Chattahoochee River

https://www.nps.gov/chat/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chattahoochee_River_National_Recreation_Area Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) preserves a series of sites between Atlanta and Lake Sidney Lanier along the Chattahoochee River, Georgia, U.S. The 48-mile (77 km) stretch of the river affords public recreation opportunities and access to historic sites. 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. Today the river valley attracts us for so many reasons. Take a solitary walk to enjoy nature’s display, raft leisurely through the rocky shoals with friends, fish the misty waters as the sun comes up, or have a picnic on a Sunday afternoon. Get Outdoors and experience your Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area as you have never done before. To find the Island Ford Visitor Center enter the physical address, 8800 Roberts Drive, Sandy Springs, GA 30350, into your GPS unit or your favorite map software. Once you have arrived at the park entrance turn onto Island Ford Parkway and follow the signs to the park headquarters. Island Ford Visitor Center The Island Ford Visitor Center is located in the historic Hewlett Lodge. Here you will be able to purchase your Annual Park Pass as well as any of the passes in the America The Beautiful series. While there pick up maps, obtain the latest information on the park, or pick up a souvenir from the Eastern National store. The park is spread over a 48 mile section of the Chattahoochee River and consists of the river and 15 land units beginning downstream from Buford Dam at Lake Lanier and ending at Peachtree Creek in metro Atlanta. Check out the directions link to chart your course to one of the many units. Family Time Two adult Great Blue Herons stand watch over their 3 young chicks in the nest. Great Blue Herons are plentyful along the river. Look towards the tree tops along the river to spot their nest. If you're lucky the whole will be home. Look Closely Park ranger showing a group of school children the critter on his arm. School children from the city enjoy visiting the park on a ranger-led hike. Marietta Paper Mill Stone ruins of the Marietta Paper Mill surrounded by lush green vegatation. All that is left of the Marietta Paper Mill is a few stone walls in the woods. Hike to the ruins and you'll get a closeup of Sope Creek that was harnessed by the mills. Landing A Rainbow Angler in waders landing a fish using a landing net. Fishing the Chattahoochee River can be a great way to spend an afternoon out of the office or as a diversion from rush hour traffic. Inviting Trail Trail heading off under a canopy of trees. Trails along the Chattahoochee River are calling you to visit. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. river running through rocky shoals 2014 Freeman Tilden Award Recipients Introducing the national and regional recipients of the 2014 Freeman Tilden Awards, given in recognition of new and innovative programs in interpretation. Two rangers holding a whale skull Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Judy Forte As a child growing up in the South during the 1950s and 1960s, Judy Forte’s life was heavily influenced by the US civil rights movement. She was only 11 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Four decades later she became the first African American woman superintendent at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park—and she's not done yet. Close up of Judy Forte wearing her NPS ranger flat hat. Wadeable Stream Monitoring at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Wadeable stream habitat monitoring was conducted in May 2021 at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Three people measuring a stream bank. My Park Story: Sylvia Touchstone Meet Sylvia, a Mosaics in Science intern at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Read her park story to learn how visiting parks with her family led to her to researching woody debris in the Cuyahoga River. A woman kayaking on a lake. Shaping the System Under President Jimmy Carter President Jimmy Carter oversaw one of the largest growths in the National Park System. Explore some of the parks that are part of the legacy of the presidency of Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president of the United States from January 20, 1977, to January 20, 1981. Historic photo of Jimmy Carter walking through a crowd at Harpers Ferry Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Project Profile: Landscape Stewardship Corps Pre-Apprenticeship Program In collaboration with the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, the Historic Preservation Training Center is launching the Traditional Trades Advancement Program-Landscape Stewardship Corps, a nationwide internship program aimed at inspiring youth. The program focuses on providing hands-on experiences and training in cultural landscape preservation, preparing the next generation to become stewards of the National Park Service. Two people working with seeds Guide to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southeast Region Collection This finding aid describes the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southest Region Collection, part of the NPS History Collection. Landscape Stewardship Corps The Landscape Stewardship Corps, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Conservation Experience, is composed of 35 interns at 19 National Park sites. A young intern smiles with a hard hat and goggles on under a branch Project Profile: A Strategic Approach to Building Forest Resiliency in Southeast Parks The National Park Service is addressing the climate change vulnerability of southeast park ecosystems. Fall-colored trees on a mountain slope. A tree is in the right-side foreground. “Cracking the code” on mercury bioaccumulation Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on a model to predict mercury risk park waterbodies: Kotalik, C.J. et al. 2025. Ecosystem drivers of freshwater mercury bioaccumulation are context-dependent: insights from continental-scale modeling. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07280 A person stands in a field looking at a bug through a magnifying lens.

