Hit the water, then stay at one of a slew of lakeside campgrounds at Allatoona.
With more than 12,000 surface acres and 270 miles of shoreline, Lake Allatoona is a water paradise. More than 20 public recreation areas with ramps and launches and eight commercial marinas offer easy boat access to the lake, while an abundance of shoreline fishing and jetties draw anglers to the well-stocked lake. Swimming, paddling, and other water sports are also popular. On land, visitors can go hiking, biking, wildlife spotting, and hunting through the surrounding rolling hills and thick hardwood forests. More than a dozen public and private campgrounds make it easy to stay around the lake, whether you prefer tent camping, RV camping, or cabins.
The US Army Corps of Engineers Upper Stamp Creek and McKaskey Creek campgrounds can be found near the central northern branches of Allatoona Lake, near Corbin. The two campgrounds are located near boat ramps and swimming beaches, and together offer 80 campsites for tents and RVs, with water and electric hookups, picnic tables and dump stations. Barstow County’s Gatewood Park also offers tent and RV sites, and includes a boat ramp, swim area, and picnic shelters.
Just east of Cartersville, Red Top Mountain State Park is centrally located on a peninsula between two arms of the lake. The popular park offers more than 15 miles of hiking and biking trails, boat ramps and docks, playgrounds, picnic areas, and more than 100 options for staying overnight, including walk-in campsites, tent, trailer, and RV sites with electric hookups, cottages, and a yurt.
The southern branches of the lake have the most options for campers. The largest is the Corps of Engineer McKinney Campground, with 150 tent and RV sites, some lakefront. Nearby, the county-run Clark Creek North Campground offers all waterfront tent and RV sites, with a dock and swim beach, while Clark Creek South Campground has a boat launch. Several private campgrounds also include cabins and cottages. The Corps of Engineer operate the Old Highway 41#3 Campground, the southernmost of the lake campgrounds, near Acworth.
Three Corps of Engineer campgrounds let campers stay along the eastern shores of the lake, near Woodstock and Holly Springs. Sweetwater Campground, at the northern end, offers 150 tent and RV sites, including lakefront sites, while Victoria Campground and Payne Campground together offer more than 130 sites for tents and RVs. All campgrounds are located near docks and swimming beaches, and include fire rings, picnic areas, and dump stations.