Atlanta’s first Chattahoochee River public access point officially opens

Josh Green

Tue, 12/03/2024 – 16:33

Maybe it’s hardly to believe, but the City of Atlanta has always lacked official public access to the Chattahoochee River, one of its most incredible natural resources. (The river was considered a health hazard, after all, prior to years of award-winning cleanup efforts.)

But as of today, that’s no longer the case.

Trust for Public Land officials, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and other dignitaries officially cut the ribbon today on Standing Peachtree Greenspace, considered the city’s first public access point to the river.

The scope of work at Standing Peachtree Greenspace includes a kayak launch, a fully accessible path to the river, upgrades to the site’s access road, and woodland restoration, according to TPL officials. The project broke ground in late 2023.

The greenspace is located where Buckhead, North Atlanta, and so-called Upper Westside converge on Ridgewood Road, just west of Interstate 75 and north of the Moores Mill Road mixed-use development anchored by Publix.

Scope of the five sites considered destinations along the Camp+Paddle Trail between North Atlanta (top) and Carroll County. Courtesy of TPL

The new river gateway marks the northernmost point of the Chattahoochee Camp+Paddle Trail, a 48-mile pathway that will snake beside the river from North Atlanta down to McIntosh Reserve in Carroll County. Its purpose is to allow visitors to journey three days and four nights for a nature-escape itinerary unlike any other so close to the city.

As extensive as it may seem, the Camp+Paddle Trail will be just one section of the planned Chattahoochee RiverLands, a vast outdoor recreation destination that will eventually span across 100 miles of parks, stretching from Buford Dam to Chattahoochee Bend State Park.

George Dusenbury, TPL’s Georgia state director, called the Standing Peachtree Greenspace opening a “tremendous milestone” and “testament to the value of public and nonprofit collaboration” in an announcement.

Courtesy of Trust for Public Land

Earlier in the day, a similar ribbon-cutting event was hosted by TPL and the Cobb County Department of Transportation for another Chattahoochee RiverLands destination: the RiverLands Showcase Site in Smyrna.

The latter project includes the first section of paved, shared-use trail along the Chattahoochee River in South Cobb County, along with a boardwalk spanning scenic wetlands, a river overlook, an education nook, and a soft-surface trail.

Eventually, the Chattahoochee RiverLands project is expected to link about 1 million nearby residents and visitors to activities such as swimming, bicycling, kayaking, picnicking, walking, and camping along the river.

Future plans for RiverLands Gateway Park in Cobb County. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land