Red Top Mountain State Park

At the northwestern fringe of metro Atlanta, Red Top Mountain State Park occupies a 1,776-acre peninsula into Lake Allatoona, a 12,000-acre impoundment of the Etowah River managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Easy proximity via I-75 makes both the lake and the park some of the most frequently visited recreational resources in the state. A swimming beach, hiking and biking trails, boating, and fishing are among the park's most popular activities. For overnighters, Red Top offers lakefront campsites and cottages, and even a yurt available for rental. The area offers rich historical resources as well. The interstate highway follows the same ...

At the northwestern fringe of metro Atlanta, Red Top Mountain State Park occupies a 1,776-acre peninsula into Lake Allatoona, a 12,000-acre impoundment of the Etowah River managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Easy proximity via I-75 makes both the lake and the park some of the most frequently visited recreational resources in the state. A swimming beach, hiking and biking trails, boating, and fishing are among the park's most popular activities. For overnighters, Red Top offers lakefront campsites and cottages, and even a yurt available for rental. The area offers rich historical resources as well. The interstate highway follows the same railroad route through the Great Valley between the Cumberland Plateau to the west and the Blue Ridge to the east that General Sherman marched down towards Atlanta in 1864. Find the 3.4-mile Allatoona Pass trail, which starts as a scenic stroll along the lake, to see the original grade of the Western and Atlantic Railroad; Civil War entrenchments can be seen at the ridgetop. The park offers guided walks along the route relating the story of the Battle of Allatoona Pass. An earlier history is told at nearby Etowah Mounds, south of Red Top, where an ancient civilization left its mark in earthworks up to 63 feet high. North of Red Top, the Funk Heritage Center relates the indigenous history of the area from the Paleo era to the Cherokee Nation established in this region in 1828.

About the Expert

Kap Stann has written or contributed to many guidebooks to the American Southeast for such publishers as Moon, Avalon Travel, Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness, and Mobil Guides.