I Chattaho OIC I -Yr{t National Recreation Area Georgia National Park Service U.S. Department ol the lnterior River E r F A River, a City, a Park The river is the Chattahoochee, the city is Atlanta, and the park is a series of park lands along a 77-kilometer (48-mile) stretch of the river. This park is a place rich in natural and human history, each influenced by the pervasive force of the river. Usually clear, cold, and slow-moving, the river sometimes becomes a muddy torrent, plunging through its rockbound shoals. For centuries people have been drawn to the river for food and transportation and for power to sustain the mills, factories, and homes that have been built along its banks. Today the river attracts us for different reasons. Now people come to float down the river, to hike the trails along its banks, to play touch football in the meadows, and simply to relax. The park is an outdoor classroom, too, with opportunities for expanding your horizons through nature walks studying plants, birds, and the river. forests, and chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits are seemingly everywhere. Turtles share the river with other aquatic life. Snakes, salamanders, lizards, frogs, and toads live in allthe natural habitats along the river. Venture into the forest and you set off a noisy reaction as grasshoppers, dragonflies, and butterflies leap and fly to escape the foot you so innocently placed. At any season, the Chattahoochee's banks are a tangle of color. Dogwoods, redbuds, trout lilies in early spring are followed by flame azaleas, asters, and wild violets. During the fallthe cardinalflower and the showy scarlet sumac turn a brilliant red. A solitary walk enioying nature's display, rafting leisurely with friends, fishing on the misty waters as the sun comes up, picnicking on a Sunday afternoon-this is the Chattahoochee River National Recreation area. Here beaver and muskrats live in burrows along the river's bank, fox and raccoons make their homes in the hardwood Enjoying the River Whether an hour canoe trip with a friend, or an all-day raft outing with the family, exploring the Chattahoochee can be great fun' lf you don't have your own raft, you can rent one, from May through September, from concessioners located at Johnson Ferry and Powers lsland. The concessioners also have a limited number of canoes and kayaks. Other watercraft rentals are located outside the park. The concessioner also provides a shuttle service, at a nominal fee, lor Johnson Ferry, Powers lsland, and Paces Mill (last take-out point)' so you can get back to your car easily. For more information please call (404) 955-6931 . The Chattahoochee is an excellent river for beginners, and what rapids exist are gentle and easily managed. See the table (below) for details on distance and time from one point to another. There are dangers, of course, as there are with any activity involving water. Currents can be strong around the submerged, iagged rocks and snags that crowd the Chattahoochee. lt is wise to wear tennis shoes, for they provide good traction on the slippery rocks and protection from sharp objects. Enleying the Land Besides the recreational activities you can enioy on the river, there is a lot you can do on land. Numerous trails lace the park. Some wander along the lorest floor, cool and green. Other trails lollow the river's edge. Large open meadows welcome you to have a picnic, lly a kite, or throw a frisbee. And there is ample room for an organized game of football or soccer. Picnic areas, with grills, tables, and trash containers, are located in some of the park's units. lnformality is the byword here; relax and enjoy yourself. Palisades Unit Upland ridge trails lead to panoramas ol the river gorge, then down through wooded forests to floodplain trails where rock outcroppings, sandy beaches, expanses of shoalwater, and some evidence of human activity can be seen. Cochran Shoals Unit The Cochran Fitness Trail, approximately 5 kilo- Check waler conditions belore you set out. The river can rise swiltly, though quietly, when water is released lrom the upriver dams as generating needs determine when and how much water may be released. Because of these hazards, swimming in the river is not recommended. River Safety Tips ! Always wear a lile Preserver. tr Know your put-in point and take-out point. Tell others of your plans. I Be aware of the weather and water conditions. Lightweight clothing in the summer is adequate. During the cooler seasons, wear clothes with a blend of natural and synthetic fibers that is comfortable and quick-drying. A blend of cotton and polyester is a perlect combination. Nylon also is a good fabric. Heavy denim materials are slow to dry and should be avoided. For cold weather, wool is a necessity' Wool retains heat even when wet. n Never float or swim alone. X lf others spill, assist and rescue. tr Jumping from rock ledges into the cold water can be very dangerous. meters (3 miles) long wilh opti