Featuring sparkling waters and a rugged shoreline, surrounded by pine stands, mixed hardwoods, cove hardwoods, and upland hardwoods, Carters Lake is the premier RV holiday destination for nature lovers. This Army Corps of Engineers park in Georgia is located at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities. The lake, which is the deepest reservoir lake in Georgia, is named after Farrish Carter Tate, a 19th century Georgia politician.
At this lake park, there are three campgrounds that offer primitive, tent, group, and RV camping options for visitors. Full and partial hookups are available in the RV campsites and maximum length limit is 62 feet. Facilities provided within the campgrounds include flush toilets, showers, laundry, drinking water and playground. Boat ramps, amphitheater and pay phone are also available.
Recreational opportunities at Carters Lake include bird watching, boating, paddling, swimming, and picnicking. Hiking and mountain biking trails are also open to campers who wish to explore the park on foot or on their bikes. Deer, turkey and small game hunting opportunities are available at the Wildlife Management Area in the park.
Nearby attractions include Chattahoochee National Forest and Red Top Mountain State Park.
Located north of Atlanta, Carters Lake can be accessed by RVs, trailers, and other motorized vehicles via roads that connect to Highway 411 and Interstate 575. Driving to the park is easy and campers should have no difficulties locating this COE park. The closest RV rental service for visitors and campers without rigs is available east of the park at Chattahoochee National Forest. Nantahala National Forest too is another option.
Parking areas are provided for RVs, trailers, and cars at Carters Lake for vacationers and visitors. All the campgrounds and day use areas within the park also have parking spaces for rigs. Moreover, overnight parking is available.
There are no direct public transportation services to Carters Lake.
Woodring Branch Campground in Carters Lake is a 42-campsite, heavily wooded campground that is available for RVs and tents, and accommodates pets. This COE park campground is open between April and October and accepts reservations.
Of the 42 campsites in this campground, only 31 have electric and water hookups for RVs. The remaining 11 campsites are tent-only. RV length limit at the campground is 40 feet.
Facilities available include comfort station, laundry, showers, dump station, and drinking water. A boat ramp, playground, amphitheater, and swimming area are also on hand. Hiking trails are provided also. Boating, picnicking, and mountain biking opportunities are open to campers in this campground.
Doll Mountain Campground is a COE park campground within Carters Lake that has 65 pet-friendly campsites that accommodates RVs and tents. The campground is open between April and October and reservations are accepted.
Full hookup options are available in four campsites, while 35 campsites have electric and water hookups only. The remaining 29 campsites are tent-only campsites. RV length limit in this campground is 62 feet.
Facilities provided at this campground include flush toilets, showers, laundry, drinking water, and dump station. Other amenities available include an amphitheater, dump station, boat ramp with dock.
The Coosawattee Wildlife Management Area within this Army Corps of Engineers park features over 9 sq. miles of mountain land in Murray and Gilmer Counties, all of which is open to deer hunting. As a result, campers that fancy hunting do not miss out of the opportunities to pursue their desire within the WMA. Only archery equipment is allowed within the area when deer hunting, however, small game and turkey can be hunted with firearms only during open season.
The Ridgeway Mountain Bike Trail in Carters Lake is a popular trail for mountain bikers visiting or on vacation at this lake park. Riders particularly fancy this trail because it takes them through mountain vegetation along high ridges where they get to see deep clear waters before descending to smaller creeks. This mountain bike trail is 6 miles long and offers pure excitement all the way. Other shorter biking trails are available for riders also, and these offer the chance to cross streams and ride along narrow roads with challenging climbs.
A diversity of habitats is found in Carters Lake, resulting in the presence of a large number of bird species. These habitats range from pine stands to mixed hardwoods, cove hardwoods, upland hardwoods, streams, rivers, beaver ponds, to lakes. Within these various areas, campers that fancy bird watching find beautiful and colorful birds. You should look out for Acadian flycatcher, bald eagle, brown thrasher, field sparrow and hooded warbler. Don’t be surprised to see wood thrush, worm-eating warbler, northern parula, ruffed grouse and yellow-throated warbler too.
Harris Branch Campground is a 10-campsite campground in Carters Lake that accommodates RVs and tents. The campsites are available on first-come, first-served basis only. There are no RV hookups within the campsites, but RVs/trailers up to 40 feet can be accommodated.
Facilities and amenities in this campground include comfort station with hot showers, laundry, pay phone, and playground. A group camping area is also available.
There are nice opportunities to enjoy hiking along several trails that are available at Carters Lake. The Amadahy Trail, for example, is within the Woodring Branch Recreation Area and offers excellent hiking opportunities for hikers of all skill levels. This trail is four miles long and offers beautiful views of Carters Lake along most of its length. As you set out on your stroll in the park, you’ll realize that most of the park’s trails are multi-use trails, indicating that you’ll share with other users like mountain bikers.
The scenic beauty and solitude characteristic of Carters Lake is a major attraction for boaters. This Army COE park offers enjoyable boating experiences for all who wish to explore the lake, whether in a sailboat, powerboat, or just paddling the shoreline in a canoe or kayak. The several boat ramps that are available along the shoreline at various points provide easy access and serve as the ideal starting point for the adventure. Boat rentals and supplies are available at the park.
Fishermen and angling enthusiasts have the opportunity to enjoy fishing in the 5 sq. mile of deep clear water available at Carters Lake as well as the 1.5 sq. mile re-regulation pool and the nearby Coosawattee River. On getting to the park, you’ll see that fishing is a popular activity, and major species that are caught include crappie, walleye, catfish and bream. Largemouth bass, hybrid bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and striped bass are among commonly caught fish too.
Six boat ramps are available along the shoreline offering easy access to the lake. In addition, an active fish stocking program by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and native fish found in the lake provide diversity for anglers.
