Best Campgrounds near Gaylesville, AL

As most people say, this is one of the best parks for camping. Lots of great hikes, waterfalls and blooming azalea and rhododendron. It looked like the bath houses in the west rim campground are new or fully renovated. The lower portion of the west rim campground appears to have lost many of the shade trees. However our site was nicely shaded. We plan on going back maybe in the fall.

Our family had a great time camping… we are locals and this was a trial run with our new camper. The camping community here is great! The facilities are definitely dated but we didn’t have to use them so I can’t say what they were inside. The playground was fun for my kiddos although it really wasn’t age appropriate for our 3 year old twins very well. I’m not sure if it was just because it was 4/20 weekend but the only drawback was the pretty regular smell of the devils lettuce… I used to partake myself so I’m not downing any ones way of relaxing. We probably will not be back as I enjoy a little bit more family friendly environments these days.

I have been to Red Top Mountain countless times, but haven’t ever camped here until today. The campground is nice, signs are easy to follow, camp sites are in nice shape and the bathrooms are clean. Over all great campsite

The remodel has been finished. All the trees are gone. no more shade. There are all new sites, for RV's only, no more tent camping.  The rates have also increased, so expect to pay $75+ per night to stay there.

General: Small (36-site) campground in two loops; only the upper has a bathhouse. It is about a ¼ mile walk from the lower to the bathhouse. 

Site Quality: Sites are gravel and vary; some are back-in, some are pull-through and some are parallel. Site 32 was very generous in size although not completely level. There was one picnic table, one set of water/electric utilities, and two fire rings (not sure why there were two). This site could easily fit a large Class A or two smaller campers. 

Bath/Shower House: Clean and heated. The toilets and showers have a curtain for privacy which IMO feels less private. When I was in the shower, someone opened the curtain not realizing (!) that someone was in there. Warm water at the sinks and showers was appreciated on a damp and chilly day. There is also a clean laundry facility - $3/wash and $2 to dry. The laundry room also has a microwave oven. 

Activities: There are daily cave tours; we have been in many caves and this one is very nice. By the lower loop is a small climbing wall. There are also hiking trails and gemstone mining, although we did not take advantage of either of these. We were there for the Cave Run - a 10km or half marathon where the last 1.2 miles AND finish are INSIDE the cave, which was very cool! 

Mason, the camp host, was great. Upon our arrival, he escorted us to our site in his golf cart (entirely not necessary but welcomed) and went over what we needed to know including the WiFi password (otherwise we had no service on Verizon). Be sure to go to the office (up a very steep hill or you can drive) and ask for your 15% senior discount if applicable (you need to show proof you are old!).

Red Top Mountain State Park is an incredible spot for a camping getaway. I love campgrounds that offer both nature and comfort, good hiking trails, a peaceful lake, and hot showers are definitely a win. The fact that they have rental cottages and yurts makes it a great choice for people who want a more relaxed camping experience too. The only thing I’d be cautious about is those narrow roads, but once you're set up, it seems totally worth it. If anyone needs to sort out travel plans to get there, you can always call Avianca customer service for flights.

Loved this park. Everyone was very friendly. Lots of Intermediate to strenuous level hiking.

Clark Creek was the third campground we stayed at. And being that I had spent the most part of my teens and early twenties living literally in the neighborhood across the road it felt like home. We will be back there soon.

This the second campground that we stayed in Woodstock Georgia. Payne on Kellogg Creek Road was another great experience. We will be returning soon.

This isnt for backpackers but for camping with your family, its good. They have water and outlets and very very clean bathrooms. Like cleaner than a Publix bathroom. Kid friendly.

Red Top Mountain State Park is beautiful and Lake Allatoona is large.  Campsite 50 is a premium tent only walk-in site (a few dollars more).  It sits on a point that sticks out in the lake.  There is no shade or tree cover, so it's not "private".  There are 3 other sites near by on the walk-in area and there are no boundaries or barriers between so your neighbors are in full view.  There is no electric near the tent pad, the electric pole is 150+ feet away near the parking area.  You probably could run 175 feet of electric extension cord... but it would have to run past the three other sites... so don't plan for electric.  There is water right by the pad with a ton of pressure.  The tent pad was large but extremely hard to drive tent stakes into... smaller stakes worked better.  The bathhouse was an uphill hike probably 300 ft away but was modern and clean with hot showers and good water pressure.  The park is clean and scenic.  The staff is very courteous, friendly and helpful.  There are plenty of opportunities to hike, fish and boat.

This park is about 30-40 minutes outside of Atlanta right off of I-75.  If you are in a tent... you will hear I-75 traffic all night so keep in mind, that while it looks like country, you are not deep in nature... the drone of the highway will remind you.  There is a train that blows its whistle that will wake you up 3 times each night and also remind you that you are not deep in the woods.  The winding roads through the park outside the campground also seemed to be very popular with motorcyclists who like loud pipes.

The name Red Top Mountain is derived from the red soil in the area that was popular for the mining of abundant iron ore.  But don't look for "mountains" here... you have to travel further north for more dramatic elevation.  

Overall, a nice park, pretty scenery but not as secluded, quiet and relaxing as expected for tent camping.

The campground is very clean and like new. We used our pop up and the site we used was very level.
Excellent hiking and views of the canyon.

I slept really well last night here, and the camp host and guests were just great. Heated bathhouse with warm shower was definitely a highlight on a chilly morning!

Only downside in my mind was that I booked a tent site, only to find that the tent sites are down the hill from all the other sites, so if you book them you will have to haul your stuff down to the lake. It did sound like the night-time fishing would be awesome though!

Bob has a wonderfully serene campground for both RV’s and tent camping. I invite everybody looking for a quiet place on Mentone to visit 1776 RV.

Recently stayed a couple of nights and was mostly impressed with the state park. I’m a tent camper but if I had an RV or trailer, I would definitely have trouble getting into my site (78). Many of the other sites I saw would have similar problems for trailer campers, as well. The park is in close proximity to I-75, so I could hear the distant sound of big rigs and the occasional police sirens. There is also railroad tracks somewhere that are close enough to hear train whistles in the wee hours of the morning. But the scenery of Lake Alatoona was beautiful and the staff I dealt with were all friendly and helpful. The bathroom facilities I used were very clean.

Beautiful peaceful camping ground. Walking distance to Sitton Gulch. Campground was clean and the staff is very friendly. Waterfalls were dry at the time of our visit, but it was still a beautiful site.