Relaxation and Adventure at Fort Yargo

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Fort Yargo is one of our favorite Georgia State Parks. It is easy to travel to the park with only a 45-minute drive from Atlanta. Fort Yargo has 1,800 acres of fun. Whether you love the water or the woods, you can find relaxation and adventure with both at Fort Yargo. The park has a 260-acre lake with a beach and perfect picnic spots along its banks.

Jackson and Sean love to fish in the lake, and we will sometimes take our inflatable boat and trolling motor to view the beautiful sights from the water.

Twenty miles of trails accommodate avid hikers and mountain bikers. Actually, on our last visit, the park hosted a mountain bike race. In addition, Fort Yargo offers tennis courts, disc golf, geocaching, playgrounds, volleyball, and mini-golf.

History of the Park

Fort Yargo was created in 1793 when settlers built a log fort to protect the area from the Native Americans. In 1954, the fort, along with additional acreage, was donated to Georgia to create the park that we have today. You can visit the original fort, cabin, and smokehouse while there.

Camp Twin Lakes- Will-A-Way

Camp Twin Lakes- Will-A-Way was founded in 1971 as a camp specifically designated for children with disabilities who require adaptive and medical support. Seventy-two percent of the children who attend Camp Twin Lakes participate at no cost due to contributions from corporations and caring supporters. The camp accommodates 250 beds and has over 3,500 volunteers each year. It is incredible and heartwarming to think that over 3,500 people are willing to volunteer their time so that children on chemotherapy, dialysis, and other health conditions/needs can attend camp each year. In addition, doctors and nurses are on staff 24-hours a day when camp is in session.

Children have access to a swimming pool, equestrian therapy, rope courses, lake activities, and many other festivities within the camp.

Fort Yargo Lodging

You don’t have to be a camper to enjoy a Fort Yargo get-a-way, although, as campers, we love it. Fort Yargo also has adventure cabins, cottages, and yurts.

The 13 adventure cabins have the beautiful lake as their backdrop. They have spacious interiors with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living area, and a screened porch.

Cottages at Fort Yargo can accommodate eight visitors, with four beds in each cabin.

There are three cottages in the state park and six yurts. The yurts are on the water and can accommodate up to six people each. Both cottages and yurts can be rented for up to 14 consecutive nights.

As far as the campsites, they are huge and easy to maneuver. There are 40 water-electric sites in the park with a variety of lakeside and forest surroundings. Some great tent sites reside on the lake as well.  

The Town of Winder

A great aspect about camping at Fort Yargo is that it resides within the charming town of Winder. The town has a great downtown area to grab a good bite to eat. We ate at the Magnolia Place Restaurant on this last visit and made our obligatory visit to Smokin Po Boys BBQ.

The Magnolia Place Restaurant is a delicious country-style buffet. They serve lunch Wednesday through Sunday. On Friday and Saturday nights, Magnolia Place is open for dinner. We were able to catch dinner at Magnolia, and we were impressed. They had fresh vegetables, meats, and various desserts that included homemade banana pudding (that was real).

We discovered Smokin Po Boys BBQ a few visits ago. Since Sean has converted the kids and me into BBQ connoisseurs, we look for BBQ restaurants in each town that we visit. Smokin Po Boys was a delicious find. On our last trip, we brought our BBQ back to the campground. The weather was perfect, and we sat outside and enjoyed some delicious meat and sides. You can tell that Smokin Po Boys has some personality by the name of their sauces- sassy, sneaky, sweety, spicy, and sissy.

A few visits ago, we also ate at Little Italy Pizza, and it was delicious. They had great pizzas and chicken parmesan. Also, the employees were extremely accommodating when we spilled Coke all over the floor! That gives it my recommendation as a very family-friendly restaurant.

Whether you come in from out of town or live right down the road, Fort Yargo is worth a visit. Stay in a cabin, cottage, yurt, camper, or tent, and enjoy nature in so many ways.  

What is your preferred way to stay when traveling? We would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line in the comment section below!

Would you like to rent an RV and camp at Fort Yargo? Click HERE to learn about Outdoorsy’s selection of available RVs near Winder!

Interested in learning about other Georgia State Parks? Check out Hard Labor Creek and Vogel State Parks!