Fort Mountain State Park Campground

I gave my transmission a work out climbing up the mountain to get here. Site 49 was a beautiful lakefront site with the lake trail conveniently next to my site. W/E only, dumpsite outside the campground. Hiking trails accessible from the campground. Bears were active in the area. Lots to do nearby, but the surroundings were so beautiful, we really enjoyed just being in the campground.

We live within an hour of this state park and it is one of our "honey holes" when it comes to weekend warrior camping!  The park being at 2850' in elevation makes it a great place during the hot summer months.  There are 2 "loops" in the campground.  One of the loops is located on the lake and the other is across the road.  Each site has power and water, but no sewer hookups.  There are really nice bathhouses located in each loop (there are 2 bathhouses in the loop on the lakeside).  There are a lot of hiking trails as well as the lake where you can rent paddle boats, swim or fish. This campground also has some sites that can accommodate larger rigs.

Quiet park except on weekends - lots of day use patrons (excellent beach area). Site had an incline but it was good rv backing experience :). Bears were there but didnt see any. Lots of good hiking trails: history, panoramic views and a nice lake trail.

This park starts with an amazing road up the mountain, we arrived at night and the sky was inundated with stars, a spacious overlook with some people capturing some nighttime sky photography and motorcycles riders enjoying the curves down the mountain. Next day visibility on that road was near to none, down the mountain you can see the top part enveloped by the clouds. A few different trails to hike, some overgrown vegetation and fallen trees in them, multiple people mentioned bear sighting but I didn’t get to see one. There’s also a 14 mile mountain bike trail and lake to kayak or paddleboard with a beach area. Bathrooms were immaculate clean, camp hosts were nice and welcoming. Campground was extremely quiet at night, maybe just the luck of the draw. It’s nice to hear just the crackling fire, critters and leaves rustling. Couple necessity items available at the visitor center gift shop, s’mores essentials etc. We overall loved our stay.

Although the roads were windy, they were doable (truck with 28 foot trailer. The sites are nicely spaced and private. The bathhouse and laundry were clean. The trails around the park were great too, we spent two days doing various routes around the park. The nearest town is about 15 minutes down the hill but has everything. The downside, if you want to call it that, was zero service at our site. We could get enough to check messages at other places within the park though. Overall, A great little state park.

Even though this trip was riddled with rain, it was still a great trip. We stayed in campsite 12 at the tent and trailer camping #1. Our site was very spacious; plenty of room for our trailer and setup; mostly level. We walked other camp grounds in the park and most of those sites were equally spacious and mostly level.

The park has plenty of things for the family to do for the summer: swimming in the lake, mini golf, and playground. All were well maintained. These were closed at the time of our visit in October. Walking trails, bike trails, and activities were plenty, we were just limited due to rain.

Short drive to Dalton, GA., and Ellijay, GA. for other sightseeing. Beautiful overlook before you get to the entrance of the park on main road.

When they say beware of bears, they mean it. We did not personally see them, but our camping friends did see a momma and 3 cubs.

Bathrooms were the best we’ve seen. The hosts kept them very clean. Speaking of the hosts; they were all so very nice and inviting.

Only complaints (not big ones for us) are cell service was spotty at best. You might can walk around and receive a text but might not can respond to it. Or you might get lucky enough to walk to a spot and make a call. Another complaint was no sewage at any site. Not a deal breaker for us. We will definitely be back.

There’s a little something for everyone here. Fishing in the lake, renting paddle boats, putt putt, short hikes, long hikes, MTB trails,… you name it! The area has had lots of bear sitings so keep that in mind. We had our marshmallows snatched right off of our picnic table 2ft behind us one night!! So keep your eyes peeled for Mr. Raccoon. He loves the mallows!

We camped in site number 9, which is in the back of the campground. Sitting at our RV, we couldn’t see any other sites, just the woods! The hiking is great, especially for kids. We wanted to do the boat rentals but got rained out. However, be forewarned that you have to rent boats at the main visitor center and not by the lake.

