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Red Top Iron Hill Trail / Ghost Campground




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Iron Hill Trail head in Red Top Mountain State Park   Hike: Red Top Iron Hill Trail / Ghost Campground  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Thu, Dec 19 2019  10:00 am >> Thu, Dec 19 2019 12:30 pm
Registration Opens: Mon, Dec 16 2019 3:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Dec 19 2019 8:00 am
Event Duration:2 Hours 30 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Distance:6 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Holt Ward
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:14
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 15 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

Lets hike the Iron Hill Trail  and visit an old abandoned campground that is tucked back in the woods.  We will meet at the Iron Hill trailhead located in Red Top Mountain State Park near Cartersville.  The trail head is about a mile past the park visitors center.  We will proceed out the Iron Hill trail which is a shared hike/bike trail.  Along the way we will detour off the main trail and visit an abandoned iron ore open pit mine where we can see and learn a little about the mining industry that operated in Bartow County over a century ago.  

Back to the main trail, we will proceed to a rarely used trail out an peninsula that juts well out into Lake Allatoona.  At the end of the peninsula is a small secret beach with beautiful lake views that appears to only be used by boaters.  Along the hike out to the beach, we will be traveling through an old abandoned campground that appears to have been last used 30 years ago or more.  The woods are littered with reminders of when that campground was operating including the remnants of picnic tables, outdoor grills and a couple of old abandoned bathhouses which appear to be used now by local area animals. In total we will hike about 2.5 miles on this “secret” peninsula before rejoining the main trail.  The peninsula portion of the hike will include some off-trail hiking which may not be everyone's cup of tea so be forewarned. 

We will complete the Iron Hill loop and along the way see beautiful views of the lake and additional remnants of the Iron mining industry along the way. In total our hike will cover between 6 and 6.5 miles.  The terrain on the loop trail is relatively flat however the secret peninsula will have some minor climbs and use of shall we say somewhat rustic trails along the way.  This is a State Park so parking is $5 or use of an annual state park parking pass.


Recommended Items to Bring:
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How to Get There:
Event Directions:

Take I-75 North towards Cartersville.  

Exit onto Red Top Mountain Road (exit 285)

Turn right at end of ramp and proceed approximately 2.8 miles along Red Top Mountain Road.  

The Iron Hill trailhead parking is on your right.  


Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.