Fort Mountain State Park — Attraction in Chatsworth

Beautiful location, nice trails, great amenities and cottages were super comfortable.

Our family met here and had a cottage and a campsite. We ended up bailing on the campsite because of illness and super cold weather. However, the cottage was great.

We got the three bedroom cottage and it was clean and comfortable. If I had any criticisms it would be that the kitchen utensils and supplies were somewhat haphazard. In other words, there were like 15 large spoons, no small spoons. And about four forks. This is not a major inconvenience. Just letting you know that I would plan to bring any specialty cooking items with you!

The beds were comfy and the indoor wood stove was quite efficient.

It was a little chilly but the deck is screened and reinforced at the bottom for toddlers safety. Great place to sit and in the spring and fall would be perfect

Aside from the cottages, the trails were very nice. We only went on a few but they were in pretty good shape. I will say that on some of the steep slopes the leaves on the ground made it very slippery, but if you think about it, a forest without leaves wouldn't be much fun! Just be careful and move slowly. I ended up holding the hands of two, three, and four-year-olds. While cautiously going down the slope. It's sort of like carrying a couple of weights with you as you go downhill! Good workout!

The path around the lake is very nice and easy. We did not get to try out the putt putt or paddle boats but I imagine that would be fun

All in all, this is a pretty good location for a family that needs to have activities for kids. There's also a wide variety of camping from pioneer to cottages and everything in between.

Last but not least is the staff. They were fantastic. They were super friendly and helpful when we got there and I'll check out again. Were great! The young lady at the kiosk as you come in is extraordinarily helpful and friendly. But all of the staff was great.

I kind of hate to leave a good review because that means more of you. People are going to be there and I kind of would like to have it to myself. So nice friendly people. You are welcome and for those of you with attitude problems this place is awful. Don't...

Fort Mountain State Park is one of our favorite places to visit in the fall. Despite the harsh winds of Tropical Storm Zeta, the leaf color was splendid on the day we visited. Our first stop had to be the visitor center to get a new annual pass. The attendants helped us secure the pass that best matched our needs. The visitor center has restrooms and a gift store. It's always difficult to resist the items -- t-shirts, stuffed animals, historical books, camping supplies, snacks -- they sell there. I believe they also sell firewood and ice. If you need a map of the park, it can be found here as well. We then headed to the lake to hike the trail that circles it. It's an easy trail, so it makes for a nice walk for chatting and stopping to admire the views of the lake and mountainside. The beach at the lake is relatively small, but the facilities there are nice, with boat rentals, playground, picnic tables, and putt-putt golf. Im assuming a lot of these services are seasonal because we saw no one using them. I did like that there was a ramp that led from the parking lot to the beach for visitors that may have mobility issues. We hiked several different trails, and all were well blazed. The trails that led to fire tower and the stone wall had informational signs. Unfortunately the fire tower can only be viewed from the outside. I would love to see the view from the top! But if it's views you are interested in, checkout the overlook trail! The view is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! We also did the Big Rock Nature Trail (trailhead is near the lake dam). The 3/4-mile trail led to a beautiful waterfall. We didn't touch the Gahuti Trail this time, but we have done it in the past; it's challenging but very beautiful! I would recommend it if you have a day for a hiking adventure. Snacks and water are required. The cabins and cottages all look well maintained from the outside and are located in beautiful areas of the park. We didn't check out the campground, but it's near the lake, but Fort Mountain State Park seems to have something...

I decided to rent a cottage for my birthday celebration, you know a weekend with family and friends and this place was a blast. I stayed at the ADA Cottage #1 because my daughter is in a wheelchair and we were eight in total. It was the best experience we have ever had. It was cozy, very spacious and well constructed for accessibility(see pics). Is perfect with 2 separate bedrooms with two queen beds and it's own bathroom.... that's a plus. Also flat screen TVs on each bedroom and the living room. Screened porch is huge and the view OMG! Breathtaking! Porch is pointing to the West so if you want you can sit relax and watch the sunset. Another A+ for people with disabilities.

Outdoor activity is awesome. Just a short walk and you are right there in the lake. The trail around the lake is about 1 mile(easy) with excellent views to take pictures. There is another trail that you can take from the opposite side of the lake(I think is the Gahuti trail) and this section is about 2.5 miles one way and it takes you to the Fire tower and overlook.

The overlooks are a must, Cool Springs is nice with limited parking but accessible and the West Overlook is a hike up, rocky terrain but is worth the effort. Sunset here is at another level.

And for my Mountain biking peeps; I rode the 301 trail starting from the MTB trail parking lot all the way to the 303 trail that is the paved road next to Cottage 6 to 15. I was the only one parked there....lol.....the trail was ok, not single track, with a couple of good views, it was full of leaves so a little bit slippery on turns. The majority of this section was downhill with some serious climbs so be prepared. I ended up doing 4.6 miles in total.

Anyway Fort Mountain climbed to my #1 spot beating Fort Yargo. Seriously this park is at another level!!...... Peace!...