Cottonwood Patch Campground

About Cottonwood Patch Campground

Overview Cottonwood Patch Campground is a multi-use campground focused primarily on equestrian camping, but welcomes traditional "car" camping. The campground is located within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in the Alaculsy Valley of the Cohutta Mountains in north Georgia. Cottonwood Patch Campground is a quaint campground found along the Conasauga River, just above its junction with the Jacks River. Mixed hardwood forest surrounds the campground. The campground is partially shaded most of the summer with planted cottonwoods and sawtooth oaks. Average daytime summer temperatures are in the mid-80s with average daytime winter temperatures in the 50s. In the late 1800s into the 1930s, Alaculsy Valley was a thriving community. The valley contained homes, farms, a church, a post office, a grist mill, a school, cemeteries, and possibly a furnace for smelting iron. Across the Jacks River, in Tennessee, were other similar communities, a Civilian Conservation Corps work camp, and the location of the original U.S. Forest Service facility that managed the area. Some of the most development in the area was during the logging boom of the early 1900s. This area was the main hub for logging operations in the Cohutta Mountains. Train tracks followed the Conasauga and Jacks Rivers deep into the mountains. Lumbermen in logging camps far back in the mountains would cut timber and have it loaded onto flat cars. These loaded railroad cars would be pulled by the powerful Shay locomotives owned by the Conasauga River Lumber Company to its mill in Conasauga, Tennessee. Once an area was logged, the camp buildings would be loaded up onto the flat cars by small steam cranes and unloaded at the next area prepared for a camp. The Conasauga Trail in Tennessee follows the old railroad bed downstream and the Jacks River Trail in Georgia follows the old railroad bed upstream into the Cohutta Wilderness. Looking at the area today, one would never know such development once existed. The U.

How to Get There

From US Highway 411, turn east onto Old Highway 2 in Cisco, Ga. Follow Old Highway 2 for approximately 7 miles, upon crossing the Conasauga River the road turns into Forest Service Road 16 Approximately 1 miles, turn left onto Forest Service Road 16A

What to Pack for Your Stay

Tuned to the live forecast for this park.

Plan Your Visit to Cottonwood Patch Campground

Heading to Cottonwood Patch Campground? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)