Unicoi State Park and Lodge - last visited May 2008

Things to do:

• visit nearby Helen (Alpine-themed tourist trap) and take the kids tubing down a lazy section of the Chattahoochee
• take a short hike to Anna Ruby Falls
• swim and play at the "beach", rent pedal boats or canoes for the lake
• play volleyball in a sand court or bring bocce balls or a football for wide-open areas
• check schedule for concerts
• Stop by Consolidated Gold Mines in Dahlonega on the way back to Atlanta.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Pros: The kids can spend hours at the beach. There were also several kid activities while we were there. I can handle Helen for about 10 minutes before I'm touristed out, but the tubing is great for kids. Tube rental was about $5 each and the river was calm enough that we put our 3-year-old in a tube by himself (attached to a parent by a tether).

Cons: Can't think of any right off. Walk-in campsites were a little close together so there was some noise pollution late at night.

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Cloudland Canyon State Park - last visited Sep 2006

Things to do:

• visit nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Chief Vann House
• take a steep hike into the gorge to visit two waterfalls (which were both completely dry when we were there)
• enjoy the scenery

Rating: 2 out of 5 (unfair rating, see below)

Pros: Walk-in campsites are extremely private. We felt like we were alone in the area except for occasional flashlights through the trees. The canyon is beautiful and there's a fun playground for the kids.

Cons: I know I shouldn't blame the state park on this, but the yellow jackets were so out-of-control that we just about abandoned the trip at several points. Two of us were stung/bitten and the rest of us couldn't relax wondering if we'd be next. There were also a lot of scorpions under the tent when we packed up. A ranger told us on our way out that we could have told them about the yellow jackets and they would have sprayed. We stopped by Fort Mountain State Park on the way home and a ranger there told us that the weather was throwing off the bears' hybernation schedules and they were digging up yellow jacket nests in all the confusion. Sounds made-up to me, but who knows? Aside from the playground and some hiking, there's not much for the kids to do unless you drive off to Chattanooga. There's a lot to do there - Tennessee Aquarium, fountain at Coolidge Park, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Ruby Falls, shopping, etc.

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Red Top Mountain State Park and Lodge - last visited Jul 2005

Things to do:

• swimming beach (which was closed due to flooding while we were there)
• boating, skiing, fishing
• interpretive programs in the lodge

Rating: 3 out of 5

Pros: close to Atlanta (so it wasn't a long drive for us), bathrooms are plentiful and there are lots of little playgrounds for the kids. The lodge had a program on snakes that was fascinating and featured snakes that had been captured in the area. There's a blacksmith shop that does demonstrations.

Cons: campsites are cozy (not very big and very close together). There was a birthday party going on about 6 sites away and it was plenty noisy. It's our own fault for going in July, but it was uncomfortably hot the whole time. It's smarter to head further north into the mountains during the summer months, but we're not very smart. We loaded into the car a couple of times a day for an air-conditioned drive to reduce irritability.

 

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Vogel State Park - last visited May & Sep 2004

Things to do:

• Fishing, pedal boats, swimming
• Short hike around the lake and to nearby waterfall
• Check out the Appalachian Trail nearby
• Miniature golf

Rating: 5 out of 5

Pros: We went during a mountain music festival in September and really enjoyed the music and craft booths. This state park had the best variety of activities for our family.

Cons: None I can remember.

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Other state parks (we've visited but haven't camped in):

F.D. Roosevelt State Park

Fort Mountain State Park

Sweetwater Creek Conservation Park

Tallulah Gorge State Park

Chief Vann House