Unicoi State Park & Lodge: Hours, Fees and Directions

Water And Ice Safety: read this before you go

Short answer

Unicoi State Park is a lake-and-mountain state park and lodge about two miles from Helen in White County, with lodge rooms, cabins, a campground and a zip line tour. Its operator does not publish park hours or a parking fee; the state ParkPass is $10 a day. Checked October 20, 2026 on the lodge’s own site.

Hours

Call ahead

Cost

ParkPass $10 (confirm)

Where

Helen, North Georgia

Dogs

Leashed, 6 ft max

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A lodge, cabins and a campground on Unicoi Lake in the Chattahoochee National Forest, about two miles from Alpine Helen. The lake has a beach with paddle boards and boats to rent, and the park adds a zip line course, fly fishing, an archery range, hatchet throwing and mountain biking.

Plan it in three lines

Getting In
Parking is $10 per vehicle for the day, or $70 for the annual ParkPass that works at every Georgia state park.
What to Do
The official page lists Zip line aerial adventure tour, Fly fishing and Archery and air gun range.
Leashed dogs welcome outdoors
Make It a Day
Hardman Farm State Historic Site is about 2 miles away. Coming up near here: Downtown Dawsonville Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting in Dawsonville.
6 events within 30 mi

Unicoi State Park & Lodge Hours

Park and gate hours are not published on the lodge operator’s website. Call 706-878-2201 to confirm.

What It Costs

Parking, by the visit

Day parking vs. the annual ParkPass, by number of visits

$70 annual ParkPass

Day parking is $10 per vehicle. Seven visits cost the same as the $70 annual ParkPass; from the eighth visit the pass is cheaper. Bars show what that many day visits cost in total.

Parking: Georgia State Parks lists a ParkPass at $10 per vehicle per day or $70 a year (ParkPass page). The lodge operator’s site does not publish its own parking or entry fee, so confirm the rate with the park before you drive (706-878-2201).
Lodging and activities: rooms, cabins, camping, the zip line tour, boat rentals and the archery range are priced and booked through the lodge’s own site and phone line.

Where It Is and How to Get in Touch

Address1788 Highway 356, Helen, GA 30545
CountyWhite (North Georgia region)
Approximate map point34.71350, -83.72616 (a point inside the park from OpenStreetMap; directions in Google Maps by address)
Reservations706-878-2201
Lodge and activitiesunicoilodge.com
Official pagewww.unicoilodge.com

Dogs and Strollers

Dogs: Georgia State Parks welcomes pets on a leash no longer than six feet, with the owner at all times. Pets are not allowed in park and historic site buildings, lodges, yurts, group camps, swimming areas or beaches (park rules).
Strollers: the park does not publish stroller rules. Paths range from paved walks to rough trails, so call ahead (706-878-2201) if you need a stroller-friendly route.

What’s at Unicoi State Park & Lodge

Facilities the park lists: Lodge rooms; Cabins; Campground; Unicoi Restaurant; Smith Creek Tavern; Conference center; Unicoi Lake with a beach; Visitor Center.

Things to do: Paddle boarding and boat rentals on Unicoi Lake; Zip line aerial adventure tour; Fly fishing; Archery and air gun range; Hatchet throwing; Mountain biking; Hiking, including the Lake Loop Trail.

Events Coming Up Near Unicoi State Park & Lodge

Around Unicoi State Park & Lodge within 30 miles

State parks and historic sites

1Hardman Farm State Historic Sitestate historic site2 mi
2Smithgall Woods State Parkstate park3 mi
3Vogel State Parkstate park12 mi
4Moccasin Creek State Parkstate park12 mi

Events coming up

5Downtown Dawsonville Christmas Parade & Tree LightingDawsonville30 mi
6Gobble Wobble 5KBlairsville18 mi
7Mountain Country Christmas in LightsHiawassee18 mi
8Annual Lighting of the Village (Helen)Helenunder 1 mi
9Helen Christmas Market (first weekend)Helen1 mi
10Victorian Christmas at Hardman FarmSautee Nacoochee3 mi

Straight-line distances from the site’s GPS point. Dots sit in their true compass direction; distance is stretched near the middle so close neighbors stay readable. The same places are listed below.

