Enjoy the great outdoors just a stones throw from Atlanta

Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.

Chattahoochee River is a National Recreation Area located just outside Atlanta. It covers more than 48 miles of river and 10,000 acres of land. It is an excellent destination for anyone who wants to spend a little time in the great outdoors while in Georgia. For the more adventures travelers Georgia offers the Appalachian Trail that starts in Georgia and runs all the way up to Maine. The 2,200 miles long Appalachian Trail is a wonderful experience and I recommend to everyone who get the chance to walk the trails to do so at least once in their lifetime.  The park offers hiking, fishing, mountain biking, kayaking and horse riding in stunning surroundings.

The Chattahoochee River park is home to all types of wildlife. When you first visit the park you might not see a lot of wildlife but if you take the time to really look around you will soon discover different animals all around you. Chattahoochee River is among other things home to Barred Owls (Strix varia), Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina), North American Beavers (Castor canadensis), Bobcats (Lynx rufus), Coyotes (Canis latrans) and White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

The wildlife under the waters surface is just as healthy as it as above the surface and Chattahoochee River offers great fishing. The river is home to healthy populations of Bass and Catfish but the main reason to fish this river is the abundance of trout. All in all the river is home to 23 species of game fish. Fishing requires a fishing license and special rules regulates trout fishing. If you plan to do some fishing during your trip to the Chattahoochee River, it is important to know that the regulation only allows one rod per person and that fishing using bait fish is prohibited within the park. I recommend that you visit the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website to make sure that you know the latest rules and regulations before every fishing trip.

Most types of small water crafts are allowed within the park with the note worthy exception of jet skis. Jet skis are banned from the park all year round. A kayak or boat trip down the river can be an excellent, relaxing way to spend the day. You can access the area with your boat at Bowmans Island, Abbotts Bridge, Medlock Bridge, Jones Bridge, Island Ford, Morgan Falls Park, Johnson Ferry, Powers Island and Paces Mill. If you do not have a boat or simply don’t want to bring it, you can rent canoes, kayaks and rafts within the park from a number of authorized outfitters. By renting from one of these outfitters, you know that you get a safe craft and that personal floating devices always will be included in the price. All people are required to use personal floating devices while on the river.

The Chattahoochee River park offers a lot on land to, so there is no need to go on the water if you do not want to. On Bowmans Island, all horse lovers will find calm picturesque riding trails in stunning surroundings. All mountain biking fans will find a number of bike trails in Chattahoochee River park. Only certain trails are open to bikes, the rest are reserved exclusively to hikers. The trails that are open to bikers are 7.11 miles long in total and can be found around Cochran Shoals and Palisades. In Cochran Shoals you will also find an area open to freestyle off trail mountain biking. It is important to remember that all trails are open to hikers and all bikers are expected to adhere to good biking code of conduct.

The park offers a wide selection of different hiking trails for anyone who simply want to get into the great outdoors and move around a little. Walking is one of the best ways to see the park as it is the way you usually see the most wildlife. Riding is also a good way to see wildlife but riding is only allowed in selected areas of the park and it easy to miss smaller animals such as butterflies and reptiles while riding.

The Chattahoochee River park is a wonderful recreational area that is worth a visit by anyone living in the area or visiting for more than a few days and hopefully you have decided to pay the river a visit. If you have decided to go there are a few things you should know. There is a USD3 fee to enter the park. The fee covers everyone traveling in the same private vehicle. If you live in the area you can also opt to pay USD25 for a year pass. Everyone are encourage to bring food and drinks to the park but it is prohibited to bring glass containers to the river. They can break and the shards can hurt wildlife. Remember to always leave an area in the same state as you found it.

It is also important to know that the Chattahoochee river has very cold water and sometimes experiences flash floods due to the release of water from dams or due to rainfall. It is not a dangerous place to visit, but it is always a good idea to be prepared.

Enjoy your tip to the Chattahoochee river!