My son asked me a few years ago if I would be interested in going camping/hiking/fishing someday because we had never been as a family. He mentioned that he had been with other families but never with me. I kind of hemmed and hawed about going because I remember how much work it takes to set up a good, safe and comfortable camp. I asked my brothers if they would be interested in coming along and one decided to join us. So the three of us, my son, my brother and myself began looking for a suitable place. We had lots of options in the North Georgia and Southeast Tennessee area. Fall Creek Falls State Park had campsite availability for the weekend we chose.
The Arrival
My brother arrived before my son and I did. He had already picked out a suitable area to set up his tent and we found a spot in close proximity to pitch our tent. It took us a couple of hours to get everything set up to our liking. We decided to head out for our first short hike to take in some great views and see the actual falls.
Hiking
There are several trails that you can take to get from campsites to the different views of the falls. We did a short trail on the first day of our quick camping trip. It was getting late in the afternoon so we decided to head back to the campsite. We did hike some of the other trails the next day.
Eating
My brother had prepared steaks and potatoes all wrapped in foil for the 3 of us. There is just something about eating food cooked over an open flame. The next morning we had eggs and sausage cooked over the camp fire. Saturday night my son and I prepared hamburgers and fresh cut fried potatoes. We had plenty to eat the next morning with more eggs and bacon this time.
Preparation
No matter how prepared you are for a camping trip, you’re going to forget something. We had the truck packed with all of out camping supplies, coolers, food and everything else you can think of to have an enjoyable camping experience. When we got back to the campsite after our first hike, I wanted to go shower in the public facility and change clothes. I couldn’t find my bag with my clothes. I called my wife and she said my bag was sitting on the bed at home. My brother shared some clothes until I could get to Wal-Mart early the next morning. That was a quick 20-mile trip. I made the trip there and back before my brother and son woke up.
Stormy First Night
As we were preparing to get ready to call it a night, we began to see lightning off in the distance. Checked our phones and we had a severe storm headed for us. We got to spend a few hours inside our vehicles until the storm passed. We don’t like to play when lightning is involved. The rest of the trip was absolutely beautiful.
Other Activities
There is so much to do at Fall Creek Falls State Park. If camping is not your cup of tea, they have cabins to rent and a brand new lodge called the Lodge at Fall Creek Falls. They have a golf course, rock climbing, canopy challenge course, fishing, boating and swimming. This truly is an outdoor experience for the whole family.
Share Your Favorite State Park
Please share your favorite state park or national park. My brother and I are taking our daughters to Yellowstone National Park in June. I look for ward to that trip and sharing!
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
