Is the Amicalola Falls lodge campground hammock friendly?

[Muhkanik]

I'm hiking the Georgia section of the Benton MacKaye in a few weeks. I'll be dropping off my car at my destination and hitching a ride back down to start at the approach trail to Springer. Problem is, it will be late getting to Springer since I'm leaving after work to drive up so I won't have much time to go very far before dark so I thought that the campground at the lodge would be a good spot to start from the next morning, however, the staff there is less than helpful. They didn't seem to have an issue with the hammock, but they had no idea if there were enough trees (on the available campsites) to sling up a hammock and didn't seem willing to find out.
Can I go a little past the lodge and just find a decent spot next to the trail or will that get me a ticket?
Any advice is appreciated!

[mcnixon]

I'm hiking the Georgia section of the Benton MacKaye in a few weeks. I'll be dropping off my car at my destination and hitching a ride back down to start at the approach trail to Springer. Problem is, it will be late getting to Springer since I'm leaving after work to drive up so I won't have much time to go very far before dark so I thought that the campground at the lodge would be a good spot to start from the next morning, however, the staff there is less than helpful. They didn't seem to have an issue with the hammock, but they had no idea if there were enough trees (on the available campsites) to sling up a hammock and didn't seem willing to find out.
Can I go a little past the lodge and just find a decent spot next to the trail or will that get me a ticket?
Any advice is appreciated!

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ad.php?t=99750
Sorry, I don't know the trail myself but a Google search found a 2014 thread about it.

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[old4hats]

From the parking lot at the lodge, it is a short distance to the first dirt road crossing. Once across it just pick a pair of trees and enjoy. No problems.

[Just Bill]

Are you doing the full approach trail from the state park parking lot?
If so it's only a mile or so to the first shelter from the state park arch. You should be able to hang there easily enough.

Otherwise agree with the previous poster... regardless of your exact start point it shouldn't be a huge deal to go a bit down the trail and camp.

If you're reserving an individual campsite that is a trickier question... not familiar with the lodge campground itself. Advice is probably the same though... save the money on the campground if possible and go down the trail a hair.

Worst case if you're right at the car... toss a sleeping pad in the car as a backup for that first night.

[Muhkanik]

I'm planning on doing the whole approach trail and as for the car, I'm leaving it at the end and hiking towards it, so the extra sleeping gear is a no-go. I like the idea of saving the money and just posting up somewhere on the trail! I just didn't know if I could get far enough away from their property in a short period of time since it will be really late by the time I get there. Sounds like I can though, so that will be what I do!
Thanks everyone!

[gunner76]

Once you leave the upper parking area and restrooms its a short hike to the first dirt road. Once you cross that dirt road there are lots of trees to hang from heading up to Springer

Picture is a short ways past the dirt road where I spent the night just off the trail.