Fort Mountain State Park in Georgia was a fantastic getaway for my family. We spent five nights there and could not have been happier. The hiking trails are great, the lookouts on the east and west sides of the mountain offer phenomenal views, and we couldn't have found a better campsite if we had tried! The best part of the trip, besides awesome weather, was the fact that halfway up the mountain that the state park is on, we lost cell service and didn't get it back until we went back down the mountain! The park office does offer free wifi, that is always on, so you can get connected in the middle of the night if you absolutely have to, but if you're camping to get away from it all, why bother? Happy Camping!

Spent a long weekend  . The sites were nice but not kept up very well. The park itself is awesome with all the trails but the campground itself needs some maintenance.

This is just under 2 hours from midtown Atlanta. The setting is lovely and I am sure it's a 'must see' during the leaf changing season as most of the forest is mature hardwoods. We had a pull through site overlooking the lake. The restroom facility closest to our site was closed but there was another facility a short walk away. It was a cold weekend so the heaters in the restroom buildings were very much appreciated.  About half the campsite was full so it was very quiet and relaxing. There were an abundance of birds in the area (for you bird watchers). We did the hike to the Fort and Fire Tower from a nearby parking area. It's a relatively easy 30 minute hike up.  There is a longer more challenging hike from the campsites but we were not up for that this trip. We had one dog with us, so I'd say this place is very dog friendly. Apparently there is a lot of black bear activity in the area but we did not see any this time. *Interesting fact: black bears do not hibernate like other more northernly bears so be informed and aware.  We will absolutely return to this wonderful park. Read more about the wonderful parks built during the 1930's and 1940's with the support of President Roosevelt and the "CCC" (Civilian Conservation Corp.) at: 

https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-civilian-conservation-corps.htm

My husband, dogs, & I stayed here the week of Thanksgiving. There was a great overlook on the drive up, but the hiking was a little underwhelming. There’s one good trail with a waterfall. The campground itself was very disappointing. The roads around the park were rutted with some large potholes. One of the 2 comfort stations in the Lake Campground was not working at all (drains constantly backed up). Many of the sites were not level (see photo). We stayed on site 40 with our 27’ rig and car.

This place has a lot to offer: hiking, waterfalls, put put, playgrounds, lake views and paddle boats, standard hook up sites, etc. Its high in the mountains and its got great views. Two small issues took a star off, the campsites are pretty close together and they aren't maintaining some areas. Took a pretty nasty fall on the put put golf course because it was muddy and slick. I will definitely be back though and really enjoyed our stay. Missed the snow by a day though!

We love camping at Fort Mountain. Its usually a good bit cooler due to the elevation, and the private wooded campsites make tent camping in Georgia’s summer heat much more enjoyable. Good hiking and things to do nearby.

We spent a week in Fort Mountain and we can’t say enough about how wonderful it was. The sites are beautiful and feel very private. The facilities are spotless, and the staff at the visitor’s center/store were terrific. The overlooks were spectacular: absolutely beautiful.

Had a great time with family. Ellijay Apple Barn isn’t far from the campsite. Highly recommend stopping for some apples and some yummy snacks! Great for children for sure.

The good: The campsites were spaced out very, very well. The camping platform was a cool and unique experience. Awesome hiking and stunning views about a mile up from the campground. Bathroom and shower were clean and roomy. Had a much needed bear box at our site. The not so good: The site was extremely unlevel. Could not even cook our food because of how unlevel it was. Our supplies constantly fell out of the bear box when opened and would roll down hill into a gultch. The lake had an abundance of snakes. And other than the hiking trail on up from the site there was not much to do in the area. We left a day early.

We visited today and look forward to camping here. Very nice park and clean. Bears are seen anytime of the day or night. See RV Camping Journal for more details.

