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Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area: West Palisades

West Palisades
May 22, 2021 by Shawn Taylor in parks

Also known as: Paces Mill Unit
Address: 3444 Cobb Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339
Cost of admission: Free, $5/day parking fee per car
Governance: NPS
Friends of the Park Group: Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy
Acres: 302
Approximate miles of trails: 6
Hours: Dawn to dusk, exact park hours are posted at the trailheads
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 10
Transit directions: Take the 12 MARTA bus from Midtown Station to the Cobb Pkwy & River Pkwy stop. The park entrance is only about 0.2 miles south of the stop. For access to & from the southbound bus, you can cross under Cobb Parkway from the park parking lot instead of needing to cross the highway at grade.
Cycling directions: A multi-use path (partly outlined here) connects West Palisades to Cochran Shoals. It’s about 3 miles between the two units by bike.
Trailhead(s): There is a second trailhead at 932 Akers Ridge Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30339
Parking: Paid parking is available at both trailheads
Trail surface: Part paved, part natural
Blazes/markings: Each intersection is marked with a map
Restrooms: There are restrooms at the Cobb Parkway parking lot and near the Akers Ridge parking lot
Dogs allowed: Yes, on leash
Fishing allowed: Yes
Best time to visit: If you arrive in the first weekend in November, like I happened to in 2016, especially if the weather is unseasonably warm, you might find dozens of fly fishers in the river. This is because of the "Delayed Harvest" rule, where fish must be released along this section of the Chattahoochee between November 1 and May 14 of each year. This is a time when the river is stocked with trout from hatcheries, so it's considered to be a good time and place for beginners to fish.

Guidebook mentions: Chapter 9 in 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles (3rd edition), page 104 in Hiking the Hooch (1st edition), trip 78 in Afoot & Afield Atlanta (2nd edition), chapter 61 in Hiking Georgia (4th edition)

Features:

  • Restrooms

  • Boat ramp

Links:
Map (PDF)

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 4, 2017

November 4, 2017

November 4, 2017

November 4, 2017

Blue-tipped Dancer, May 22, 2021

Blue-tipped Dancer, May 22, 2021

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

November 6, 2016

IMG_3062.jpg

More photos on Flickr

West Palisades - all

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Recent iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist
View more observations near West Palisades Unit, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area on iNaturalist »

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Updated November 6, 2016, November 4, 2017 & May 22, 2021

May 22, 2021 /Shawn Taylor
atlanta page 1, near bus-10 min, near downtown-10 miles, itp page 2, boat ramp, near: cochran shoals
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