Rivers Edge Camping In Depth

2311 Pulliam Mill Road Dewy Rose, GA 30634
Phone: (706) 213-8081
Website: http://www.camptheriversedge.com
Email: dewy@camptheriversedge.com

LGBT, private, membership only. 95 wooded and shaded campsites with a creek that flows through the campground, 30 & 50 amp RV sites with water & dump station nearby, private & shared cabins, picnic tables, fire rings, water and hot shower facilities located nearby, pool, hot tub, café, workout room, club house, recreation room, large air conditioned meeting room with projection screen, pa system, group rates, day & night asses, clothing optional, primarily gay men & women welcome.

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Directions: From I-85 take Route 17 South at EXIT No. 173. Continue along Route 17 South, passing through Royston. Continue along Route 17 until you reach Bowman. Which has a four way stop with a flashing red light. At the four-way stop, turn left, cross the rail road tracks, then go two miles to the next intersection. Turn right onto Pulliam Mill Road. Then go approximately four miles to 2311 Pulliam Mill Road. There are no signs. Look for the blue house and blue mailbox with a green reflective house number.

Evaluation

After a nice drive through the country from I-85 we find the address without difficulty and pull into the gravel courtyard. The side door to the house is the entrance to the registration office. The office is cozy with a very small assortment of items for sale. We are welcomed by Robert, who checks us in and kindly answers our questions. After entering the code we pass through the gate and then by the storage area containing several RV’s, our site is just ahead on the right. We pull in, get out of our truck and begin sizing up the situation. A couple small but welcome trees are poorly situated for our needs. A very nice guy comes over introducing himself as the grounds keeper and after a few minutes of conversation, suggests that he and one of the residents can take us for a tour on the golf cart to look for a better spot. The guys deliver us back at our rig after the tour and we decide that we will move one spot over and endure the full sun. We don’t know how well our AC unit will keep up in 100 degree heat, but we are near the pool and the main shower house.

A large percentage of the RV sites are annuals leaving 15 or 20 for transients. The field we settle in is set up for 30 or 50 amp connections while the more wooded sites only accommodate 30 amps. All the RV sites have water but no septic connections. Apparently, most of the land the campground is on does not perk making it impractical to enlarge the septic system. The restrooms and only a very few of the rental cabins have indoor plumbing which makes staying here a little more challenging. Even so many say they would not consider going anywhere else. The remainder of the woods and down by the stream is proliferated with tent sites. Relatively speaking few of the tent sites have any utilities, the majority is primitive.

A variety of rental cabins are available on the property with accommodations that should fit the needs of most. These structures are reasonably new with the exception of the main cabin that is rented out by the room with shared common space. This cabin was on the property at the time it was bought for campground development, it does have indoor plumbing, and other than being in the woods that’s about all it has going for it.

The shower house next to the main cabin looks to be of the same vintage as the cabin and is in dire need of some TLC. The challenges of cash flow are a part of most small businesses and often set the stage for some very difficult decisions; however this shower house is long overdue for a makeover, especially in light of the minimal septic system on the property requiring 99% of campers to use the facilities provided. In contrast to this shower house, the one near our RV site has had renovations recently completed and is the polar opposite of the other. It was done with a rustic contemporary feel with new paint, floors, and modern fixtures. The gang shower has a very nice natural tile floor done in river rock colors. Private facilities for anyone not comfortable with sharing are located at the end of the building. On one side of the building an outdoor shower area has been provided.Rental storage boxes are located along the opposite side of the building where camping gear and such can be stored to reduce baggage on subsequent trips; a convenient feature offered by few campgrounds. The dump station is also conveniently located here with ample room to pull out of the way. The third shower house is located at the pool. It falls somewhere in between the others in terms of the aesthetic nature, yet provides its basic function.

The pool area excelled beyond others we have seen. Both the pool and the hot tub were crystal clear and well taken care of. Ample lounges and chairs were provided and arranged on terraced decking. The eight man hot tub is housed under an open sided gazebo. Overlooking the pool are the club house, weight room and café. It appeared that at one time the pool area had a sound system which has now fallen into disrepair. Restoring this system would be a good idea. The volume and directional nature required of a boom box for all to hear are poorly suited to an outdoor pool environment.

From the time we arrived at this campground until we pulled up our landing gear to leave we felt very much a part of the activities. We were invited to play volleyball in the pool, bingo in the club house, to a party at one of the annual resident’s sites, and the community bonfire at the fire ring by the pool. This large fire ring which is surrounded by benches provided a great place to enjoy an enormous fire and meet up with fellow campers.

Before our stay came to a close two annual residents took us for a more detailed tour of the campground on their golf cart. We learned a lot about the campground from these guys, but more so we experienced the cohesiveness and dedication of the community to maintain an environment for people to come and enjoy themselves. Ron, who is one of the owners and the general manager of the campground stopped by and chatted with us for a while. Two memorable points Ron made were; this campground was probably not a good place to bring a new or otherwise fragile relationship and he expressed a very genuine commitment to continue operating the campground in the way the founder, his deceased brother Terry, intended it be run, to the best of his ability, for as long as he was physically able. This is how he honors his love for his brother and the community that meant so much to him.

Check out Steve & Phil’s Blog from this location

What is a Dewy Rose? Naked men in 100 degree heat?