We got lucky with a last minute cancellation and booked site 45. It’s an awesome site with privacy, and one of the better sites in the entire campground. There are steps leading down to the trail around the lake. We were there July 4th and the trail around the lake is lightly used, so the occasional traffic didn’t bother us, plus there’s heavy foliage. There is also a trail nearby to the platform camping, so you occasionally see those campers, but didn’t bother us. There were great trees for hanging hammocks.

We were in a truck camper and didn’t use the restrooms, although it’s just a short walk.

This site is on the “edge” of the campground and there are active bears. We saw two during our stay on the site. They were just passing through, but just something to be aware of.

We camped here just before all of the COVID-19 shutdowns began happening, hoping to get in a family trip that didn't involve a long drive from home/Chattanooga. We chose Fort Mountain for the variety of camping options they had, specifically the platform sites. As one of our primary requirements for camping is privacy and a place our kids can run around without bothering anyone else, having a place slightly off the main road sounded perfect--and it was. 

Fort Mountain is a huge campground, offering 70 drive-in campsites for tents/campers, 6 platform sites, 4 walk in sites, 4 backcountry sites, and 3 pioneer sites. The platform sites are a short walk from a parking area near the lake so you can make multiple trips to the car if necessary, while the backcountry sites are up to a 3 mile hike in, so all gear, food, and water will need to be packed in. Be mindful of wildlife as well, even in March we saw a copperhead near the creek by Platform 1.

As with most campgrounds there is large variety in the sites available, ranging from smaller sites near the main road through the campground (31-44), to larger sites right on the lake (46-50), to sites near the center of the campground with easy access to the many amenities the park has to offer, including the docks/boat rental, beach, and a mini golf course. Site 45 is very large but the trail around the lake and to the platform sites cuts past it so there may be some foot traffic past the site, particularly during busy times. Sites 46, 47, and 49 have amazing lakeside views, which completely make up for the visibility from one site to another. Site 48 is very small and more suited for a pull-through camper, as it has little privacy and the trail from the parking lot for the platform sites walks above it. 

(Note about the platform sites--the map is misleading. There is a small trail that runs to the sites from the lakeside trail, and the start with 1 closest to the lake and head up a rather steep climb to 6. There is a secondary trail that crosses a small creek and intersections with platform 1 to the right and 2-6 to the left.)

Loop #1 does not have any lakefront sites, and is closed to drive-thru traffic without reservations so we were not able to look closely at the sites, but it looks overall like it is wooded and shady, though smaller than the sites in loop #2. 

Cottage #5 is the only true lakefront cabin, with a long staircase walking from the cabin to the lakeside trail. It is three bedrooms and would be great for large family gatherings. 

We did not make it to the Fire Tower the state park is named for, but as a homeschool family we are always excited to find CCC buildings as living history and political science lessons, and the only trail we got to explore was the lakeside trail, which was short but scenic, although even at the time we were there was already quite crowded, so I imagine during the busy season it would be hard to find solitude. 

This is a great vacation spot. Between the variety of campsites, hiking, boat rentals, beach, and family activities, it would be easy to spend a week here in a camper or an RV and not even notice how fast the time was flying. As for a one or two night stay, we typically prefer places with fewer activities so we can just enjoy CAMPING--but the platform and backcountry campsites still provide for those with similar camping styles. And being so close to both Chattanooga and Atlanta, this is an amazing find for families. We would definitely return, and stay in either one of the platform sites again (my husband in particular loved that we did not have to worry about  a tent!), or try and reserve one of the sites along the lake so we could enjoy time at camp while taking in the views.

We had the best site in this campground we were in site #50, a big site with water & electric hook up and pretty private, with cable and a dump station . Nice tall pines, maple & oak trees and we hit the leaf change just right this year on Oct 31st. There's nice trails in the park one around the lake & one to a small waterfall across the street. There is no cell service. You can drive up the road about a mile or so there's a cell tower & you can get service.  You can kayak there the lake is small but beautiful this time of the year. 

