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.
