Unicoi State Park & Lodge

We had a mini family reunion at Unicoi State Park and Lodge in October 2025. Some of my relatives stayed in the Lodge and barrel cabins. I stayed in the RV campground. The park facilities were amazing! We attended a talk about wild life in the park on Saturday, and it was so fascinating! The room where the talk was held was full of real, stuffed animals native to that area. We ate dinner one night at Anna's Italian restaurant there in the park and had a lovely time! The park is located near the beautiful towns of Helen and Cleveland. We enjoyed a very easy hike at Anna Ruby Falls. We can't wait to go back, especially in the fall again!

The folks at the front deck were very welcoming and pleasant. The shuttle is a great luxury for getting to and from Helen without the hassle of parking. The tavern was a great way to unwind at the end of the day. However…the room was terrible. I’ve never seen a smaller room in my life. Barely any room to move around and nowhere to lay stuff. The bathroom had no counter space and the shower had a bench type seat right in the middle of it that would fold up but wouldn’t stay up. And the shower head, what even was that? If you don’t mind a sprinkle of water to shower then this shower is for you! Our first morning we had breakfast in the lodge and when I tell you it was bad, it was soooo bad. The sausage was mushy, like wet paper. And the grits, there’s no amount of anything you could put in them to make them better, It was awful. Because of this we opted to not eat there for any meal and we had a discount coupon. All the staff we interacted with were great, but the shuttle was not worth the $$ we paid for this 3 star hotel touting itself as a lodge.

Excellent camping experience. Friends and I shared a buddy site and had ample room with designated hook ups. Bathrooms clean and shuttle to Helen was very convenient with pick up at my site. A free round trip shuttle in to town is wonderful if you do not have an additional vehicle while camping.

We booked the Unicoi Lodge nine months in advance. At 6:06 PM on Friday—less than 24 hours before check-in—we received an email canceling our Saturday reservation. No alternative accommodation. No assistance. Just cancellation. We were left scrambling for a hotel room during Oktoberfest weekend. The result was predictable: the only available room was over an hour away at nearly double the cost. While we understand that safety issues can arise unexpectedly, the hotel had a responsibility to provide solutions, not just cancellations. When a business accepts a booking nine months out, guests rely on that commitment—especially for a high-demand event where last-minute alternatives are impossible to find. What we needed: Proactive assistance securing comparable accommodation, or at minimum, coverage of the price difference caused by their last-minute cancellation. What we received: An email and a problem that became ours to solve. Safety comes first—we get that. But leaving guests stranded without support isn’t an acceptable response to an uncontrollable situation. It’s how you handle the crisis that defines your service. So bottom line: just because you have a booking don’t expect it to be honoured

Outstanding view from our second floor Building B room. Easy check in and out process with plenty of easy parking during our MIDWEEK STAY. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Quick and easy drive into Helen for additional dining….the restaurant at the lodge was unfortunately having a maintenance issue but kindly provided at no cost all the “Continental” munchies we desired!

We had 2 in our party and we paid for 2 nights at the squirrels nest. Needless to say, we only stayed one night. We can say we have tried it and that will be enough for us. The comfort station was not unlocked after me calling twice. We used a metal wagon to bring our stuff down the long hill to the bottom of the platforms but it had not been cleaned off as we had to move/push off a few downed trees. We enjoyed the walking trails and the zip lining though.