Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Chatsworth, GA

Ft Mountain State Park off I75 Dalton, Ga. A bit of a drive through the interesting,,scenic Georgia countryside. Situated between Chatsworth and Ellijay, I don't think Georgia believes in gaurdrails. The drive up from Chatsworth was a blast, if you love roads that turn and swerve and give you some awesome views. On the way out I took the route through Ellijay, this is where the population built their residences. In the town of Ellijay you will find some antique shops and other varied small businesses, a good break from nature if your in the area for a bit.

The reason for the 3 star is I was not impressed by the staff. One of the Park Attendants was very nice and approachable. The other three younger employees were rude and too busy to look up from their phones to say hi.

Otherwise I totally enjoyed my visit. Check your reservation and preference. The campsites are named appropriately, you can have easy access to the lake from one camping area and more privacy in the other. Both have trail access.

Facilities were okay and maintained. The campsites were a little close and stacked around each other throughout the woods. I would pick an outer site if you have the option. Gravel pads, picnic table and fire ring included.

The lake loop was gravel , Blu was not happy and it would not be stroller friendly(to me run off into the lake would be an issue). Water craft rental , nice beach and crafts, plus bilingual signage.

Battlefield Campground & RV park is locates right off the exit in Ringgold, Ga, right behind the Georgia Winery, so it is very close to Chattanooga. The campground seems to have a lot of long term guests, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you are looking for a relaxing retreat to the woods. The sites are very close to each other, and most of them were full when we stayed. We were on site #69, right across from the pool. The Campground does have some nice amenities like the pool, and playground, dog park, and the pavilion, which I’m not sure what this space is used for, but it was nicely furnished and could be used to host a party or something. The restrooms were exceptionally clean! The bathhouse located in the pavilion was very nice. The staff here is very friendly and accommodating. The location was convenient for us to get back and forth from Chattanooga, but I would only return out of necessity, as I prefer to be a little more secluded when I’m camping.

Located just barely on the Georgia side of the GA/TN border, Holiday Travel Park has a community feel with its many full hook-up sites, most of which are extremely close together. 

We are tent campers and there is not much here if you are not in an RV--they are nestled into the back of the campground, and have the benefit of a large grassy area so kids can run and stretch their legs, but quiet and privacy are still lacking. There is also a dog park located at the campground entrance so the four legged kids can run freely, and a playground next to the dog park, however it is in full sun so will be hot during the summer months--which is the perfect time to use the pool! Unfortunately due to COVID-19 both the pool and playground are closed at the time of this review, but it is good to know they are there once public spaces can open again.

This campground has two sides; to the right of the main entrance is decidedly more shady while the side to the left gets more sun, and it seemed as though the shady side hosted many campers who were there long term. We even saw one set-up where it looked like someone had a couple of tomato plants growing in containers! These sites are all very close together but still had a peaceful vibe under the shady trees. The sunnier side (sites in the 100s) is where the playground, tent sites, and large grassy field are, so while the sites are still very close together there is a little bit more public space for larger groups or families. 

There are three camping cabins that rent to groups of 2 people, and two camping cottages; a loft for groups of 4, or a one bedroom for groups of 6. Cabins and cottages have beds (you must bring your own linens), electricity, running water, grills, picnic tables, and the loft has a small kitchen. 

This is a great stop for campers who want to see the Chattanooga/Chicakmauga area, and it has great amenities for families. However this is not a campground for those looking for a relaxing experience in nature due to proximity to the interstate and surrounding neighborhoods, and the small sites and lack of privacy from fellow campers.

This campground has a beautiful mountain view behind the lake. There is also a beautiful waterfall to hike to. They offer paddle boards, kayaks, peddleboats, and aqua cycles to rent for the lake. They also offer bike rentals and putt putt course. There is a general store in the visitor center. There are hiking trails for the extreme hikers too that go into the mountains on the Appalachian trail. The campsites are pretty close together, but we had a premier spot that was larger and a pull-through. The bathrooms were clean, but old and dated. This is one of the oldest campgrounds in the state. They offer cottages and cabins for rent. There was a dog parking loud constantly that was so annoying. We have dogs and many people camping there did, but our dogs don’t bark constantly. I would say this isn’t the campgrounds fault, but this irresponsible pet owner was literally between two campground hosts. Had it continued late at night past 10pm we would have had to call someone. It’s hard to relax by the fire with a dog barking constantly. The campground needs to add more signage. People are driving around looking lost. Here’s the problem ... if you have an RV or camper and park in the RV spaces when you pull out on the far end to the right you cannot see the directional signs. We pulled to the right and it was a dead end at the cottages. It was very stressful trying to the turn around hauling a camper. People in the cottages told us we weren’t the only ones to pull down there and have to turn around. Lots of cars were turning around down there, but with a camper it’s a nightmare. I paid extra for a pullthrough only to deal with that nonsense at the start. I suggest adding a sign at the far right exit of parking lot that has directions. Add another sign that says “Cabins only - Dead End”. If our camper had been an inch longer we couldn’t have turned around. Not impressed by the swimming area at the beach.