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Joel’s Journal: Fort Mountain State Park
By Joel Raeber
Posted June 2011
 Fort Mountain State Park is a great hiking park located just east of Chatsworth, Georgia, just off Hwy. 52 at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park offers more than 70 RV and camping sites; however, the one complaint I have particularly with this park is campsite hoarding. On both occasions we have visited, we have found that early arrivals have "claimed" several sites, usually the nicer ones, for friends and family arriving later. But even this annoyance didn't spoil our enjoyment completely. It is popular for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking.
The larger sites can accommodate RVs up to 50 feet or two tents. Most have full hookups (including cable TV, if you really need that while camping). The sites were easy to get into with several pull-thru's. There are three coin laundries and a dump station for your convenience. The park gates are locked between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and quiet hours are enforced so this is usually a quiet park.
Fort Mountain State Park is named for the 855-foot "fort" that stretches around the southern part of the mountain just below the peak. Currently, archeologists believe the wall was built by Woodlands Indians about 500 A.D, although what it was built for is still a mystery.
The park’s original land was owned by former Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, who donated it to the State. It has been expanded several times. During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made several improvements at the park, including hiking trails and a stone fire tower, which is still standing.
 With more than 3,400 acres of forest, mountain and lake, Fort Mountain State Park offers a wide variety of activities. In addition to the main campground, there are equestrian campsites, a pioneer campground and several backcountry campsites, which require hiking permits. If you do not have a tent or RV, the park has cottages as well. A swimming beach, stable with guided horseback rides, miniature golf, boat rentals and picnic shelters are all available.
There are 14 miles of hiking and backpacking trails at Fort Mountain. The Big Rock Nature trail is the easiest, but it has difficult spots. This half-mile trail starts near the lake and follows the ridgeline into a mountain hollow, then crosses another ridge and returns up Gold Mine Creek with several small waterfalls. It is a good hike for wildflowers in spring and for fall color.
The Mountain Trail and Old Fort Trails are at the top of Fort Mountain. These trails offer great views, especially in fall. The stone fire tower, built by the CCC is accessible from the Mountain Trail, and a short spur leads to a great overlook that offers expansive views of the valley below. The eight-mile Gahuti (Mother Mountain) backpacking trail is a loop trail entirely within the park.
There are also 27 miles of mountain bike trails and 25 miles of horse trails. Riders can bring their own horses or rent them at the park stable.
The large lake has a swimming beach and fishing boat, canoe and pedal boat rental. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources even offers a fishing tackle loaner program for campers and RVers who want to try fishing without having to purchase any equipment. For a more exciting fishing experience, you can drive a short distance to try fly fishing for native trout in the Conasauga River located about three miles away in the Cohutta Wilderness.
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Fort Mountain State Park
181 Fort Mountain Park Rd
Chatsworth, GA 30705
Reservations: 800-864-7275
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