Fort Mountain State Park Revisited

Hello, my friends. Welcome back to my blog. As you probably know, during my most recent posts, I've been looking back at our fall 2019 camping trip into Georgia. Today's post finds us at our northernmost stop, at the picturesque Fort Mountain State Park. The park is located between the towns of Chatsworth and Ellijay. It was 132 miles from our previous stop at Watson Mill Bridge State Park to Fort Mountain. I really like it there, and so does Gary. Dodge likes the park, but isn't thrilled with the high elevation. He's geared for flat territory like Florida, and he really has to strain to haul my fat little self, and Gary's fat self, and all of our belongings up those winding mountain roads to get to Fort Mountain. His transmission was kicking down into passing gear for nearly the entire time we travelled up the mountain. He definitely deserved a good rest after we arrived. We visited Fort Mountain once before, back in October of 2016. We camped in site 49 during that first visit, and had booked that same site for this visit as well. When we checked in at the office on arrival, there was a problem. The motorhome that was camping in site 49 had mechanical issues and couldn't leave until repairs were made. So, they moved us over to campsite 51. It's a handicapped accessible campsite. It was almost as good as 49, and was slightly closer to the restrooms. That's always a bonus for Gary. There's a lake just behind our campsite, and the views were nice. It rained most of the time during our four night stay, and that limited the amount of exploration and photo taking that Gary could do. He got out whenever possible, and spent the rainy times antique shopping like he does everywhere we go. TV reception was poor, but there were a couple of stations I found to watch. Internet was available only through the Wi-Fi service at the park office. Bears are supposedly seen in the park, but we never saw any during either of our stays. Between our campsite and the restroom (which Gary says is very nice and clean) are locking bear-proof garbage containers. There are many more throughout the park. Fort Mountain opened in 1936, and many of the structures in the park were constructed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp). Much of their beautiful stone work still exists today. When the park originally opened, it was about half the size it is now. More acres were added later, and it now encompasses 3,712 total acres. The elevation is a little over 2,800 feet. Views from the mountaintop I'm sure would be incredible on bright sunny days, but were very limited during our stay. There are 14 miles of trails within the park, and Gary got soaking wet on a hike from a sudden downpour during one of his exploration times. These things happen. As I mentioned earlier, Gary went antique shopping during those rainy times. Another one of his favorite places to never miss is called Grumpy's Antique Mall, and it's located in Tunnel Hill, GA. It's about 25 miles north from the park, at exit 341 off of I-75. Gary HIGHLY recommends going there. As he says "it's 3-stories of FABULOUS!!!". They sell everything from trinkets to motorcycles and cars. And Grumpy's has a "sister" store called Gateway Antique Mall, and it's located about 8 miles further north in the town of Ringgold, GA. It's huge and pretty fabulous as well. There are plenty of small antique stores and specialty shops in the town of Ellijay, but Gary didn't go there this time. We came right through Ellijay on the way to Fort Mountain from Watson Mill Bridge, but there's never any parking available in these small towns for a van and trailer combo like Dodge and I. We had a nice stay at Fort Mountain, and we will definitely go back. Georgia State Parks offer much more variety than Florida State Parks do, and the amenities and scenery is beyond compare. That's why we spend most of our camping times in beautiful Georgia. That's about it for this time. We hope that all of you are staying safe and healthy during this continuing Coronavirus epidemic. We are laying low and staying home, and I'm looking forward to going camping again during the fall and winter. I have my safety chains crossed in hopes that we will be able to travel by then. Oh, on a side note that I almost forgot to mention, today is my 11th anniversary as becoming part of Gary's family. It's been a fun time being here, and I am forever grateful that Gary saved me from what I'm sure would have been my death had he not come along. Until next time, Peace, Love, & Good Health to you all, from your two-wheeled aluminum pal, Toaster.