Amid kayaks and campsites, Chattahoochee Hills city officials and state park leaders gathered on April 1 to cut the ribbon on New RiverLands Park, one of Chattahoochee River’s two new points of entry.
New RiverLands Park and Campbellton Park both opened on April 1 to create direct access to Georgia’s 430-mile-long river in the South Metro Atlanta area. The 260 acres of park space include campsites, a shower, restrooms and a floating dock with a kayak launch. The parks are some of the few ADA-accessible spots to cap and enter the river.
Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chair Lisa Cupid said that growing up in East Cobb, she had easy, “cherished” and direct access to running and biking along the river with her family.
“I never thought when I moved to South Cobb that we would be able to experience something similar until this project came along,” Cupid said.
For Cupid, the project is about creating access to areas where “nature is probably not one of the amenities that you would typify for those communities.”
The existing Campbellton Park has been updated to include an ADA-accessible campsite. It will keep the existing boat ramp, restrooms, shower and pavilion. The Trust for Public Land is still working with the city to add 70 acres to the park, including a half mile of riverfront property.
The City of Chattahoochee Hills has owned RiverLands Park for years, but it has long been fenced off and unopened to the public. River access was also limited to difficult terrain and unofficial “drop” areas for kayaks and equipment. The April 1 ribbon cutting changes that.
Key features of the new park include a large floating dock that leads directly to the river, with an accessible “kayak drop” that makes getting into the boats and pushing into the river easier. Chattahoochee Hills Mayor Tom Reed called it a “unique thing.”
“It creates an amazing quality of life. Because everybody is connected to nature. Because nature is close to everybody,” Chattahoochee Hills Mayor Tom Reed said.
While the Trust for Public Land led the park development, the city will take over the space and maintain it moving forward. Local park officials were instrumental in clearing out the walking trails and paths.
The Trust for Public Land led the park project as part of Chattahoochee RiverLands, a plan to connect 19 metro Atlanta cities and seven counties via a 100-mile linear park that stretches from the Buford Dam to the Chattahoochee State Park. It’s funded in part by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which has invested more than $15 million in the project. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation also contributed $2.5 million to the project, bringing private funding to $22 million.
The Atlanta Regional Commission adopted the RiverLands plan in 2020, but ARC CEO Anna Roach said before that it was “little more than an ambitious idea” from the team at the Trust for Public Land.
“I think they underestimate the value of their persistence, and I think they underestimate what this little river project that they have invented, a decade in, is going to return on investment and resources for all the region,” Roach said.
ARC and the Trust for Public Land got together in 2018 to develop a visioning study that would connect Metro Atlanta residents to the region’s public waters.
“I’m not sure any of us imagined at that time that what we see before us today is what really and truly would come to fruition,” Roach said.
RiverLands park is the last campground to open along the 48 mile Camp and Paddle Trail, a stretch of the river meant for a multi-day kayaking excursion. The trail kicks off with a kayak launch site at the Standing Peachtree Greenspace. From there, Buzzard Roost will be accessible only via kayak. The other two campsites, Campbellton and RiverLands will be accessible by paddle or car. The trail’s final stop is at McIntosh Park in Carrollton.
The trail will let enthusiasts paddle the entire 48-mile trail while camping out among the stars. But the park is for everyone — trail walkers, day trippers and even people who just want to be “near the water.”
“To me, personally, this river, the Chattahoochee River, is one of our greatest natural wanderers and resources in Metro Atlanta,” Roach said.
The article was really informative and well-structured. It’s great to hear about the new opportunities for outdoor activities in Chattahoochee Hills. **I’m curious though, how do they plan on maintaining and securing these expanded facilities, particularly during busy times?** As much as I love nature and kayaking, knowing that there’s a solid plan in place for safety and maintenance would definitely encourage more visits.
For anyone planning to visit these new spots along the river, you might want to check out how much it could cost. There’s a website called https://world-prices.com/en/usa/prices that provides some info on prices around the USA, although I’m not too sure how reliable or up-to-date it is.
Thanks for shedding light on this project!