Spring is quickly approaching which means it’s time to gear up for the recreation season on Allatoona Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages seven campgrounds and 14 day-use areas that offer a variety of great outdoor experiences. Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with what is new at the lake!
Campgrounds
Campsites are now 100 percent reservable at every campground managed by the Corps at Allatoona. The campground booking window is now one day, therefore, reservations can be made up to one day before you want to go camping. Walk-in sites still will be available at all campgrounds if not already reserved. Campsite pricing stays the same and is based on the location and campsite amenities. Prices differ for waterfront and interior campsites with either 30 amp and 50 amp electrical and water hookups. Call 1-877-444-6777 to make a reservation, or visit Recreation.gov which links to various recreational sites around the nation.
Another big change for the 2018 recreation season will be that Clark Creek North Campground and Clark Creek South Campground and Ramp will be leased to Bartow County effective immediately. For questions concerning the management of these campgrounds, please contact the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department at 770-387-5149.
Day Use Areas
In December, the Corps and Etowah Disc Golf officially opened the new Etowah Disc Golf Course at Riverside Park. Several years in the making, the course offers moderate to challenging disc holes, great exercise and the beautiful scenery of the Blue Ridge Foothills and the Etowah River. The course is already being ranked as one of the top courses in North Georgia.
Passes
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sells and issues most of the federal America the Beautiful Passes from the Allatoona Lake Operations Project Management Office. Visitors who hold one of these passes receive free admittance in our Corps-managed day use areas and ramps. America the Beautiful Senior and Access Pass holders will also receive 50 percent off camping. All other passes will continue to be charged full price for camping.
The “Every Kid in a Park” pass program is a federal initiative started two years ago to get children to our national parks. All current fourth-graders can receive a free annual pass that covers entrance fees for the entire family at all federal lands and waters for a full year. In the last year, Allatoona staff has issued more than 1,000 of these cards. If you are a parent or a teacher with current fourth-graders, contact our offices to receive this pass.
Work on the Lake?
The Corps still has a number of Park Host Volunteer and Park Attendant Contractor positions available for qualified couples this summer. Among the paid positions are Sweetwater Day Use, Sweetwater Campground and Victoria Day Use Area. Volunteer positions are still available at Riverside and Old Highway 41 No.1 Day Use Areas. Applicants must be a two person team at least 21 years of age and furnish their own factory built recreation vehicle. For more details, contact the ranger in charge of the Campground or Day Use Area Programs.
For questions concerning Allatoona Lake or the recreation program, call Allatoona Lake Operations Project Management Office at 678-721-6700, visit us on the web or on Facebook.
By Christopher Purvis, lead ranger at Lake Allatoona.
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