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This popular park on Lake Allatoona is ideal for swimming, water skiing and fishing. Visitors can bring their own boats or rent from nearby marinas. A sand swimming beach is nestled in a cove and surrounded by trees, providing a great place to cool off during summer. Picnic shelters and group shelters may be rented for meetings, parties, reunions and other celebrations. Guests often stay overnight in rental cottages, a spacious campground, or the park’s lakeside yurt. While best known for the 12,000 acre lake, Red Top Mountain is also a hiker’s haven. More than 15 miles of trails wind through the forested park, providing opportunities for exercise and nature photography. A short, paved trail behind the park office is suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, welcoming guests to explore a reconstructed 1860s homestead. The gravel-topped 4 mile Iron Hill Trail is open to both hikers and bikers, offering pretty views of the lake’s shoreline. Named for the soil’s rich red color caused by high iron-ore content, Red Top Mountain was once an important mining area. Iron pour programs are occasionally held near the Vaughn Cabin behind the park office. The park also maintains Allatoona Pass Battlefield, a historically significant battlefield due to the well-preserved trenches and earthworks.
Located 45 minutes north of Atlanta near Cartersville, 1.5 miles east of I-75 exit #285.
The most beautiful views and the lake was so beautiful too! The Trails were awesome and they have several trails to choose from. You can even book a cabin rental or pavilion area for an event.
I just love this place. So pretty, great way to get outside at all times of the year! In the summer it is shaded so doesn’t get too hot. It changes all the time, the water is lower in the winter but still so stunning.
This park is like a fairytale place! Swimming at the warm lake surrounded by all the park’s greenery/forestry is fabulous! So serene and breathtaking! Very kids friendly place (has kids story walk along the trail), has very many hiking options & fantastic lake for swimming and picnics tables along the lake’s shore in the forest, where you can eat, eat & enjoy beautiful views. We’ve been only at one area of the park and can’t wait to come back to see other parts of it and to swim in it again! People can do boating there as well (as we saw many open lake areas where the boats were allowed, safely separated from areas where people can swim). Very relaxing and stunning nature scenery! We are absolutely in love with this mesmerizing place. 🥰❤️
This is the third time I’ve visited this state park and this visit was my favorite / mostly as I studied the trails more and picked the trail most suited to what I desired - which was seeing the fall colors! The park ranger recommended the Iron Hill trail around the lake for best fall colors, and it did not disappoint. It’s a gravel parking lot. Very well marked trail with 90% of the hike in view of the lake. The visitor center is nice with clean restrooms. In the past, I’ve taken more of the wooded trails like Sugargum and didn’t prefer those as much. It is dog friendly but they ask to keep dogs on 6’ leash! It does say they close the gates at dark - I haven’t tested this but best be sure to leave before your car gets locked in!!
Nice park close and a short drive from many areas in metro Atlanta. We did the lakeside trail and found it easy for all age groups. There are many picnic tables and a children's play area behind the visitor center. It would be a great spot for a summer picnic.
