Red Top Mountain State Park, Georgia

Pros
Great staff, good price, lots of fun, easy trails, animal sightings, easy to find

Cons
Camping isn't open year round. It is closed in winter.

The Bottom Line
Highly recommended because it is a fun safe way to get kids to spend some time outdoors.

Full Review
The park here is a great place for families to spend a fun weekend with nature. The campgrounds are clean and spaced far enough apart that you don't feel like your listening to the conversation of the campsite next to you. It is also hard to find a bad campsite. Granted the lake side site go first, but the rest of the site are just as nice. The bathrooms are usually pretty clean. It is a state park so you cant expect too much though. The campgrounds are very safe. Usually the park ranger will come around daily and talk to you and see how your stay is going and if you have any questions.

Camping is $18-$22 depending on the site. There are some rv sites with electricity and water. These are the more expensive ones. All campsites include a gravel parking spot.
Campsites have a picnic table, fire pit, and a pole for hanging lanterns on.

The hiking trails are fun but not that long. If you loop a few together you can get about 8 miles in. Its a fun way to spend the afternoon. You will probably run into some deer along the way. I like to take a day pack with camera, water, and a lunch and stop and just sit by the lake for a while. All and all there is about 12 miles of dirt trail in the park. The trails are very well marked and very well broken in. You would have to wonder far off the trail to get lost. The only confusing part might be when you get to trail intersections if you are trying to combine trails for a longer hike.

The trails wonder through wide open forests and sometimes through an open field where you may see some deer. Durring the summer months the trees are bare and you can see in every direction very far. Because of this you have a good chance to see many deer if you keep your eyes open. You can even watch them run away for a while because the forest is not very dense. The trails are all very easy. Moderate would be to harsh of a word but there are a few hills. They are nothing the average joe couldn't handle though. Most trails start by the general store. This way you can pick up some drinks on your way out or on you way back in from the hike. There is also a short paved loop that goes by the lake. This loop is up by the hotel part of the park. It has some swings and areas to sit down by the lake.

During the summer there are a ton of family events to go to. For a list of the events just look up the state park web page on line. There are night hikes looking for nocturnal animals, bluegrass bands, and much more.

Recommended
Yes

Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Familes