The campground is two miles off I-75, exit 283. It is pretty hilly but the sites are reasonably flat and paved. It is gated. Train tracks run a few yards away and they blow a loud horn but we did not mind. Some sites have sewers and some don't. They have a dump site. All in all a nice campground. We spend one night there. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed for about 10 days due to my wife’s 2 reunions. The sites were large and easy in and out. Rest rooms nice and clean. Our site was a little unlevel (4” in length of coach). The lake was almost dry, but this exist all over the South now. With this park, the big factor is the trains. I mean they average about 3 per hour 24/7. Mainly empty car carriers. We ran our AC at night and this drowned out the noise. I even slept in my hammock during the day some. Never knew there were so many trains in Ga. We ate out at two great spots: one in Cartersville Square called Ross Dinner. Opened 71 years ago and very good and cheap. The other one was called Doug’s Place and just as good. The problem is it is located in the town of Emerson which is a huge ticket trap. 1200 people and 9 cops. Cost me $89. Avoid Emerson at all cost and take I-75 to Cartersville. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We were incredibly disappointed with the amenities at this campground. We had hoped for a nice relaxing weekend getaway for my birthday. Little did we know...the playgrounds were severely dilapidated, the swimming pool had a lovely layer of green slime growing on the sides, and the "white sandy beach" was completely overgrown with weeds and tall grasses as the lake level is down about 22 feet. We paid for two nights but checked out early after staying only one. They don't give refunds either. The trains were MORE than loud, but that was the least of our worries. Had I known about this website before-hand, we would have chosen another campground. So disappointing! We camped here in a Motorhome.
A nice place to stay, but the train whistle sounds off about every hour including night and day. They claim to have full hookups and we didn't get any sewer hookup. Our neighbors complained about the train and no sewer hookups also. They do have a few and I mean only a few sewer hookups. Too bad about the sewer and train noise, because it was a nice place and it had long pull thrus for our 36ft motorhome which was towing our car. The train was right next to the campsites. We didn't see it at first when we drove in because of the trees. When we parked our rv we heard the train and then discovered the sewer problem. We won't stay again. The road off the freeway seemed long and narrow to get into the campsite. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very Pretty park with a nice like. The train track was a big down side to it. It is also a little hard to get to at night from the interstate. I would recommend it, but wear earplugs, the trains come by about once an hour or more. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I arrived after 5:00 pm so security checked me in and took me to a paved, pull through site. So far, I'm impressed. Unfortunately, this is where my happiness ends. This park is near a very busy train track and the train whistle blows all during the night. There were several long term residents that obviously didn't mind. This is not a place for kids. . We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park is nice, it does need a little updating with the interior roads, playground equipment and camp sites. Our children were able to ride their bicycles and we had plenty of space between us and our neighbors. The concrete picnic tables are a little rough when you have small children but still worked for us. We were in a shady site, and most sites seemed to have trees. We were backed up to a fence, but we actually prefer that. We loved the little gift shop and the kids had to go and buy a little something everyday. The trains were very close and you could hear them all night, but we have a little boy that just loved that and we didn't mind at all. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We camped right on the lake. It was breathtaking. The staff was friendly and everything was clean. We plan to come here again and bring our kayaks. We camped here in a Tent.
We were camping there from 2002 to 2004. Almost two years time frame. It is a nice campground with a lot of tall pine trees. Cell phone works good, no WiFi at the time. Rain quite often and could get muddy and wet. It is 5 miles from I-75. No problem with dog, some long term residents with family, people are very nice. We were at monthly rate for $350 w/o sewer, $450 with sewer. Due to the high water table, less than one third of the lots has sewer. Lots w/o sewer can run gray hose to nearby gray well. Black pump out service available on a weekly basis for $8. It is a nice park to stay a while. There are civil war attraction close by. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice, shady, decently-sized sites. TRAINS go by - very close - about hourly ALL NIGHT! Too bad, because it's a pretty place. Gated, and it took a while for the maintenance person to come and give us a spot, which was right on the corner so people's headlights shone directly into our site. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2002
$20
Very nice, well maintained sites, good views of the lake, clean facilities. Only problem is across the lake is a major railroad and the trains can wake you in middle of the night. Otherwise a very nice campground. Located 24 miles north of Atlanta. We camped here in a camper.
We stayed here for 3 months because of job requirments with a monthly rate at just under $400 after adding in electricity, which is billed separately, and a surcharge for having a washer and dryer - this is a good rate compared to other near north Atlanta parks. The wifi only works in the locations very near the office. The management is very strict on their rules and signs are all over the park reading no this and no that. Plus they verbally remind you regularly whether you have broken a rule or not. They will not accept mail for you if you have a lengthy stay. But they are nice people otherwise. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground is approximately 50 miles north of Atlanta. They have gravel sites that are fairly level. The bathrooms and showers are adequate. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Easy access from I-75, clean, quiet - good for an overnight stay. Now the bad. We couldn't connect to WiFi for internet (big deal for us since we were working). We arrived after office closed, so we couldn't get help and there was no phone number for support after hours or for internet. We have reservations for the return trip, but may give up the deposit and avoid due to WiFi not working... We camped here in a Motorhome.
