Looking ahead to November, we will have a single night campout at High Falls State Park in Jackson, GA on the night of Saturday, November 4. The fun kicks off bright and early that day at 8 a.m.!
Also, in addition to the campout, there is a hike planned for Sunday morning, November 5. The hike will be led by Mr. Jim Carey and will start around @ 10 am. Scouts (and their families) can participate in the hike even if they don’t participate in the campout.
The Campout
This will be a canoe camping trip with a max of 25 canoe-campers (including 4 adults), which will be led by Mr. Chris May. Attendees will want to pack light for a unique site that can only be reached by canoe. This is a primitive camping area with a pit toilet and established fire ring. The distance to camp is short (~0.5 miles), but we’ll paddle High Falls Lake for around 6 hours (finding somewhere to cook a late lunch on the water). Have a hearty breakfast at home, and plan to bring a healthy snack to fuel up while we paddle. Preference for this campout is for Scouts wanting to attend Northern Tier, but others are welcome up to the 25 person limit.
There are Yurts and other campsites for anyone that wants to go but not paddle overnight. Those reservations likely will be up to you, unless there is enough interest and adult leaders who volunteer for organizing. Animals
are allowed in the State Park but will not be allowed on the paddle.
The hike to the bottom of High Falls (1.5 mile loop, easy-moderate) is beautiful but sometimes closed due to flooding. There is also an easy 2.5 mile loop near the River Camping area. There is no swimming in the lake, and limited access to splash around in the falls. Check the links below for more information about the park or reach out to the adult or Scout organizer.
Related Links:
Additional Details:
- Located approximately 60 miles from the Scout Hut, so it should be around an hour drive.
- Paddlers must arrive at the state park by 8 a.m.
- South on 285, South on 675, South on 75, Exit 198 go East (left) on High Falls Rd, Left on Lakeshore Dr to reach parking & check in.
- Parking Pass required $5 or Friends of GA State Parks Pass.
- We will bring the Troop canoes, but rental canoes are available if needed. $30 overnight for the primitive site, or $30 for 4 hours if camping separately.
- Unique equipment: Personal Flotation Device (PFD, lifejacket – Type III Coast Guard Certified) – bring your own, backpacking stoves (not 2-burners), and dry bags (no patrol boxes).
- Sign is open now (see link below) and will close October 24. Remember, priority for this trip will be given to Scouts attending the Northern Tier High Adventure.
[Sign-up for High Falls Campout]
Scout assistance is needed to plan and lead this event, so Scouts that are interested should reach out to Mr. May.
The Hike
Mr. Carey has put together a comprehensive guide outlining the plan for the hike (and the skills opportunities available to Scouts). You can read all about it in the link below.