We took the trail to the old tower and stone wall. The wall is a mystery when and who built it? Legends say it was the  Cherokees early 1600's or the moon eyed people in as defense against the Cherokees. Beautiful view from the top of the tower.  

If your going to stay in several Georgia state parks you can buy the friends of GA family pass which get's you free camping it pays for itself. Georgia has some great state parks. About 2 miles up the road is a viewpoint you can pull over and watch a beautiful sunset. Ellijay is close by if you need groceries or want to shop.

Fort Mountain in spring was beautiful! Check out more details and photos on the link.

https://imaginecamper.com/2020/05/29/fort-mountain-state-park-21/

We stayed one night at backcountry campsite number 3 and we loved it. The campsite was awesome- it had a great view and plenty of space, and was a bit off the trail and felt very secluded which we liked. It is high up, so it did get windy and colder than we expected. We hiked over 10 miles and really enjoyed the trails and tons of beautiful views. You do need to pay attention to the map though because we did get off on the wrong trail a couple times. We did have a bear sighting as well! We’re pretty inexperienced campers, but we highly recommend!

The campground is well situated in a mountain valley.  the sites are flat and easy to access.  The roads are a bit narrow but big enough if you take your time.  The hosts were extremely helpful and pleasant to chat with.  The park itself has amazing vistas, waterfalls, mountain biking hiking and serenity.  Pet friendly, good for kids or adults with plenty to do no matter what you may enjoy.

Fort Mountain State Park We visited this park in early/mid November for 10 days. Keith and I hiked and played hard every day here- despite the early winter storm 🌨, gusty breezes 💨and freezing temperatures ❄️that finally gave way to beautiful crisp days☀️. The park is rich in history but we are not history buffs so we will leave you to get that info from your friend, Google. . 🥾The trails: Get a trail map!! These are awesome trails and varied trails with lots of elevation. The Gahuti is the most known hiking trail here and we never saw another hiker on the trail except each other when our solo hiking excursions crossed paths. The most popular trails here would be the trails to the CC C Tower and overlook and the “wall”- just know these are not easy hikes due to them going up hill. The most stroller/limited mobility friendly trails are the lake trail and the Cool Springs overlook. . Most of the trails except the Gahuti are multi use and there is a strong community of mountain biking here. We didn’t bike the trails here with our hybrid specialized bikes because we felt the trails (other than the lake trail and the park roads) to be too technical for us due to the major elevation changes, loose gravel and rocks. . *Sidenote .

1. You do NOT need a permit or notify park office to hike the mountain bike trails anymore.
2. If you hike a lot- be aware that some of the double blazes signaling trail split ahead actually already happened by the time you see the blaze. In addition, some trail signage is only on one side of trail or in one direction. (We are one of those couples that creates new hiking loops using existing trails so the signage was a little confusing at times.)
3. The bike trails are not blazed. We suggest everyone wear a helmet not just the required 16 years and younger group.

. ⛱🛶🏊🏼‍♀️The lake area- a small 17 acre spring fed lake is here for your fishing, paddling and swimming pleasure. The area also has putt putt, the only playground,seasonal concession and rentals, beach area and a super nice walking trail for everybody. . 🚍The campground consists of large spacious gravel sites that are well maintained. In the winter, you have lost a lot of privacy foliage but still nicely spaced apart. All sites are 30/50 amp with water. Grey water drains are located around the campground. There is a dump station. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring too. Remember, there are a lot of hills here so expect this when walking to bathouses from most campsites. We had inconsistent cell coverage even with a Winegard booster with AT&T and Verizon. Mornings were best reception and evening were not so good.
. 🏕Other camping options include, walk in tent camping, pioneer campground for groups, backcountry campsites and super cool and private platform (aka squirrel’s nest 🐿) campsites. . 🏡There are also beautiful cabins with lovely views on the mountain side. Most have mountain/forest views and a very few are near the lake. Realize that most of these are on large hills 🏔 so there will be a nice walk to the lake/recreation area. . We really enjoyed the hiking here so much we never kayaked or fished the lake...(also due in part to the cold temperatures). Our 10 days went super fast and we were never at a loss for something to do. You will truly enjoy this park with its history, mountain and lake views. Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

