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Red Top Mountain State Park, Georgia
A few weeks ago, I stayed at Red Top Mountain State Park, about 40 miles north of Atlanta, just off I-75. The park itself is beautiful, clean rest rooms and showers, good walking trails, even a marina. There's electric hookup, water, and dump stations, and excellent camping sites, including large pull-throughs. One note of caution however: Proceeding in and out of the park from I-75, you will have to cross an old, narrow steel-girder bridge with poorly designed approaches. Most of the locals hug the centerline while crossing. On the way out of the park, the day I left, just as I was about to enter the bridge, an approaching car veered to the centerline. I moved to the right, giving the car as much room as possible. I had a good sight approach, though, and knew that my right mirror would clear the vertical steel girders. Suddenly, my right front tire hit something I had not seen from the left side of the coach. I knew I had a blown tire at least. I made it across the bridge and eased to the left shoulder of the road. My right tire and wheel were destroyed. The policeman and tow truck driver who eventually helped me both said that people frequently hit a concrete projection at the campground side of the bridge. The policeman said he had hit it with his personal car, and the tow truck driver said one of his big roll-back trucks hit it a few months previous and destroyed the rear axle. He also towed a fifth-wheel trailer that had both axles pulled from under the trailer by hitting that hazard. Even the park superintendent told me that when he crosses the bridge in his personal car, he tries to wait until the bridge is cleared so he can ride the center of the road. I've reported my experience to the Georgia Department of Transportation and to the county road supervisor. All together the incident has cost me more than $1,500.00: a new wheel, wheel cover, new tire, front-end alignment, and two-extra days in Georgia before I could be on my way home. (I did not make an insurance claim because I have a $1,000.00 deductible and an excellent annual rate.) Be careful, but enjoy the park. I intend to visit again, but I'll line up with the center of that bridge before I cross. Komac
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