RV travel in Georgia
Georgia is one of the most varied RV states east of the Mississippi. From the Atlantic coast (Cumberland Island, Jekyll, Tybee) up through the Antebellum heart (Macon, Savannah, Atlanta) and into the southern Appalachians at Brasstown Bald, you can stitch a three-week loop without backtracking. The state-park system is genuinely excellent with full-hookup RV sites at most major parks. The Chattahoochee NF gives you a million acres of free dispersed camping in the north. Civil War and Civil Rights heritage sites are dense. Roads are generally good and fuel is cheap. The catch: Atlanta traffic is among the worst in the country (avoid I-285 and I-75/I-85 weekdays 7-10am and 3-7pm), hurricane risk runs Jun-Nov on the coast, summer humidity inland is punishing, and the North Georgia mountains have sustained grades and tight back roads where big rigs struggle.
Last verified: 14 May 2026
Free RV PDF guide to Georgia
Driving rules, RV-friendly and RV-restricted highways, NPS reservation rules, BLM and NF boondocking, propane, dump stations, weather, and emergency contacts. Save it to your phone for offline use on the road.
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Driving rules
Interstate (cars)70 mph
Interstate (trucks + towing)70 mph
US/State highway (cars)65 mph
US/State highway (towing)55-65 mph (posted)
Built-up areas25-35 mph (posted)
Drive onRight
RV passenger seatbeltsRequired for all front-seat occupants in any vehicle under 26,000 lb GVWR
Cell phone use while drivingHands-free only (banned hand-held statewide since 2018)
RV-friendly and RV-restricted highways
RV-friendly
I-75Florida line to Tennessee via Atlanta and Macon. Main north-south spine. Big rigs, easy -- except through Atlanta itself.
I-95Atlantic coastal corridor through Savannah and Brunswick. Easy. Watch for hurricane-evac contraflow Jun-Nov.
I-85Atlanta northeast to South Carolina. Easy except through Atlanta metro.
I-20Atlanta east to Augusta and on to South Carolina. Standard.
I-16Macon to Savannah. Long flat ride through pine country; fuel stops widely spaced.
I-185Columbus loop. Easy.
US-441Athens up through Helen, Dillard, and into North Carolina. Two-lane in stretches but well-paved. The North Georgia mountain section has 5-6% grades but no switchbacks.
US-1Savannah south to Florida. Mostly two-lane through small towns. Easy.
RV-restricted
I-285 Atlanta perimeter at peak hoursNot technically restricted but the 285/85 N interchange ("Spaghetti Junction") and the I-75 split are nightmare merges with a big rig. Plan around 7-10am and 3-7pm weekdays.
GA-180 Spur to Brasstown Bald summitLast 2 miles to the summit observation deck have a 7% grade, tight curves, and a small turnaround. Trailers and big RVs -- use the lower visitor lot and walk or shuttle up.
Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway (GA-348 / Richard Russell Scenic Hwy)Beautiful but tight, with 4-5% sustained grades. Class C and 30-ft RVs manageable; not for 40+.
Cohutta Wilderness back roadsForest-service roads (FS 18, FS 64) into Cohutta have weight-limited bridges and tight clearance. Stick to developed campgrounds (Lake Conasauga is 4WD-only on the access road).
Tallulah Gorge bridge access roadsTallulah Gorge State Park is fine on US-441; the gorge-rim trails are obviously not for any vehicle.
National parks and monuments
Cumberland Island NS$15/person (7 days). Island accessible only by ferry from St Marys; no vehicles permitted. RV parking at St Marys ferry terminal. Backcountry camping only on the island.
Chattahoochee River NRA$5/vehicle day use. Day-use only. No camping in the NRA. Stay at Stone Mountain Park (commercial) or McKinney Campground (USACE Lake Allatoona).
Kennesaw Mountain NBPFree entry. Day-use only. Allatoona Lake USACE campgrounds 20 miles north.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP (Georgia side)Free entry. Day-use only. Cloudland Canyon State Park 30 miles west has full hookups.
Andersonville NHSFree entry. Day-use only. Georgia Veterans State Park 35 miles south has full-hookup RV sites.
Ocmulgee Mounds NHPFree entry. Day-use only. Several commercial RV parks in Macon.
Jimmy Carter NHS (Plains)Free entry. Day-use only. Florence Marina State Park 40 miles south has full hookups.
Fort Frederica NM (St Simons Island)$10/vehicle (7 days). Day-use only. Blythe Island Regional Park (Brunswick) takes RVs.
Fort Pulaski NM (Tybee Island)$10/vehicle (7 days). Day-use only. Skidaway Island State Park 20 miles south takes big rigs.
Martin Luther King Jr NHPFree entry. Atlanta urban site, day-use only. Stone Mountain Park has the closest RV camping.
Trail of Tears NHTFree (auto tour route). Self-guided auto-tour through north Georgia.
Boondocking and dispersed camping
BLM: No significant BLM land in Georgia. Public-land dispersed camping is restricted to national forests and a handful of WMAs requiring a state hunting/fishing or WMA permit.
National Forests: Chattahoochee NF (north Georgia, 750,000+ acres) and Oconee NF (central Georgia, 115,000 acres) permit free dispersed camping along forest roads with a 14-day stay limit. Popular Chattahoochee areas: Cooper Creek, Frank Gross, Lake Conasauga (4WD access), Andrews Cove. Cohutta Wilderness is hiker-only. Developed NF campgrounds take rigs to 35-40 ft but most have no hookups.
Stay limit: typically 14 days per location.
Service stops
Propane: Plentiful in Atlanta metro, Savannah, Macon, Augusta, Columbus, and along all interstates. Tractor Supply, U-Haul, and most KOA / Good Sam parks fill on-site. Sparse in the deep North Georgia mountains -- fill at Blairsville, Dahlonega, or Helen before heading into the Chattahoochee NF backcountry.
Dump stations: Dense along I-75 and I-95. Most Georgia State Parks have free dumps for registered guests. Flying J / Pilot truck stops have fee dumps. USACE Lake Allatoona, Lake Lanier, and Lake Hartwell campgrounds have free dumps for guests. Sparse in the North Georgia backcountry above 2,000 ft.
Fuel: Diesel and gas widely available along all interstates. Rural stretches in south Georgia along US-1 and US-441 and across I-16 can run 40-50 miles between stations. Top up at Macon, Dublin, or Vidalia on I-16. North Georgia mountain fuel is reliably 20-40 cents/gal higher than metro Atlanta. Fuel prices typically among the lowest in the country.
Weather windows
Best monthsMarch through May and October through early December. Daytime highs 65-80 F. Dogwoods and azaleas bloom Mar-Apr; the Blue Ridge foothills colour up mid-October to mid-November.
Avoid monthsJuly through early September: 90-98 F inland with 80%+ humidity, near-daily afternoon thunderstorms, and oppressive nighttime lows. June through November is hurricane season on the Atlantic coast (Savannah, Brunswick, the Golden Isles). Mar-May is peak severe-weather season inland with tornadoes possible. North Georgia mountains see occasional snow Dec-Feb and ice storms can shut roads for 2-3 days.
If a hurricane warning is issued for the Georgia coast, mandatory evacuation usually triggers 24-48 hours ahead of landfall. I-16 westbound becomes contraflow from Savannah. Leave early -- once contraflow opens, fuel runs out within 8-12 hours along the route.
Emergency and road conditions
State patrolDial *GSP (*477) from a cell phone, or 404-624-7000 for Georgia State Patrol main line