Red Top Mountain State Park is a popular Georgia state park near Atlanta, offering outdoor recreational activities such as fishing, boating, camping, hiking, and geocaching. The park also has exhibits, events, and facilities like a miniature golf course and tennis court.
Red Top Mountain State Park is a state park bordering Lake Allatoona in the United States. Located near Cartersville, Georgia, the park is east of Interstate 75, approximately 15 miles (25 km) north-northwest of the state capital, Atlanta. Red Top Mountain is one of Georgia’s most popular state parks offering visitors many outdoor recreational opportunities.
Taking its name from the iron ore once mined around the mountain, the most attractive feature of Red Top Mountain State Park is Allatoona Lake. The man-made lake was formed by the damming of the Etowah River in the late 1940s. Allatoona Lake frames the park on three sides and encompasses approximately 12,000 acres (18.75 sq mi).
Fishing, skiing and boating are popular activities on the lake. Boat ramps, docks, and boat rentals are available at the nearby marina. At approximately 11 miles (18 km) long, the lake has numerous fishing spots and piers for non-boaters. There is a variety of fish species available to anglers including smallmouth bass, crappie and catfish.
Camping in Red Top Mountain State Park is a popular outdoor activity in the state park. Large campsites are available for tents, caravans and campers. Two bedroom cottages are offered for non-campers visiting the park. The park’s popular lodge, which offered lodging and a restaurant, closed permanently in June of 2010 after being acquired by the Department of Natural Resources.
Hikers are provided with more than 10 miles (16 km) of wooded hiking trails. The trail accesses the park’s reconstructed homestead, representative of the homes built in the area in the 1860s. During the 1860s, the location at the base of the mountain was a growing industrial community. The city was destroyed during the American Civil War as part of the Atlanta campaign by Union forces.
A section of the hiking trail in Red Top Mountain State Park is doubly used by hikers and cyclists. This portion of the trail, known as the Iron Hill Bike Trail, is approximately 4 miles (6 km) long and borders part of Allatoona Lake. The gravel path winds from the park parking lot, along the lakeshore and through the rebuilt farmhouse.
Various other recreational opportunities are offered at Red Top Mountain State Park, including geocaching, picnicking, and swimming. The park offers programs like wilderness survival school and ranger-led events like nature night. The on-site Mountain Cove Discovery Room has many exhibits, as well as events for the public. Activities extend to the park’s miniature golf course, tennis court, and children’s playground.
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