Red Top Mountain State Park Camping: The Complete 2026 Georgia Guide

Red Top Mountain State Park camping puts you on a wooded peninsula in Lake Allatoona, about 40 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, in Bartow County, Georgia. The park covers 1,776 acres on the shore of the 12,000-acre lake. Its campground mixes electric RV sites, walk-in tent sites, a pioneer camp, a lakeside yurt and rental cottages. On top of that you get a sand beach, boat ramps and more than 15 miles of trails. It is one of the busiest state parks in metro Atlanta, and it is open year round.

This guide covers the Red Top Mountain State Park campground, its loops and site types, the campground map, reservations, cottages and yurts, the lake, the trails and what to check before you go.

Red Top Mountain State Park Camping: The Basics

• Address: 50 Lodge Road SE, Acworth, GA 30102 (Bartow County).
• Phone numbers: park office 770-975-0055, visitor center 770-975-4226, reservations 1-800-864-7275 (Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern).
• Operator: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Parks & Historic Sites Division.
• Hours: the park is open 7 a.m. to dark. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Season: open year round. Winter is the quietest time for a campsite.
• Getting there: take I-75 to exit 285 (Red Top Mountain Road) and drive about two miles east. You enter the park after you cross the bridge.
• ParkPass: every vehicle needs a Georgia State Parks ParkPass, and it is not included in your reservation. Overnight guests pay the daily fee only once per vehicle for the whole stay. An annual pass covers it too.

Where is Red Top Mountain State Park? Between Acworth and Cartersville, just east of I-75. You'll see both towns in addresses and listings, so "Red Top Mountain State Park, Acworth GA" and "Red Top Mountain State Park Georgia" mean the same place.

The Red Top Mountain State Park Campground

The park lists 93 tent, trailer and RV campsites plus one pioneer campground. The reservation system breaks that into three bookable types: 73 electric campsites, 15 tent-only walk-in campsites and one pioneer site. Other official counts don't agree: the campground details page says 36 tent, trailer and RV sites and 52 walk-in sites. So use the live reservation map for the real number in any loop.

• Premium Campsites and Standard Campsites: these are the two electric loops in the reservation system. Both suit tents, trailers and RVs. Compare the site photos to see which sit closest to the water. Campers in Georgia State Parks groups single out lakeside sites such as site 25 for direct access to Lake Allatoona.
• Tent-only walk-in campsites: you park nearby and carry your gear a short way to the pad. These are the best Red Top Mountain State Park campsites for a quieter tent night. A freestanding tent sets up fastest on a hard pad, and our how to set up a tent guide covers staking and guying.
• Amenities: restrooms with hot showers, a dump station and a picnic shelter inside the campground. That shelter is first come, first served, for campers with a reservation only.
• Pets: dogs are welcome at campsites on a leash. Read our camping with dogs tips before you go.

Red Top Mountain State Park RV camping: the electric loops take trailers and motor homes. Hookups and the longest allowed rig differ by site, so filter by length and electric service in the reservation search before you book.

The Pioneer Campground

The Red Top Mountain State Park pioneer campground is a group tent area for scouts, church groups and big family trips. It has basic facilities only. The park asks you to call before reserving to confirm capacity limits.

Red Top Mountain State Park Campground Map

The reservation site has an interactive Red Top Mountain State Park campground map, and every site has its own photos. These are worth checking before you book, because the sites vary a lot in slope and shade. The park website also links a general park map and a trail map from its main page. Download both before you go, because cell service gets patchy along the lakeshore.

Red Top Mountain State Park Camping Reservations

• Booking window: campsites, the pioneer camp, cottages, the yurt and shelters can all be booked up to 14 months ahead. The event room can be booked up to 24 months ahead.
• Same-day bookings: campsites can be booked for tonight if one is open.
• How to book: online through Georgia State Parks reservations or by phone at 1-800-864-7275. Search for loops by name (Premium, Standard, Pioneer, Yurt) to narrow the list.
• Weekends fill first, especially from April to October. The park's "Plan Your Weekend" page shows availability across the system.