Nov 21Downtown Dawsonville Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting, Dawsonville (about 30 miles away, free)
Nov 26Gobble Wobble 5K, Blairsville (about 18 miles away)
Nov 26 – Dec 31Mountain Country Christmas in Lights, Hiawassee (about 18 miles away, free to $12)
Nov 27Annual Lighting of the Village (Helen), Helen (under a mile away, free)
Nov 28 – Nov 29Helen Christmas Market (first weekend), Helen (about 1 mile away, free)
Dec 4 – Dec 19Victorian Christmas at Hardman Farm, Sautee Nacoochee (about 3 miles away)

Events within 30 miles in the next 90 days from our Georgia event calendar, as of October 20, 2026; distances are straight-line from the site’s GPS point. The park’s own ranger programs and events are on the Georgia State Parks events calendar.

Nearby State Parks and Historic Sites

Hardman Farm State Historic Site (state historic site, White County), about 2 miles away
Smithgall Woods State Park (state park, White County), about 3 miles away
Vogel State Park (state park, Union County), about 12 miles away
Moccasin Creek State Park (state park, Habersham County), about 12 miles away

More on It’s Georgia

All Georgia state parks and historic sites, by region
Georgia state parks compared: hours, parking, dogs and free accessibility equipment in one table
North Georgia: more places to go in the region

Source: the Unicoi State Park & Lodge website (the lodge operator’s official site) and gastateparks.org, checked October 20, 2026. Hours and fees change, so check the official page before a long drive. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will re-check it.

Safety Notice

Water And Ice Safety: Read This Before You Go

Lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, beaches and ice can kill, quickly and without warning. Conditions change by the hour and we cannot see them from here. This page is general information only. It is not a safety assessment, and it does not say or promise that any place, water, ice or activity is safe.

We do not inspect, test, measure or monitor water, ice, currents, depth, water quality, algae, wildlife, access, closures or lifeguard staffing at any place we list.
Posted signs, closures, advisories, flags and the directions of rangers, lifeguards and the land owner or managing agency always override anything here. A place being listed does not mean it is open, legal to enter, or permitted for swimming, wading, boating or fishing, and does not give you permission to be on private land or private water.
Children and weak swimmers: the CDC says to assign a responsible adult to watch children closely and constantly in or near water, with no phone, reading, alcohol or drugs, and to use life jackets for children in and around natural water. It also says inflatable or foam toys are not safety devices.
Open water hides hazards. The CDC names currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and poor visibility. As general guidance (not from a named source), also expect sudden drop-offs, very cold water even on a warm day, submerged objects, boat traffic and changing weather. Never swim alone, and never mix alcohol with water or boats.

Emergency in the United States: call 911. Learn CPR, as the CDC recommends.

Not ConfirmedWe have not verified current water or ice conditions, water quality, access, swimming or boating permission, lifeguard hours, fees, rules or closures for any place on this page. The land owner or managing agency (a park, city, county, state or federal office, or the property owner) is the one who can confirm them. Ask them before you go.

Sources read on 8 November 2026: the Minnesota DNR ice thickness guidelines (dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html, no page date shown) and the CDC drowning prevention page (cdc.gov/drowning/prevention, page dated 29 September 2025). Guidance can change and can differ by state and by place: check the current text and your local agency before relying on it. This notice is general guidance only. It is not legal, medical, rescue or professional safety advice, and nobody on this site is a lifeguard or safety professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for any children and pets with you, and you use this information at your own risk. Water, ice, weather and local rules change quickly and differ by state, county and property. To the fullest extent the law allows, this site, its owner and its contributors are not responsible for any injury, death, loss or damage that results from using this information or from visiting any place, water or ice mentioned here. If you do not accept that, do not rely on this page (see the Limits Of Liability in our Terms Of Use).

Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Unicoi State Park & Lodge”, itsgeorgia.com/places/unicoi-state-park-and-lodge/ (updated 2026-11-09). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.

Getting In

What to Do

Make It a Day