The campground is OK for a overnight, but this campground isn't really kid friendly, as the playground doesn't have a slide. Also there isn't much tree cover, and you are close to the road. The pool wasn't open when we were there, but it looked like they were preparing it for use. The sites were very close together as well. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Quiet, friendly park. Gravel sites. We had no problems getting in and out of our pull through site. Fine for an overnight stay. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
The sites were gravel and uneven. The swimming pool was pea green. I realize the pool wasn't being used at that time of year but neither is mine at home but we keep it clean, if nothing else for health reasons. They did have a very nice dog walk area and I found the staff very nice. We stayed there over night and probably would not stay there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We had reservations for 5 to 6 months with 50 amp service. When we got there, they only had 30 amp for us. We were told in Oct. that we would have a 50 amp available for us, which never happened. Their box burnt up and melted my pigtail. After this happened, Their attitudes changed toward us and we left 10 days before our full month was up. My husband and I would never go back there nor would we refer this campground to anyone. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Easy access and fairly level spots (most of them). The store is under reconstruction and therefore is more-or-less nonexistent. The pool looks like it would be good, but is closed for the season. The playground is a couple of swings and a small play "fort". The laundryroom is adequate. It's certainly not a destination, but for a quick in-out or a couple of days, it's not bad. The staff is friendly and helpful. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice park, great people. Most sites are not level but are manageable. Maneuvering with a 45 footer is a bit tight. Great pet walk. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Although just a half mile from the I-75, you can’t hear any noise from it. Site was level fore and aft, but quite a bit off side to side. Never mind, fridge worked fine. CATV was great, but internet access was dial-up: does anyone actually do this any more? Park was pretty much all pull throughs in mid-sized oak trees – very nicely kept. Bath house was modern and spotless. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Sites nearest to the road are acceptable, we have used them before but if you are placed on
the "hill", like our last visit, watch out. Very unlevel, cable and power cords criss-cross the roadway, sites are dirt, many of your neighbors will be permenant type run down units. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
2003
$20
Have used this c/g several times on my way to Fla. It is a easy on/off of I-75. Good pull throughs and friendly hosts. Roads are fair, a little muddy when raining, no chance of getting stuck. Some of the long termers are a bit dog eared looking, but do not bother you. Good overnighter before challenging Atlanta traffic. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This was our first trip to Mckaskey, the only C.O.E. campground on Lake Allatoona we hadn't been to. This campground was much smaller than many of the others around the lake. There are more tent sites than RV sites. All but a few sites on the water are tent sites. The RV sites are small and will only accommodate vehicles up to 30' with no room to park a TV or dinghy. Hosts were very nice and were frequently spotted making their rounds. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
My family has camped here numerous times over the past year. There are several private sites to choose from many being on the lake which gives us the opportunity to tie up our boat to the site. Hosts are nice, but are rarely seen making rounds. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This park was one of nicest we've ever stayed at. Nice paved roads and sites. Very private, wooded sites. Feels like you are in the middle of nowhere but very close to city. The lake was still very pretty even with the low levels due to drought. Can't wait to return. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a pretty COE park, but there are a lot of little, tiny ants. Be prepared to spray your camper before and after you leave. The lake was way down due to the drought in the South, but our grandsons did enjoy throwing rocks to see them splash when they could get close enough (due to the mud) to throw them into the water. We much prefer Red Top Mountain State Park. They have some full hookups, too, that the COE park does not offer. We camped here in a Truck Camper.
