Cities with RV Parks are shown in blue type.
The other listed cities on I-20, in green type
are included for orientation.

I-20 and GEORGIA

GEORGIA — We lost US-11 in Birmingham (it's following I-59); now we're being accompanied by US-78 which will stick with us all the way to Atlanta. We've found that if you need to find a business (like a hardware store which RVers need all too often) it is easiest to look along the old road (a US highway) that people used before the Interstate was built. Though a lot of those businesses are long gone, unfortunately, there are still many remaining.
   It is almost 50 miles to Atlanta and (my opinion) very uneventful if you ignore the terrible pavement for westbound traffic. It is like the waves of the ocean and you have to carefully adjust your speed to avoid loosing all your dishes, etc.
   I-20 does slice Atlanta almost in the center — just south of downtown - but, except for rush hour, the traffic does not uphold Atlanta's reputation (but 285 certainly does!).
   Every year we check with the big guys (Woodall, et al) including AAA if there are any RV parks close to Atlanta so your can use MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit which has great train service) instead of trying to drive around in Atlanta. The answer is still 'no'. Except for Stone Mountain. No, it isn't close in and there is no train but there is bus service (currently Route 120) to the Avondale MARTA station. From there you can go most anywhere. See the MARTA web site.
   From exit 67, where you cross I-295, it is about 137 miles to South Carolina. Which brings us back to food. All that tooling around Atlanta and eating in what is usually offered leaves you salivating for a great meal; how about catfish with a side of grits and hush puppies. (Watch the Yankees run! ... away :-) Covington has such a place and it is absolutely great (no, this isn't a paid ad, either). Take exit 88 and head south on Crowell Rd (about 2.2 miles) to Brown Bridge Road, turn right and go 0.2 mile west. They're next to the intersection of Kirkland Rd (11366 Brown Bridge Rd; 770-787-3571. They have all kinds of FRESH seafood but if the kids don't like seafood they also serve a big cheeseburger ("...for the Yankees", we're told).

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   Greensboro has Lake Oconee (an impoundment of the Oconee and Apalachee Rivers) and some rather nice RV parks (see our Greensboro page). There's even a nice U S Forest Service camp about 12 northwest of town. (Don't expect to find an empty spot in the summer - they only have 6 and there are no showers, etc: just toilets).
   Guess I forgot to mention that we traded US-78 for US-278 in Atlanta (US-78 goes through Stone Mountain) but now we see 78 again at exit 172 in Thomson. There's a significant body of water here, too: J Strom Thurmond Lake (you remember him, of course). There's a pair of good Army Corps of Engineers campsite (with RV pads) at the lake (about a dozen miles northeast of town) and they have restrooms with hot showers, dumps and 30 amps. There's room for class 'A' vehicles but you have to watch the power drain. You may not need air conditioning; it's usually nice and balmy at the lake. More trivia: Lake Strom Thurmond is the downstream neighbor of Lake Hartwell which is the downstream neighbor of Lake Keowee which is the downstream beighbor of Lake Jocassee which is the downstream neighbor of Lake Toxaway way up in North Carolina. And, yes, these are impoundments of the Toxaway River with help of the Tugaloo River and about two dozen creeks. When they get finished using that cool, fresh, clean water they become the Savannah River
   Now you're approaching Augusta home of Fort Gordon — on the Georg-a Side — and the 'Department of Energy' (read this as atomic power) facility on the South Carolina side. The name Augusta is usually associated with golf but there's a whole lot more to Augusta than golf. There's a constant play of music venues ranging the entire spectrum of tastes, or the excitement of the Speedboat races on the Savannah River. If you're just passing through there is the usual historical stuff but what most of the kids like is across the river in Aiken, South Carolina.

contributed by Bob Masters

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American Interstate System Georgia Directory of RV Parks near I-20 Exits (from West to East)

I-20 and GEORGIA

American Interstate System
Georgia Directory
of
RV Parks near I-20 Exits
(from West to East)