Chattahoochee RiverLands

Georgia

What We’re Doing

Creating 100 miles of new trails and parks, connecting 19 cities across 7 counties, and building 42 water access points and 8 campsites.

Our Goal

Ensure every person in the metro Atlanta region has access to the benefits and joys of the outdoors.

Support Our Work in Georgia

A map of a river and the surrounding area.

Chattahoochee Riverlands by the Numbers

100

miles of trails and green spaces along the river

with new access to the outdoors

tributary trails

miles of camp and paddle trails

Atlanta's Next Great Legacy

The City of Atlanta is no stranger to bold transformations. From the Atlanta BeltLine to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, Atlanta continues to redefine urban spaces and create landmarks that inspire and connect communities. Now, residents have the chance to shape a space that will leave a lasting impact for future generations. Enter Atlanta’s next great legacy: the Chattahoochee RiverLands.

Flowing through the heart of Georgia, the Chattahoochee River has long been Atlanta’s lifeline, powering its growth, and inspiring its communities. But the river you see today isn’t the same as it was in the 1990s. Once designated as the most endangered river in America by American Rivers, the Chattahoochee was a public health threat and its hazards severely disconnected residents from their beloved waterway.

After decades of cleanup efforts, the river is now one in recovery. It sustains 5 million people with drinking water and invites outdoor adventures along its banks, like fishing, kayaking, and hiking. But access to this river isn’t created equally, especially for low-income communities and communities of color. The Chattahoochee RiverLands project will change that.

This visionary 100-mile corridor will link 19 cities and seven counties, inviting everyone to enjoy the natural gem in their own backyard. “When it comes to access to nature, what we’ve seen across the country is a pattern of disenfranchisement, particularly when it comes to Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, and low-income communities,” says Corina Newsome, ornithologist and community engagement manager with Georgia Audubon. Thanks to this RiverLands project, the Chattahoochee is becoming accessible to people and communities previously cut off from it. “I’ve seen Black people, people of color, people representative of the diversity of communities in Atlanta and in Georgia—coming out and enjoying natural spaces,” she says.

Our plan was developed over two years through research, public engagement, community workshops, and collaboration with partners and local government. Now, we’re working to create 100 miles of parks and trails, 42 water access points, and 44 tributary trails that would connect neighborhoods to the river—meaning new space for adventures and memories to flourish. Imagine a place where families camp along the river, bikers cross from Duluth to Johns Creek, and neighbors enjoy a kayak launch just steps from home.

We’ve already had success bringing this vision to life, including:

Launching the Chattahoochee Camp+Paddle Trail. This 48-mile paddling experience is complete with ADA-accessible launches and campsites, and begins at Standing Peachtree Greenspace, Atlanta’s first-ever public access point to the Chattahoochee River.
McIntosh Reserve, where we’ve nearly tripled the park’s size to 1,422 acres, connecting it to Chattahoochee Bend State Park and creating contiguous green space of more than 4,000 acres.
Opening the first stretch of the RiverLands trail in Cobb County.

This is undoubtedly a bold transformation, uniting Atlanta’s past and present to reshape its future physical and cultural landscape. But just like the City of Atlanta, at Trust for Public Land, we don’t just believe in bold—we build it.

Visit the Chattahoochee RiverLands website

Watch

About This Project

The Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway Study was managed by a joint Project Management Team (PMT) consisting of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Trust for Public Land (TPL), Cobb County, and the City of Atlanta. The project was designed in collaboration with the Chattahoochee Working Group (CWG), a collection of stakeholders, residents, and political officials working within the study area.

Download
Transforming a River from Endangered to Extraordinary

What does it take to transform a river corridor from endangered to exemplary? Spanning 100 miles from Buford Dam north of Atlanta to Chattahoochee Bend State Park, the Chattahoochee RiverLands is a network of greenways, a blueway (the river itself), tributary trails, and parks—all working together to connect people to the outdoors. When completed, it will link 19 cities and seven counties and include 42 water access points and eight campsites. No wonder it’s on track to be Atlanta’s—and Georgia’s—defining public space for generations to come.

But this project isn’t special just because it is massive and transformative.

This stretch of river is profoundly important as an everyday joy to those who helped shape it—and those who will enjoy it for years to come. It is through their eyes and experiences that the project’s scope and impact are best conveyed. These are a few of their stories and the outcomes they illustrate.

Read More

The River You See; The Divides You Don’t

Two families with opposing politics but one shared conservation ethic—to protect a river and transform the future—prove that, sometimes, red and blue make green.

Read More

A Buck Doesn’t Go as Far as It Used To. Except At TPL...Where It Goes Further.

These days, everywhere you look, the value of a dollar seems to be going down. So when it comes to charitable donations, it’s more important than ever that your contributions make a meaningful impact. That’s why starting this week, we’re matching every dollar you donate to ensure critical projects, just like the ones below, get the funding they need.

Read More