This was our first stay in a COE Campground. What a pleasant surprise. We arrived Labor Day evening and found the campground almost empty. The sites are spacious and the setting beautiful. The mangers were helpful and friendly. We would have loved to have been able to have spent more than one night there and will keep it mind for future use. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Would give 10 but campground does not have sewer at each site. We stay there several times a year as we pass through the area and feel it is the best campground NW of Atlanta. They have several handicapped sites with 50 amp available. Recommend reservations May - September. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We have camped at McKinney several times, with and without the kids. The front of the campground is geared more to travel trailers and tents; the back half is mainly for self-contained units. There is a large collection of first-come,first-serve sites with many being right on the water. If you want one of these sites, better get there early. Don't even think of driving up on a summer Friday and getting a site! There are several bathrooms sprinkled about which are old and worn. It is not unusual for them to be closed for repairs, not something one wants to deal with first thing in the morning. However, there are two very nice big bathhouses on-site which have laundry and showers, and are completely handicapped accessible. McKinney is set back on the lake far enough to not hear any road noise. You will hear plenty of railroad noise, however, so get used to it. If you hate the sound of jet skis and speedboats, this is not the place for you. But if you think that fishing, duck calls, campfires, and deer walking down the middle of the road is your kind of thing and you can live with a train whistle in the evening, this might be the place for you. Oh, and if you forgot something, you can run straight up the road to the Dollar General Store. They carry everything from candy bars to bleach to milk to pajama pants, and then some. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We loved this campground! We were at #89 and were right on the lake front. My kids loved the boats that passed by all day and we would set and eat lunch and watch them. I wished they had a playground, and a place to ride bicycles, but our campsite was so nice that it made up for that. Great distance between us and neighbors, seemed like we were out there all by ourselves. We loved the fire pit, one of the best we have ever seen and the pea gravels were great, I didn't have to worry about the kids bringing dirt and leaves into the camper. We had fun fishing right below our camper, caught a few little ones for the kids. This was a great campground and we will definitely be back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This campground continues to delight me. This weekend we had site #134, that, although not on the water, has a good view of the lake. This particular loop of the campground has sites that are well spaced with lots of vegetation between them to give good privacy. Most of the sites in this campground have paved pads and many have paved aprons for the picnic table and fire ring. My site had a gravel apron which was just as nice. This is by far our favorite Atlanta-area campground, significantly better than the adjacent Red Top Mountain State Park. Because the campground is on Lake Allatoona, there is some boat noise during the day, but it is refreshingly quiet at night. Campground hosts are very friendly, and I saw the maintenance/host vehicle pass through the campground several times during the weekend. It's a very well maintained campground - highly recommended! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
I read the reviews here before staying at this campground and sort of overlooked the comment about the train noise since we are not typically very sensitive to outside noises but I was shocked at how often the trains went by, how loud they seemed, the vibration they created in the coach and how really long many of them were. Maybe it was our site. We had site #102 which was wonderfully separated from neighbors but seemed to really catch the sound waves from the train and the water craft in the area. Maybe the sites on the other side of the ridge are better. The lake was very low and looked rather brown, almost muddy in places. Some of the sites had rather severe slopes for backing-up before reaching the more level part of the site but most were level and spacious. Folks at check-in were very friendly and capable. Gate locked at 9 pm with no access even for campers. We absolutely love COE parks but this one is not a favorite. A different site and some time for the lake to fill might give a completely different experience. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I would have rated it higher except for the trains. . . . often & loud and the black walnuts and acorns that fell on our RV regularly with a *bang*. Beutiful campground though, very scenic, and waterfront sites are only $2 more. Got good cell phone service here with T-mobile but not with Verizon. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Probably the best campground on the NW side of Atlanta. The only thing keeping us from giving it a "10" is that the showers are located quite a ways from many of the sites. But this is a great campground, very well maintained. Lots of different sites to choose from. Ours had a huge deck overlooking the lake, with a perfectly level large concrete pad for our motorhome. Fishing, boating and swimming are the things to do here, but Red Top Mountain State Park is a short drive away, with hiking, boat rentals, Saturday night Bluegrass (summers only,) and a lodge with a really good restaurant. We'd heard good things about McKinney, and we'll definitely be back again and again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice Corp Of Engineers campground on Alatoona Lake just north of Atlanta. Our site
overlooked the water and when sitting on our patio we could not see another site. Very private. Some sites have wooden decks out over the lake. Clean swimming area on the lake as well. We will be back to this one. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I'm not sure what the rate actually is per night, because I had a certificate for a free night. Redtop has lots of trails, a nice lodge, good restaurant, and friendly personnel. I arrived late and was just staying for one night and did not want to unhitch, and wanted a pull through site. They were very accomodating with my requests. Although I didn't use it, I believe the sites have CaTV. Very beautiful scenery and a nice drive to the campground. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We did an over night stay in this state park. The park had style and a small measure of security. There was a locked gate at the entrance and one of those “one way” barriers coming out the exit. The park was somewhat confusing to a new person. I had to drive throughout the park to find a site. The bath house was clean. The site we had was not very level. There were plenty of playground equipment and a lodge. I think there is a lake too. I wish I had been able to stay for a day or so. