plenty of other food. It was all good and dandy - until the flies came over to join in on the fun. For whatever reason, most of the people in our group didn't mind the flies and didn't bother to cover ANY of the food up with lids or aluminum foil. So all I ate was food right off the grill, which I knew wouldn't have had any flies landing on them. =( As I was eating, I was waving my hands over the food on my plate so that the flies wouldn't sit on it. Ughhh... That was battle with nature #1... Not only did the flies "bug" me, but there were HUGE spiders under the tables and seats. Some were dead, but some WERE alive. O_o Fortunately, I have brave sisters and a brother who cleared the spiders from our table and underneath our seats before I sat down. Then, I had to use the restroom... That's when I saw more of those GIGANTIC spiders ALL OVER THE WALLS by the restrooms. Words cannot even EXPRESS how freaked out I was! And for whatever reason, these spiders like to be in pairs. Yuck. I saw one crawling on the restroom floor, too. =P There are two "pairs" (women's and men's) of restrooms by the pavilion (which you have to walk outside and around to get to) with two stalls in each, and although they're gross, they had toilet paper (at least in the morning) and soap, which was a nice surprise. My brother and younger sister enjoyed canoeing for an hour at the rate of $8 an hour. Although I considered kayaking or canoeing myself, I hadn't prepared to get near the water (no swimsuit, extra clothes, or towels) and also didn't want to fry out in the blazing sun, so I decided not to. It looked like a lot of fun, though. Overall, Fort Yargo State Park gets 3 stars for being an "OK" place for people who enjoy nature and don't easily get turned off by insects. There were plenty of people enjoying the beach and the various water activities that the park has to offer. However, I don't think I will return because I have seriously been traumatized by those spiders... [Review 182 of 366]

I've only seen the beach part of it but it's clean and nicely kept. There's a Ranger that came by and checked every so often, admission is $5 per car but the park has a lot to offer so it's well worth it.

I love State Parks! This one is nearly perfect. It has mountain bike trails for all levels that can keep you riding for hours. A gorgeous lake with a beach for swimming. Yerts, cabins & Campsites. Playgrounds, grills, basketball courts, mini golf and boat rentals. Hikes and a plethora of Geocaching! It's only 45 minutes from my home. The ONLY thing it's missing is paved bike rides. My son is a bit fearful of mountain bike riding so if we could have a mix at this park I think we could live there. No matter where you live in Atlanta it's an easy drive and well worth it!

We stayed in one of the adventure cabins. It had two bedrooms and one bathroom and they provided towels and linens. The cabin was super clean and perfect. It even had a screened porch. There is so much to do there that it is sure to keep you occupied. There is a small historical site, trails to hike and bike, canoes and other boats to rent, and mini golf. You just can't beat it. The staff is super friendly and will answer any questions you have about the area, even the silly ones. I love this state park and I think you would too.

Nice camping for a weekend getaway. Just have to be sure to get the right spots. We had a company picnic out there, and had a good time! The "fort" is a little lack luster...but I'm not big into the history of the place.

This is a really nice place if you go when no one is there . The beach area gets crowded quickly . I have noticed that people aren't watching there children most of which didn't know how to swim . As a mom it's hard to relax when I am having someone else's children asking me to help them away from the deep end every other min . Wish they had a life guard on duty. But the sand is nice and the water is warm in the summer . They only offer rentals in the summer months but if you have your own water toys the cool weather can be nice and quite as most folks don't come in the winter . They have area to wash the sand off your feet which is a nice touch .