Best Tent Camping near Gaylesville, AL

As exclusively tent campers, I have always steered away from KOAs. But given how close this one is to my home city of Chattanooga, and how beautiful the Lookout Mountain region is, I decided to do a drive-thru tour just to check out a campground within 30 minutes of home, and this is definitely a place I would love to camp, even in a tent! 

Convenient to I-59, this KOA is in an extremely rural part of northern Georgia, giving it a backcountry feel despite how easy it is to access. And while it is still primarily for RV campers, they do have a some designated tent-only sites that are on their own leg of the road, and spaced out to provide some privacy--site D in particular had more of a feel of a private campground to it.

There are two distinct sections to this campground; when you first enter, there is a turnoff to the right that takes you to lower elevation. These sites are more spaced out, have trees (or bamboo!) in between them, and are generally larger. This is also the side where the tent and group camping sites are. Group camp sites allow one tent per site, and RV sites are all 50A full service except for sites 60 and 61 which are 30A. Tent sites have water and electric available but are for one vehicle and tent only. 

To the left of the welcome center upon entering sites are closer together, with a combination of 30A and 50A full services hookups. There are still plenty of trees, particularly along the uppermost loop (sites 16, 18, 20, and 22). This side is also where the majority of the cabins are. 

The coolest aspect of this campground for me was the massive jumping pad they have, and I had to promise my kids we would take an overnight trip here just so they could use it! It is restricted to ages 16 and under (and appeared to be closed, along with the playground and saltwater pool, due to COVID-19), but looked like an amazing addition, especially for families who may be staying here long-term and need a way for their kids to get some energy out without leaving the campground! 

This would still not be my primary choice for tent camping as it is still largely geared towards RVs, however the group camping, the wooded feel, and the convenience to Chattanooga make this an amazing play to stay, whether it is folks in the city looking to get into nature without a long drive, fulltimers who want long-term accommodations while they take advantage of all the region has to offer, or travelers just looking for a quiet place to stay while passing through.

Campground Review:

Red Top Mountain State Park is located in Acworth, GA. The park is located around 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona, which made it perfect for summer camping. The park has about 15 miles worth of shaded trails for hiking and mountain biking. The park also has RV, yurt, and cottage options for camping. We rented a first come first serve RV/Tent campsite during our visit, and the price was $35 for one night. The campsite was gate access and had electric/water hookups with 2 car spaces, a BBQ grill, picnic table, and a lot of trees. We had access to a public restroom, showers, and laundry. There were also primitive campsites available to rent, which were closer to the lake. Our group decided to stay at this park because we wanted to utilize the lake. The lake is beautiful; however, it was very crowded the weekend we went. The park overall has a lot of “things to do” and is family friendly, but it was given 4 stars because of how busy and crowded it was during our visit.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I had the opportunity to test the Tentsile Flite +, which is a tent and hammock fusion. I was super excited to use this product because I am a hammock camper and there are times I wish I had the option of tent camping. The design and uniqueness of Tentsile Flite + is amazing, and I would consider it more of a tent instead of a hammock, because of how flat it lays when suspended in the air.

Pros:

• Comfortable to lay in and no need for sleeping pads or cushions.
• If you are a hammock camper, you can share this tent with another person comfortably.
• The rainfly is clutch and depending on preference it can be attached to the tent, staked to the ground, or tied to the trees.
• The Tensile Flite + is light and can be ideal for backpacking.
• The tent roof is all netting which is great for having ventilation during the summer, keeping bugs out, and also good for sky gazing.

Cons:

• Setup time and the difficulty of getting the right angle and tension.
• It was difficult finding the right trees suspend to.

Overall the Tentsile Flite + is perfect for someone who loves hammock camping, but want to enjoy some of the features tents have. I love the design and the wow factor it has on people. Also the company’s mission is very noble and how they help people in need and the environment.

Here is a video of setting up the Tensile Flite +

Tent site... full hookups... plenty of space

we stayed in a tent site in dec '22'' , the sites are very close together and the tent  site we were on hardly had enough space for our 3 person backpacking tent . there are fire pits, grills, and tables available on each site as well as water  . we appreciated the security gate and extremely clean and heated bathhouses with showers . the park has a nice playground and a pool we were unable to try during the winter months .  the campground is very close to town and as so expect alot of noise from traffic

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.

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!

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.

Tent camped here on the water, absolutely no shade since the tornadoes brought all the trees down, even with the water nearby, temps hardly ever went below 85 at night. Poor planning on our part, not their fault. Much better for RVing.

RV and tent sites, pool, clean bathrooms (running water, showers, toilets), close to gas stations, food, and a dollar general smaller sized campround. the falls makes it worth the stay. easy gravel walking/biking trails. Trails around and beneath the falls.

Stayed at campsite 3, across from the camp host, and in front of playground and bathrooms.

Very large, very widely spaced campsites. Sites were comfortable for tent camping, but there were few tent campers when we were there.

Bathrooms were clean, and had hot showers, but had a lot of deferred maintenance. 

The Fall hiking  was spectacular. It's a beautiful place to see the hardwoods change color. Trails are well maintained.

This review is for Tranquility RV and Campgrounds in Mentone Alabama. I really enjoyed camping here. A lake front campsite with water & power hookup was $30 per night and that was on Memorial Day Weekend. The campsite was a nice size and it’s pet friendly. There is a 6 acre lake for fishing but it’s catch & release. And no swimming or kayaks allowed. There was a bath house with toilets and showers not too far from the tent camping sites. DeSoto Falls and Desoto State Park are also very close by. I have map of the campground that shows the lot numbers, I’ll post it with my photos.

We are staying for Memorial Day weekend. It’s our first time here and it’s really not that bad! Easier to navigate in my opinion that others say. Staff is really nice and welcoming. The sites are a little tighter than most places. Especially in the RV section. We are tent camping and have plenty of room. Make sure you find the trail to get down to the falls. It’s a tough one but it’s one of the easier ones I’ve been on. Well worth it.

The Pocket in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Another beautiful place we've never been before! Nice tent camp spot, not sure I would stay several days but we really enjoyed the weekend. This was our last chance since the camp closes on Nov. 9 this year. The sites along the creek are nice but the rest is well laid out with fire rings, lantern poles and tables. No showers but the restrooms were clean and in good order. Cell service is totally nonexistent in the whole area.

Really nice campground, well maintained. Plenty of spots and different options. I stayed in a primitive site no complaints, but I think next time I’ll try the backcountry sites or the wall tent site for a more romantic camp. Desoto falls is a must see and there are plenty of other places to see along the little river, and just 30 minutes or so away from noccalula falls. Definitely worth the trip I love it here.

1/24/21: We were looking for somewhere near the Pocket to camp out for a night after a nice mountain bike ride on the Pinhotti Trail. The main campground in the area is closed in the winter. We pulled off the road onto Gentry Gap and found the perfect spot at the end of the road (~1 mile, easy dirt road). The Forest Service has done a nice job blocking off areas from vehicles (to stop erosion). There are 4 or 5 spots that are perfect for dispersed tent camping, and a small stream across the road for added ambiance. Super quiet and peaceful.