Dockery Lake

Dockery Lake

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Essentials

Travel Time: Approximately 90 minutes
Directions: Take GA 400 north to Dahlonega. From Dahlonega, take GA 60 north 12 miles to Forest Road 654, which will be on your right.
Information: (706) 864-6173
Reservations: Suggested
Fee: $6 per night
Open: Mid-April through October

The Cedar Ridge Mountain Range is the setting for this serene, six-acre mountain retreat. From Jacobs Knob near the Appalachian Trail, the chilly headwaters of Waters Creek feed Dockery Lake, supporting trout and avid canoers alike. For those without a boat, the short Lakeshore Trail circles Dockery Lake.

Access to the Appalachian Trail is quite easy. Take the Dockery Lake Trail 3.4 miles to Miller Gap. Look for deer and grouse feeding in the shadows. Once on the AT you can head west three miles to Woody Gap and GA 60. Arrange for a car to shuttle you back down to Dockery Lake, passing Chestatee Overlook along the way back. The highest point on the AT in Georgia, Blood Mountain (4,458 feet), is five miles to the east.

The campground has five lakeside sites, which are landscaped using native stones with plenty of trees and groundcover intended to blend with the upland forest. The other six sites are on a hill overlooking Dockery Lake—with 11 campsites in all, availability is rarely a problem.