Karen, you should really check out a couple of those campgrounds by Lake Lanier. Not only are the campgrounds great, but the towns up there (Cumming, Flowery Branch, Gainesville) are really great places to visit. Put it on your list! Thank me later. 😁
Another lovely review! I leave again shortly for my camping adventure #2. The tall hooks are meant for hanging lights over picnic table - I plan to hang my portable shower rig from it! In the bear areas in the mountains of course we shouldn’t hang garbage or food but people do - so the bear will maybe visit that site instead of mine…. Since I am in a tent I have to be super careful. Once again I enjoy your perspective. Thanks.
Thanks for your comment, Nina. I’ve seen people use the hooks in lots of innovative ways, including hanging lights. Honestly I don’t think we’ve ever used one except to dry a bathing suit, but kudos to people’s’ creativity! And I agree, camping in bear country is a totally different experience. Have fun on your adventure! Good to hear from you!
We're probably splitting hairs about which of the three sites is best, but hey, that's why we get paid the big bucks, right? Make those tough decisions. Enjoy Margaritaville in Oct. They certainly know how to put on a good time! Thanks for touching base, guys!
Thanks for the detailed drive through. I would like to start off by saying I have never camped here and sadly I will never camp here based on my experience with the person at the gate. I have family in the area and was wanting to take a 10 minute drive through the facility to see spots that might work for my RV and make sure it was going to work. I was told that they don't let anyone drive through even for 15 mins on Fri-Sun. Of course being from another state I was not able to just drive down through the weekdays. This is totally asinine as I have camped in many COE campgrounds and I have never been told I couldn't just drive through real quick to make some notes on what sites might work and to make sure its ok to navigate with my specific rig size. I can see I am not the only person who has had an issue with the front gate attendant! I will take my money elsewhere.
Hi Brian, I feel your pain. I really do. But let me offer a different way for you to view this. First, let me echo the sentiment you expressed with a little story. The first time we camped at Sawnee, the attendant at the gate inadvertently checked us out immediately after checking us in. That caused a HUGE problem when it became apparent what they did two days later, and we had to scramble for the last 4 days we were there just to remain in the park. Fortunately, one of the other rangers/attendants managed to squeeze us into a site they weren’t supposed to use (according to the Corps of Engineers) to bridge us to an emergency reservation site we made when we discovered the problem. So our first exposure to Sawnee was a disaster, which is why I can easily feel your pain. HOWEVER . . . let me give you reasons why I don’t think you should give up. 1. There is no one attendant there. There are usually two couples who volunteer to man the gates during the season. They have to work under strict rules set by the Corps of Engineers. That being said, we’ve been there twice and in both instances, we had good experiences with them, the disaster above notwithstanding. Because they’re closely monitored by the COE, they may have been forced into not letting you in, but even then, there’s no excuse for being unkind or rude on their part. Frankly, as a camper, if I had been the attendant there, I would have made an exception and let you in to drive around, rules aside. But not everyone is a maverick like me. 🙂 2. Please don’t let a nasty attendant or ridiculous rules stop you from enjoying a really outstanding campground. The sites we pointed out as “Top 10” are TRULY great. If you can set aside your anger and disappointment with Sawnee specifically or the COE generally, I PROMISE you’d have an amazing time. And it’s not just the campground or the lake, either. That entire area of Cumming, GA, is terrific in terms of its infrastructure. You probably already know this if you have family in the area. 3. The history of gate attendants in COE parks is peppered with negative experiences. Many of them are cranky, frustrated, and frankly overworked campers themselves, who probably in a different life would be dictators running their own nasty empire. As a result, they take it out on us. We experienced this at Duckett Mill up the road from Sawnee, and another COE park in Alabama. It’s kind of the luck of the draw. That being said, once you get through the gate and you set up shop for the duration of your trip, you really don’t have to deal with them much. At that point, it’s ALL about the beauty of your site and the amazingness of the campground. Try not to let the bad apple spoil the bunch. I hope this helps. My recommendation would be to do everything in your power to book one of the Top 10 sites we mentioned in the walkthrough, and then hold your nose through the check-in. More than likely you’ll get someone who isn’t the same person you dealt with last time. And even if it is, suck it up so you can experience the amazingness of Sawnee. We’ve been there twice and it’s still one of our top 3 campgrounds ever. Hopefully this helps. Good luck! God bless! -Leo and Charlotte
Hi Sherri. The hooks are used by people for different things. Some people use it to hang garbage bags out of the reach of raccoons and other critters. Some hang food up there for the same reason. Others use it to anchor one end of a hammock. It’s kind of an all-purpose hook. In all honesty, we’ve never used it for anything but it’s there just in case one of us comes up with a brilliant idea. 😀
You will love Baldridge creek thats where we love to stay !!!
This is a great idea!! many people will find their sites online.
Thank you the video!
Wow, that’s a lovely site! Y’all had awesome views! Thanks for sharing Lake Sydney Lanier with us Leo & Charlotte!
