The river is the Chattahoochee, the city is Atlanta, and the park is a series of park lands along 48-mile stretch of the river. This park is a place rich in natural and human history, each influenced by the pervasive force of the river. Usually clear, cold, and slow-moving, the river sometimes becomes a muddy torrent, plunging through its rock-bounded shoals. For centuries, people have been drawn to the river for food and transportation and for power to sustain the mills, factories, and homes that have been built along its banks. Today, the river attracts us for different reasons. Now people come to float down the river, to hike the trails along its banks, to play touch football in the meadows, and simply to relax. The park is an outdoor classroom, too, with opportunities for expanding your horizons through nature walks studying plants, birds, and the river.

Here beaver and muskrats live in burrows along the river's bank, fox and raccoons make their homes in the hardwood forests, and chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits are seemingly everywhere. Turtles share the river with other aquatic life. Snakes, salamanders, lizards, frogs, and toads live in all the natural habitats along the river. Venture into the forest and you set off a noisy reaction as grasshoppers, dragonflies, and butterflies leap and fly to escape the foot you so innocently placed.

At any season, the Chattahoochee's banks are a tangle of color. Dogwoods, redbuds, trout lilies in early spring are followed by flame azaleas, asters, and wild violets. During the fall, the cardinal flower and the showy scarlet sumac turn a brilliant red. A solitary walk enjoying nature's display, rafting leisurely with friends, fishing on the misty waters as the sun comes up, picnicking on a Sunday afternoon -- this is the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

The River
The Chattahoochee River is a Class I and II waterway, excellent for canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. Some sections, however, can be Class III because of narrow passages, high water levels with irregular, high waves, and cold water temperatures. There are risks, of course, with any activity involving water. Currents can be strong around the submerged rocks and jagged tree snags that crowd the Chattahoochee. Wear rubber-soled shoes because of slippery rocks and broken glass. Be sure to check river conditions before you put in. The river is subject to swift rise when water is released from upstream dams.

The Land
Besides the enjoyment of water-relate activities, there is much you can do on land. All park units are laced with marked trails for hiking and walking and open meadows for playing. Picnic tables, grills, and trash containers are conveniently located. Natural and cultural pockets of history offer outstanding classroom experiences along the Chattahoochee River corridor.