Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) preserves a series of sites between

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and

Lake Sidney Lanier Lake Lanier (officially Lake Sidney Lanier) is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the water ...

along the Chattahoochee River in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, U.S. The 48-mile (77 km) stretch of the river affords public recreation opportunities and access to historic sites. The national recreation area, a National Park Service unit, was established on August 15, 1978, by President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

. The park headquarters and

visitor center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visi ...

are located at the Island Ford Unit of the park, at 1978 Island Ford Parkway in

Sandy Springs, Georgia Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia and an inner ring suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's seventh-largest city. It is the site of several corporate headquarters, ...

. The Chattahoochee River is a stocked trout stream with 23 species of game fish. Year-round fishing is available with a Georgia fishing license and a trout stamp. In 2012, the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area was designated as the Chattahoochee River Water Trail to become the first river named a National

Water Trail Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...

. The National Water Trails System was created by the U.S. Department of the Interior to increase access to water-based outdoor recreation, encourage community stewardship of local waterways, and promote tourism. Cochran Shoals is the largest and most popular unit of the park, featuring a fitness trail, suitable for walking/jogging/biking, which is wheelchair-accessible and is excellent for bird- and wildlife-watching. The historic Marietta Paper Mill ruins along Sope Creek are preserved within the Sope Creek unit of the area. The

Akers Mill Akers Mill, was a complex of at least two 19th-century mills along Rottenwood Creek in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The gristmill built into the bank overlooking the creek, with six terraces each acting as an individual floor in the mill ...

ruins along Rottenwood Creek are found within the West Palisades unit. Steep rock cliffs rise from the river's flood plain in the East Palisades unit of the park. Powers Island was named for James Power (1790–1870). In 1835, he established Power's ferry on the Chattahoochee River, connecting what is now Sandy Springs to Cobb County. Power's Ferry, now spelled Powers Ferry, was used by units of General William Sherman's army in July 1864. The ferry was eventually replaced by a bridge, which was built in 1903. The Vickery Creek unit preserves a rugged and scenic stretch of

Vickery Creek Big Creek or Vickery Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 15, 2011 stream in Forsyth and Fulton counties in Georgia. The creek mouth into the Chattahoochee R ...

(also known as Big Creek) from Grimes Bridge Road to its mouth at the Chattahoochee River. The ruins of Ivy Mill, which was a wool mill that produced fabric for

Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, are located in this unit along with the historic Allenbrook House. Ivy Mill was destroyed by the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

in 1864, and the women factory workers were sent North for the duration of the war. The Allenbrook House, completed in 1857, was the home and office of the manager of Ivy Mill. From the Vickery Creek Unit, pedestrians can use sidewalks and spur trails for convenient access to Chattahoochee River Park (a Roswell Recreation and Parks/Fulton County park), Riverside Park, Don White Memorial Park, Willeo Creek Park on the

Cobb County Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, Georgia, Mar ...

line, Waller Park on Hog Wallow Creek, and the

Chattahoochee Nature Center The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a private, non-profit environmental education facility in Roswell, Georgia. Located on adjacent to the Chattahoochee River, the nature center focuses on educational outreach through the use of live flora and f ...

. Roswell Mill can be accessed via a spur trail and

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

that crosses the creek at the site of the Roswell Mill Machine Shop, which was built in 1853 and is the only original building left standing of the 1839 Roswell Manufacturing Company. The Roswell Mill building currently left standing was built in 1882 and is now used as an office complex. The Chattahoochee River itself is one of Georgia's premier trout streams. It also offers picturesque areas for boating, canoeing, and rafting. It is very popular in the summer months for visitors to rent

tubes Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * ''The Tube'' (TV series), a music related TV series by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a ...

and float from Powers Island to Paces Mill. United States Park Rangers patrol the of river and of land units with patrol vehicles, jet-powered boats, kayaks, and mountain bikes, and they hike the trails on foot. Rangers enforce park regulations as well as Georgia criminal and traffic codes and are authorized to carry firearms and make arrests. In 2014, the CRNRA was given the ''Award for Outstanding Service to Environmental Education'' by the Georgia Environmental Education Association – an affiliate of the North American Association for Environmental Education.

Units

*Bowmans Island *Settles Bridge *Orrs Ferry *Suwanee Creek *McGinnis Ferry *Medlock Bridge *Abbots Bridge *Jones Bridge *Holcomb Bridge *Island Ford *

*Gold Branch * Sope Creek * Johnson Ferry North *Johnson Ferry South *Cochran Shoals *Powers Island *East and West Palisades

References

* ''The National Parks: Index 2001-2003''. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area at NPS.gov

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area: Hiking, Running & Walking Trails
{{authority control Hiking trails in Georgia (U.S. state) Roswell, Georgia Duluth, Georgia Sandy Springs, Georgia Recreational fishing in the United States National Park Service National Recreation Areas National Park Service areas in Georgia (U.S. state) Tourist attractions in Roswell, Georgia