Rates change by site type and season, so check the current nightly price on each site's booking page.

Red Top Mountain State Park Cottages and Yurt

Don't have a tent? Red Top has two kinds of roofed lodging.

• Cottages: the park lists 20 cottages (the reservation page says 18). The system offers 2-bedroom Premier cottages and 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom Premier cottages. Book these early for fall weekends.
• Yurt: the reservation system has a Yurt loop for the park's lakeside yurt. The park page says 6 yurts and the reservation page says 1, so check the live listing. A yurt is a round canvas tent on a wooden deck, a good middle ground between camping and a cabin. Read what is glamping for how yurt stays work.

There is no hotel or lodge inside the park. Search for "hotels near Red Top Mountain State Park" and you'll find options off I-75 in Acworth and Cartersville.

Lake Allatoona: Swimming, Boating and Fishing

• Beach: a sand swimming beach sits in a wooded cove and opens seasonally. Swimming hours are 7:30 a.m. to sunset.
• Boating: two boat ramps and two docks. You can bring your own boat or rent one from a nearby marina. Water skiing is popular in summer.
• Fishing: Lake Allatoona has bass, crappie and catfish, and you can fish from the shore or a boat. Anglers 16 and older need a Georgia fishing license.
• Water quality: the park currently warns that blue-green algae may be present in the lake. Check the park's algal bloom notice before you swim, and keep dogs out of discolored water.

Red Top Mountain State Park Trails

The park has more than 15 miles of trails through forest full of iron-rich red clay, which gives the mountain its name.

• Iron Hill Trail: a 4-mile gravel loop for hikers and bikers, with views of the lakeshore.
• Paved homestead trail: a short paved trail behind the park office, fine for wheelchairs and strollers. It leads to a rebuilt 1860s homestead and the Vaughan Cabin, where the park sometimes holds iron pour demonstrations.
• Allatoona Pass Battlefield: the park also looks after this Civil War site nearby, where the trenches and earthworks are well preserved.

Pick up a trail map at the visitor center or download it from the park site.

Before You Go: Hunts, Closures and "Is It Open?"

Is Red Top Mountain State Park open? Yes. The park and campground are open year round, and there is no posted campground closure as of October 2026. A few things still change week to week:

• Quota deer hunts: the park holds managed hunts in some fall and winter seasons. On hunt days some trails, or the whole park, may close to everyone except hunters. Check the park's alerts and call 770-975-0055 before a late-fall trip.
• Algae advisories on Lake Allatoona can close the swimming area.
• Weather: summer thunderstorms move in fast over the lake. See our camping in the rain guide.

If Red Top is full, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs several campgrounds around Lake Allatoona, including McKinney and Victoria. For a different Georgia coast, see our Jekyll Island camping guide.

Things to Do at Red Top Mountain State Park

• Archery, tennis and pickleball courts, and playgrounds.
• Picnic shelters: the park has 7 picnic shelters and 2 group shelters, which hold 100 and 250 people. Call the park before booking a large group.
• Weddings and events in the event room (seats up to 30), with park approval.
• Ranger and educational programs, geocaching and the Muddy Spokes kids' bike club.
• Fall colors: late October to early November is the best time for foliage along the lakeshore.

Red Top is a solid pick for family-friendly campgrounds near Atlanta. A beach, playgrounds, easy trails and short drives make it an easy first weekend away.

Recommended Gear

Walk-in tent sites and a lakeside campground call for light, simple gear.

• Coleman Sundome Camping Tent: sets up in about 10 minutes and has a full rainfly for Georgia's summer storms. It's light enough to carry to a walk-in pad.
• Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock: packs small and comes with tree straps, so you can lounge by the water at your site. See our best camping hammock picks.
• Black Diamond Spot 400-R Rechargeable Headlamp: for the walk from your car to a walk-in site after dark, and for late trips to the bathhouse.

Planning meals? Read our campfire cooking guide and how to start a campfire. Then run through the camping checklist before you leave.