This was our 1st time out with our new camper.  We choose it because it was close to the dealer.  I was inexperienced in selecting camp sites and we were in the middle of everything.  Site 24 isn't very private.  But the hiking was great and scenery was beautiful.  They don't call it Fort Mountain for nothing - there was quite a drive uphill to get here.

This is an awesome campground on a large lake with fairly secluded sights. Cell phone service was pretty spotty which became an issue while trying to do some hiking. Their are a number of activities available including, hiking, biking, fishing and boating. This campground is extremely family friendly, almost too much for our liking as there were kids EVERYWHERE. There is a large beach area and an event center where they hold daily shows and classes. They even have a put-put course on sight. Bathrooms and facilities were well maintained, clean and plentiful. This is an extremely large campground! My biggest complaint would be the lack of markings on hiking trails. We had a hard time finding some of the trailheads even with the maps provided at the main office. I would like to make a trip back here during the week to avoid some of the crowds but outside of that this is an outstanding place to camp. Even with the weekend crowd we very much enjoyed ourselves!

Some of the sites have excellent lake views. Not too stacked. Nice beach with easy walk around the lake. Great for kids.

Fort Mountain State Park is a nice place to camp! The drive to the park is very scenic, with 180 degree Mountain views. The park has a small lake with a beach and swimming area, kayak and aqua bike rentals, fishing, mountain bike trails, hiking trails, a mini golf course, playground, and picnic areas throughout.

The campground has two main loops, lake side and creek side. Both are gated, so you will need a code to enter. We stayed in the lakeside loop on site 62. It was a very spacious site, plenty of shade, “waterfront” (none of the sites were exactly on the water, but paths through the woods to the water) There’s a trail around the lake too, I believe it was just under a mile long. Most of the sites in the lake loop were great, all wooded and most of them have a view of the water, you can’t go wrong with any of them.

There’s an area called “Squirrels nest” and I believe it was a tent area that looked really cool, I would like to stay here with a group! It is located in the lake loop. There’s some backcountry sites in the park also, I planned to hike to one to check it out, but the trails aren’t marked very well and I couldn’t find my way without driving to a trailhead so I didn’t see them. The hiking was disappointing to me, but I’m accustomed to Smoky Mountain hikes.

The creek side loop looked nice through the woods when I hiked by, but I didn’t actually go through the loop.

The restrooms were great, very clean, very spacious showers. Modern and well maintained.

There’s a store at the campground check in, it has ice, firewood and other essentials, plus some souvenirs and such. They gave me a trail map along with the campground map.

The day use area (beach, picnic, mini golf area) was SUPER crowded on Saturday, so be aware if you plan on using this area, might want to plan on staying mid week.

Nice wooded, level spots throughout the campground, great spot to camp.

Another great Georgia State Park that offers quiet opportunities for hiking, fishing and paddle boating. We made our reservations on-line a couple of weeks before our arrival, upon check in we were greeted by a friendly park staff that had our paperwork ready.

The park information and reservations can be made using the Reserve America App or web site.

https://gastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/fort-mountain-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=GA&parkId=530158.

We stayed at site 40 of Camping Area #2, the sites were well maintained and included water, electric, table and fire ring. We could receive very limited over the air TV and no cell service using Verizon as our carrier. We could also receive a weak WIFI signal at the park office parking lot. The bath houses were very clean and in great working order.

We had a great time here and will return, when planning a trip here bring what you will need as the nearest shopping is miles away in Chatsworth, GA.