We recently took our first family camping trip! Camping at Stone Mountain, Georgia was a smashing success!
I was nervous about our first time camping with kids. We waited 5 years – it was time.
We added ‘go camping’ to our Fort Bragg Bucket List to finally motivate us to give it a try.
Camping with the kids turned out better than I ever imagined! And I know that the success of this first camping experience was due in part to the amazing campground at Stone Mountain.
Stone Mountain makes camping fun and easy for families! Here are 4 reasons why I recommend this beautiful park for your family camping adventures.
1. So Many Amenities
Electricity & Water
Since we don’t own a trailer or RV, we must do our camping in a tent. But that doesn’t mean that we want to do it without the comforts of running water and electricity. Camping at Stone Mountain means that you can enjoy the wonder of the outdoors and still have a fan at night! (And if you’ve experienced the Georgia heat before, you know how important that is!)
There are primitive campsites at Stone Mountain, but they also allow tents to set up on pop-up camper sites, which allows access to an electrical outlet and a water spigot. This is in addition to the picnic table, grill and fire ring (which are available on every site).
Bath Houses
Not only can you have electricity at your campsite, but you can use a real toilet and have a hot shower every night! Because there are several bath houses spread out through the campground.
There were 2 different bath houses just short walk away from our campsite. Both were well-maintained and clean. Unfortunately, they weren’t air conditioned, so it was hot and humid inside, but it was so nice to take a shower every night and wash off the sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Free Wi-Fi
As if camping at Stone Mountain wasn’t cushy enough, there is free wi-fi! I couldn’t get my phone to work on the campground wi-fi, but my husband didn’t have any issues. I wasn’t too disappointed in my lack of internet access, since camping is meant to be technology-free. But I admit, that it was nice to be able to post pictures from my husband’s phone at the end of the day.
Swimming Pool
One of the best things about camping at Stone Mountain was the swimming pool! We were very disappointed when we learned that swimming is not allowed in the lake. However, we loved that we could still escape the heat with a swim at the campground pool.
General Store & Laundry
There is a General Store and laundry facility on-site at Stone Mountain.
Even though it was our first camping trip in almost 10 years, we remembered everything….except for salt and pepper. My husband was able to run up to the store real quick and pick some up for us.
While we didn’t do any laundry while we were there, it was nice to know that we could wash clothes if we needed to. And, of course, we could have bought some detergent at the General Store, without ever having to leave the campground!
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2. TONS of Things to Do
One of the absolute best things about the campground at Stone Mountain is that it’s close to the park’s many attractions. Camping at Stone Mountain was one of the busiest camping trip we’ve EVER had.
We rode the top of the mountain on the Skyride, cooled off at the Geyser Tower, conquered our fear of heights on a rock wall and rope course, took a ride on the scenic railroad, and so much more all on our first day! We also kayaked around the lake, explored historic square, played on the playground, and saw the grist mill.
There is no such thing as boredom or down time at Stone Mountain. There are SO MANY things to do!
3. Free Shuttle
We parked the truck at the campsite and unloaded it when we arrived on Thursday. That truck didn’t move at all until Sunday when we packed up to go home!
We were able to see all of the attractions at Stone Mountain without using our personal vehicle thanks to the free shuttle provided to campground and hotel guests.
We were able to visit all of the attractions that the park has to offer without having to worry about traffic or parking. I wasn’t aware of the shuttle until we arrived at the campground, but it was one of the best perks that the campground had to offer.
The shuttle was especially useful when we went to see the laser show. There crowds were thick and parking would have been a nightmare, but thanks to the shuttle, we didn’t have to worry about any of it.
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4. Hotels are Nearby
My parents drove up from Florida and met us at Stone Mountain. However, they weren’t thrilled about sleeping in a tent. So, they stayed in one of the park’s hotels.
It was nice to be close to my parents’ hotel, as we were able to ride the shuttle together to the attractions and they could visit us at the campground. The kids were also able to cool off in their hotel room when they needed to.
It was comforting to know that if camping didn’t work out that there were dry, clean rooms right down the road if we needed them.
5. Free Laser Show
The Laser Show Spectacular at Stone Mountain became a popular Atlanta attraction in 1983 and it hasn’t slowed down since! In fact, the Laser Show has only gotten MORE INCREDIBLE!
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we decided to go to the laser show, but since it was free, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. And I am so glad that we did!
The show was so much more than lasers. There were fireworks, drones, tonsss of references to pop culture, fun music, and flame cannons powerful enough to make us feel their heat through the crowds and distance. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.
At times, it literally looked like the mountain and it’s carving was coming alive right before our eyes. If you are camping at Stone Mountain, you CANNOT miss the Laser Show!
Camping at Stone Mountain was an experience that we will never forget!
We were unsure about camping with the kids for the first time. Afraid that we would be hot and miserable, afraid that we would forget something important, afraid that the kids would get bored and hate camping – but all of those fears were nonsense.
Camping at Stone Mountain was THE easiest and most fun camping trip I’ve ever taken. But more than that, I’m glad that it was my daughters’ first camping experience, because it has left them wanting more!
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