Karen, you should really check out a couple of those campgrounds by Lake Lanier. Not only are the campgrounds great, but the towns up there (Cumming, Flowery Branch, Gainesville) are really great places to visit.
Put it on your list! Thank me later. 😁
@@lcsjourneyofdiscovery9049 Just might have to do that! I’ll thank you now & later if we do manage to go!
Another lovely review! I leave again shortly for my camping adventure #2. The tall hooks are meant for hanging lights over picnic table - I plan to hang my portable shower rig from it! In the bear areas in the mountains of course we shouldn’t hang garbage or food but people do - so the bear will maybe visit that site instead of mine…. Since I am in a tent I have to be super careful. Once again I enjoy your perspective. Thanks.
Thanks for your comment, Nina. I’ve seen people use the hooks in lots of innovative ways, including hanging lights. Honestly I don’t think we’ve ever used one except to dry a bathing suit, but kudos to people’s’ creativity! And I agree, camping in bear country is a totally different experience.
Have fun on your adventure! Good to hear from you!
We agree Leo...site 18 is the best. Another awesome video guys. We are spending Halloween weekend at Margaritaville there on the lake. Stay safe
We're probably splitting hairs about which of the three sites is best, but hey, that's why we get paid the big bucks, right? Make those tough decisions.
Enjoy Margaritaville in Oct. They certainly know how to put on a good time!
Thanks for touching base, guys!
Thank You
Thanks for the detailed drive through.
I would like to start off by saying I have never camped here and sadly I will never camp here based on my experience with the person at the gate. I have family in the area and was wanting to take a 10 minute drive through the facility to see spots that might work for my RV and make sure it was going to work. I was told that they don't let anyone drive through even for 15 mins on Fri-Sun. Of course being from another state I was not able to just drive down through the weekdays. This is totally asinine as I have camped in many COE campgrounds and I have never been told I couldn't just drive through real quick to make some notes on what sites might work and to make sure its ok to navigate with my specific rig size. I can see I am not the only person who has had an issue with the front gate attendant! I will take my money elsewhere.
Hi Brian,
I feel your pain. I really do. But let me offer a different way for you to view this.
First, let me echo the sentiment you expressed with a little story. The first time we camped at Sawnee, the attendant at the gate inadvertently checked us out immediately after checking us in. That caused a HUGE problem when it became apparent what they did two days later, and we had to scramble for the last 4 days we were there just to remain in the park. Fortunately, one of the other rangers/attendants managed to squeeze us into a site they weren’t supposed to use (according to the Corps of Engineers) to bridge us to an emergency reservation site we made when we discovered the problem.
So our first exposure to Sawnee was a disaster, which is why I can easily feel your pain.
HOWEVER . . . let me give you reasons why I don’t think you should give up.
1. There is no one attendant there. There are usually two couples who volunteer to man the gates during the season. They have to work under strict rules set by the Corps of Engineers. That being said, we’ve been there twice and in both instances, we had good experiences with them, the disaster above notwithstanding. Because they’re closely monitored by the COE, they may have been forced into not letting you in, but even then, there’s no excuse for being unkind or rude on their part. Frankly, as a camper, if I had been the attendant there, I would have made an exception and let you in to drive around, rules aside. But not everyone is a maverick like me. 🙂
2. Please don’t let a nasty attendant or ridiculous rules stop you from enjoying a really outstanding campground. The sites we pointed out as “Top 10” are TRULY great. If you can set aside your anger and disappointment with Sawnee specifically or the COE generally, I PROMISE you’d have an amazing time. And it’s not just the campground or the lake, either. That entire area of Cumming, GA, is terrific in terms of its infrastructure. You probably already know this if you have family in the area.
3. The history of gate attendants in COE parks is peppered with negative experiences. Many of them are cranky, frustrated, and frankly overworked campers themselves, who probably in a different life would be dictators running their own nasty empire. As a result, they take it out on us. We experienced this at Duckett Mill up the road from Sawnee, and another COE park in Alabama. It’s kind of the luck of the draw. That being said, once you get through the gate and you set up shop for the duration of your trip, you really don’t have to deal with them much. At that point, it’s ALL about the beauty of your site and the amazingness of the campground. Try not to let the bad apple spoil the bunch.
I hope this helps. My recommendation would be to do everything in your power to book one of the Top 10 sites we mentioned in the walkthrough, and then hold your nose through the check-in. More than likely you’ll get someone who isn’t the same person you dealt with last time. And even if it is, suck it up so you can experience the amazingness of Sawnee. We’ve been there twice and it’s still one of our top 3 campgrounds ever. Hopefully this helps. Good luck!
God bless!
-Leo and Charlotte
Nice video Leo. What are the hooks for in every site?
Hi Sherri. The hooks are used by people for different things. Some people use it to hang garbage bags out of the reach of raccoons and other critters. Some hang food up there for the same reason. Others use it to anchor one end of a hammock. It’s kind of an all-purpose hook. In all honesty, we’ve never used it for anything but it’s there just in case one of us comes up with a brilliant idea. 😀