Trust for Public Land, City of Atlanta break ground on Chattahoochee RiverLand

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined Trust for Public Land (TPL) for a groundbreaking of the first project to deliver upon his promise to open the Chattahoochee River to the public.

The Nov. 2 groundbreaking ceremony was held at Standing Peachtree Greenspace. The upcoming construction includes the addition of an accessible kayak launch, a fully accessible path to the river, woodland restoration, and upgrades to the access road on site. TPL was awarded the Georgia River Network’s 2023 Water Trail Award during the ceremony.

“This groundbreaking is a testament to the value of public and non-profit collaboration, and we are extremely grateful for the many groups that have come together to make the outdoor recreation experience greater and more attractive to visitors,” said George Dusenbury, Georgia State Director at Trust for Public Land. “This marks a huge step forward in the City’s commitment to providing connectivity to one of the region’s most popular and significant natural spaces.”

“In my first State of City address, we announced that we’re taking the city to the river, and with this acquisition we’re providing the vibrant parkland that Atlanta deserves,” said City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “We’ve come a long way from a river that used to be a public health threat to recognizing the Chattahoochee River as a special gift that has been given to us.”

The Standing Peachtree site will serve as the northernmost site of the Chattahoochee Camp+Paddle Trail. This trail offers an opportunity to explore 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River over a three-night, four-day itinerary. The journey begins at Peachtree Creek in North Atlanta and ends at McIntosh Reserve in Carroll County.

The Camp+Paddle Trail is a section of the Chattahoochee RiverLands, that is set to become a vast outdoor recreation destination, stretching across 100 miles of parks from Buford Dam to Chattahoochee Bend State Park. The Chattahoochee RiverLands will connect nearly 1 million nearby residents and visitors to the outdoors, where they can enjoy a variety of activities such as kayaking, swimming, bicycling, picnicking, walking, camping and wheeling along the river.

About Trust for Public Land

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $93 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.