RT Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Riverfront park system offering hiking, paddling, fishing, and wildlife viewing across 15 scenic units along a 48-mile stretch of protected waterway and forest.

General Information

Hours:

Park Units: Daily from sunrise to sunset
Visitor Center (Island Ford): Daily 9am to 5pm
Closed: Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

Fees:

Daily Pass: $5
Annual Pass: $40
Senior Annual Pass: $20
Passes required for all visitors and available online or at the visitor center

Pet Policy:

Leashed pets (6 feet or shorter) are allowed on trails and in the water; must be attended and waste must be cleaned up

Closest cities with hotels:

Sandy Springs, GA

Seasons:

All year

Location:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1vY9Zz7XzZzq5z9A6

Website:

nps.gov/chat

How to Get There

From Atlanta, GA (20 mi): Take GA-400 N to exit 6 for Northridge Road. Turn right onto Dunwoody Place, then left onto Roberts Drive. Follow signs to Island Ford Parkway and the visitor center entrance.

Overview

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is a 48-mile ribbon of protected river and forest winding through Atlanta's northern suburbs. Established in 1978, it is made up of 15 park units linked by the river, whose cool, clear water offers paddling and tubing within minutes of the city. Remnants of old mills and Civil War sites are scattered along the corridor.

The Island Ford Visitor Center, in a historic lodge, is the main hub for maps, passes, and exhibits. More than 60 miles of trails range from easy riverside strolls to forested hikes.

Things to Do

Paddle or Tube the River
Kayak, canoe, raft, or tube gentle shoals and calm stretches. Many access points make it easy to plan trips of different lengths.

Explore the Park Units
Popular areas include Cochran Shoals, Vickery Creek, Island Ford, and Sope Creek, each with river views, forest, and historic remnants.

Walk, Run, or Bike
Trails lead to river overlooks, wetlands, and mill ruins close to the city.

Top Trails

Trail	Length	Difficulty	Highlights
Cochran Shoals Trail	About 3 miles loop	Easy	Wide gravel path through river wetlands and floodplain; one of Atlanta's most popular trails
Vickery Creek Trail	About 3 miles round trip	Moderate	Roswell Mill ruins and a waterfall along the creek
Sope Creek Trail	2 to 4 miles	Moderate	Civil War-era paper mill ruins and streamside forest
East Palisades Trail	About 4 miles round trip	Moderate	Overlooks above the river and a bamboo forest

This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0, along with trail information from the National Park Service.