Around the lake
Explore Lake Allatoona
The towns around the shore, where to eat and buy fuel by boat, where to watch the sun go down, and the best places to swim, paddle, hike and camp.
Three counties
The towns around the lake
Acworth, the Lake City
The city’s own nickname, for sitting on both Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona. Acworth Beach and Cauble Park are on Lake Acworth, a 1950 Corps sub-lake with calm, trolling-motor-only water, and the July 4th fireworks there are among the biggest in metro Atlanta.
Cartersville, Museum City
The Bartow County seat runs on museums: the Booth Western Art Museum and Tellus Science Museum are both Smithsonian affiliates, and Tellus shows the meteorite that hit a Cartersville house in 2009. The Etowah Indian Mounds are just south of town.
Emerson and Red Top
Off I-75 at the south end of Bartow County, the old iron town of Emerson is the way into Red Top Mountain State Park, named for its iron-red soil, and the Allatoona Pass battlefield.
Canton
The Cherokee County seat, once called Etowah after the river. Its 1899 cotton mill made “Canton Denim” and is now The Mill on Etowah. Lakeside Canton is Little River Marina and J.D.’s on the Lake, the Ozark restaurant.
Woodstock
One of metro Atlanta’s fastest-growing suburbs, with the Greenprints trail system and Woodstock Arts downtown. Its lake front is Victoria Harbour and the Sunset Grille.
By boat
Food and fuel on the water
Checked November 1, 2026. Boat-up places and fuel docks keep short winter hours. Call before you count on fuel or a table.
Boat-up food
- J.D.’s on the Lake, Canton, by Little River Marina: the Blue Cat Lodge from Ozark. Reopened for the 2026 season in April.
- Sunset Grille, Victoria Harbour Marina, Woodstock: lakefront deck with weekend live music in season.
- AG SteakHouse (formerly Allatoona Grill), Holiday Harbor Marina, Acworth: closed Mondays; check the deck’s hours.
Fuel docks
- Park Marina, Acworth, next to Red Top: an 18-station floating fuel island.
- Victoria Harbour Marina, Woodstock
- Harbor Town Marina, Acworth, with pump-out
- Little River Marina, Canton
- Allatoona Landing, Cartersville, with pump-out
- Holiday Harbor, Acworth
Wilderness Camp Marina’s own page says it has no fuel. Every marina.
Golden hour
Where to watch the sun go down
- Iron Hill Trail, Red Top Mountain. Rangers lead scheduled sunset hikes here; check Georgia State Parks for dates.
- Sunset Grille, Victoria Harbour. The name says it.
- Allatoona Pass battlefield. Views back over the lake from the ridge above the cut.
- Homestead Trail, Red Top. About half of this 5.5-mile loop runs along the shore.
Off the boat
Swim, paddle, hike
Swim
Acworth Beach (city-run, on Lake Acworth), Red Top Mountain’s beach, and Corps beaches at Galt’s Ferry, Old Hwy 41 #1 and Sweetwater. No lifeguards at Corps beaches, and no pets on any of them. Beach rules
Paddle
Lake Acworth from Cauble Park is the calmest water around: trolling motors only. On the big lake, try Red Top’s Bethany Bridge, Cooper Branch or Gatewood. Below the dam, the Etowah River Water Trail runs 163 miles; water rises fast when the dam releases.
Hike
Red Top Mountain: Iron Hill (3.9-mile loop), Homestead (5.5 miles, half on the shore) and the paved Lakeside Trail past the 1869 Vaughan cabin. Allatoona Pass battlefield, off Exit 283. Cooper’s Furnace and Pine Mountain near the dam.
Camp
Corps campgrounds at McKinney, McKaskey Creek, Upper Stamp Creek, Old 41 #3, Victoria and Sweetwater; Red Top’s campground, cottages and yurt; Gatewood and Clark Creek; and RV sites at Allatoona Landing and Holiday Harbor. Every campground