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed at Red Top only one night because we were just passing through. We had heard a lot of good things about it. We found the park/campground very beautiful. The terrain is somewhat hilly but the sites are level and very large and private. There were lots of hiking trails through the woods. As far as we could tell during our short stay, the entire area was a beautiful woods. Unfortunately, a severe drought has caused Lake Allatoona to drop about 17 feet! We still saw fishermen out in the lake, but the drop in water is very obvious. Our site was #11. It was enormous, level and private. The temperature was in the 70's --- normal for this time of year. We would return to this park. Activities seem limited to hiking and boating. Red Top would be ideal for campers who want a beautiful but quiet getaway We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is one of the nicest state parks we have camped in. The sites are spacious, shaded and equipped with tables, fire rings, cable TV besides water and electricity. The campground area is gated and requires a pass code to enter. It is very quiet and peaceful. The rv pads are crushed rock and relatively level; most have tent pads also. The pull thrus for big rigs are located on a slight hill. There was evidence that on at least one of the pull thrus, large rv's had scraped the bottom of their rigs when driving up into the pull thru. There are approximately 8 back-in sites that are designated for rv's over 25 feet. Some of these sites may be difficult for newbies to get into as backing around trees is required. If you have a big rig, a reservation is probably necessary especially on weekends! There is a lot to do at the park including fishing, hiking, tennis and swimming in the lake. There's also a lodge and restaurant at the park. We would definitely stay at this park again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We totally enjoyed red top very clean campground, camp hosts were so polite and very helpful. Very beautiful campgrounds spring, summer or fall...... We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Red Top Mountain is a beautiful state park with plenty to do for families. They have a lodge, plenty of fishing areas and a swimming area when the weather is warm. It is a large campground but be warned most sites are small, short, and hard to get in to. It is a campground for smaller campers, pop ups and tents. There are 12 pull through sites that will handle larger campers at the entrance to the campground. We really enjoyed this campground and stayed three nights in the pull through area with out fifth wheel. There are sites farther down in the campground that will handle larger campers but you would have to know which ones. The shower facilities were very clean and the campground hosts were available if needed. There is a pass code gate so you can get in and out of the campground as needed. I would recommend this campground. I suggest you reserve a site if you need one of the pull-throughs, they do fill up fast. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We have stayed here in the past. Beautiful campground area. All sites are well maintained and well equipped (fire ring, picnic table, and post with lantern hook). We have stayed in the tent area and in the pull-through area. This last trip was in the pull-through area. I will definately camp here again. The ONLY reason it got a 9 instead of a 10 was because the physical location of the different camping areas can be detrimental. When we tent camped, we were with others in our party. Now that we RV camp, if anyone with us camp in a tent, we would be about a mile away from them. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2004
$22
Another great Georgia State Park. Sites are generally well spaced and neat and clean. Many of the back-in sites could be more level, but we're always able to level up with 2-3 inches of blocks. The pull-throughs really cater to the big rigs, but they're not on the water like the back-in sites. Even the sites that are set back a ways from the water have pretty good views, and you don't have to go through other's campsites to walk down to the lake. Generally quiet and peaceful in the campground, with enough to do in the park to keep you busy. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a truely beautiful park. We can't wait to go back. I would have rated it a 10, but
the access was a little tough for our 40' 5th wheel. Other than that, this is a very pretty park, well kept, and fun to explore. There are 12 big pull throughs which are great for larger RV's, the other sites in the rear of the campground are great for tents and small RV's. There are cabins for rent and Lake Alatoona is beautiful. Just remember, leave plenty of time and patience when it comes to arriving as access is tricky for a larger RV, but well worth it! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
2004
$20
Throughly enjoy ourselves everytime we camp here. Especially like the pull thru site that
offer more than enough room for our kids to run and play. Grounds include mini golf, swimming beach, tennis courts and several hiking trails.
Last camped here May 2004. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2003
$20
The only reason I didn't give this park a really good score (8 instead of 9 or ten) was
because we had such a hard time getting into our steep site. However, it was the last site available, so I really can't complain. The scenery here was very nice and the park was clean and quiet. We went to the lodge and enjoyed the buffet. Some of the sites are pretty steep and one of my friends had to use 4x4 to get his fifth wheel into the site. But, still a very nice park. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2003
$20
Very nice wooded campground for tents and small campers. We camped here in a Truck Camper.
Rate reflects senior discount (50% off). We had a beautiful waterfront 50A site. All sites and roads are paved. Sites are level and huge! We were there during the week and the campground was almost empty. I understand the weekends are quite busy. This is a great campground that is loaded with natural beauty. Will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The campground was beautiful, with ducks, geese, rabbits and birds. Plenty of fishing available by boat or by the lake. There are private coves for fishing. Also, sites are available for the handicapped. The only problem we found were with the restrooms and laundry - not very clean and several bugs and many of the water front sites did not have power. We spent four nights and plan on returning very soon. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Lovely setting. We were on sites 108 and 109. Beautiful huge trees. Well-kept sites with blacktop. Nice picnic tables with fire-rings. Some of the staff are a little "crotchety"...but, efficient. Good security as it closes up tight at night. Rangers patrol, but they're not bothersome at all. It's a beautiful setting. I would prefer somewhere with more amenities, however, I would come back here. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.