At a higher elevation than the rest of the park, you’ll first need to descend roughly 150 ft to make your way along the river. The trail joins the road in three places so you have a couple options of where to start from. The Indian Trails entrance features parking in several places along the rough gravel road to the main parking at the end. This is a great option for those with dogs who just want to get wet and smaller children. Just a few steps from the water, you can walk along the river in either direction. If your goal is to hang along the river and avoid any of the trails at higher elevation, choose the Whitewater Creek parking lot. The two main lots are at the end of the Indian Trails entrance and at the Whitewater Creek entrance. There are several parking areas for this trail system, making the choose-your-own-adventure style of hiking at these Chattahoochee River parks all the more varied. All in all, you can easily do over 5 miles in the park. With several trail options for different hikers, this is a fantastic hike within the Atlanta perimeter. ![]() There is no charge for holders of Senior passes or Annual park passes.Walk along the Chattahoochee River, gaze from the observation deck, and explore a bamboo grove as you hike the East Palisades trail system. The CRNRA Daily Parking fee is $5 (cash only), and is good in all park units for the day. Fishing is permitted on the river, with an appropriate license. Alas, no restroom nor water is available. There is a paved parking lot at the trail head with a couple of picnic tables. The forest is particularly colorful in the fall, and always refreshing to the spirit. You might spot woodland birds and native wildflowers. The second-growth forest of oaks, hickory and pine is surprisingly dense and varied, considering its location in an Atlanta suburb. A popular hike follows the river bank about half a mile, then ascends the bluff another half mile to a small deck with superb views overlooking Devil's Racecourse rapids. ![]() Hiking trails vary in size and grades from former wood roads to forest paths, with trail maps at all trail intersections. Highlights include an observation deck perched several hundred feet above the river, a sheer rock face on a tributary of Long Island Creek, and a majestic bamboo forest near the northern end of the unit. You can spend an hour or half-day hiking or running more than 4 miles of trails. It offers a network of trails along the river bank, and through a rolling hardwood forest on bluffs towering above the river. Whitewater Creek Trail is in the East Palisades unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area. This isn't a bad spot, but if I had to choose one of these for a walk, I'd go to the other one. That one (Rottenwood Creek) is paved and less congested, plus it has ample parking. A few weeks later we tried a trail on roughly the opposite bank of the river. On the whole, we were not super-impressed with the hiking here. Maybe it is different in the morning or during a weekday. We also encountered quite a few other hikers it never felt like you were alone in the woods. Note that all the trails are dirt / natural, so you may want to consider recent weather as a factor in your visit. We visited a day or two after a heavy rain, so the trail was muddy in spots. Our visit was limited, so we stuck to the trail closest to the river for a while. It looked like you could do various sizes of loops if you had time. You then have a single trail north that diverges a couple of times. It was fun just to watch the dogs for a few minutes. ![]() The closest area to the parking lot is a flat sandy area that appeared popular with dog owners. It takes about 5 minutes to enter your info and get an email receipt. Parking costs $5 which you pay via a website linked to the NPS. The lot was indeed crowded, but we managed to find a space. Passing other cars en route was mildly challenging. Your apparent options are to either park on the street outside the entrance (at least that might be free?) or descend about 1/4 mile on a narrow road to the dirt and gravel parking lot for the park. She advised us that the lot might be full, but then waived us through. After finding the entrance, we encountered a park employee who was on traffic-control duty. We visited here on a Sunday around 1 p.m.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |