Massive riverside park project through Atlanta scores land boost

The quest to string a massive system of riverside parks and trails through metro Atlanta recently scored a significant win.

Trust for Public Land officials have finalized the purchase of nearly 79 acres to expand a riverside greenspace south of Atlanta called Campbellton Park, permanently protecting .65 miles of Chattahoochee River frontage. The City of Chattahoochee Hills, which oversees the park, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources were partners in the $2.5-million land acquisition.

The additional acreage will swell Campbellton Park—situated due west of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—from 18 to more than 95 acres. TPL says the larger park will be a key hub for outdoor recreation and river access on the Chattahoochee RiverLands section called the Camp + Paddle Trail, a 48-mile blueway that stretches from Atlanta city limits to Carroll County.

Specifically, Campbellton Park marks the third official take-out site—or river entry and exit point—on the Camp + Paddle Trail section.

Overview of Campbellton Park's 18 acres near the river today. City of Chattahoochee Hills

Part of the planned 79-acre park expansion in Chattahoochee Hills, due west of Atlanta's airport. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land

The park expansion is “a major milestone for the Chattahoochee RiverLands vision,” said George Dusenbury, TPL’s Georgia State Director, in a statement. “By expanding Campbellton Park, we’re connecting more people to nature, recreation, and the river that defines this region.”

The $2.5-million acquisition was mostly funded through a $1.9-million Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant. Matching contributions were made possible by a “generous land donation” from a property owner at the expansion site, per TPL.

Earlier improvements at Campbellton Park included a $200,000 boat ramp funded by DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division five years ago. That was followed by more than $1.3 million in capital improvements led by Chattahoochee Hills and TPL officials to build trails, ADA-accessible campsites, restrooms and showers, a communal gathering space, and ecological restoration areas, per officials.

Closer to Atlanta’s core, the Chattahoochee RiverLands project scored another win last December by opening the Standing Peachtree Greenspace—the city’s first official river access point—where Buckhead, North Atlanta, and Upper Westside converge on Ridgewood Road. That includes a kayak launch, a fully accessible path to the river, upgrades to the site’s access road, and woodland restoration.

As extensive as it may seem, the Camp + Paddle Trail will be just one section of the planned Chattahoochee RiverLands, a vast outdoor recreation destination that will eventually span across 100 miles of parks, stretching from Buford Dam to Chattahoochee Bend State Park.

Overview of Chattahoochee RiverLands' 100-mile scope, starting in Buford (top left) and ending at Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Newnan. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land/Chattahoochee RiverLands

Potential look of a Chattahoochee RiverLands outdoor gathering place. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land/Chattahoochee RiverLands

The Chattahoochee RiverLands project, once fully implemented, is expected to connect almost 1 million metro Atlanta residents to one of the state’s most crucial but overlooked waterways, opening access to swimming, kayaking, fishing, camping, and walking paths along the Chattahoochee.

The riverside trail network, as planned, will stretch across 20 cities and seven counties. The goal, per TPL officials, is to “spark a lifelong love of the river and reveal the magic of the Chattahoochee to all.”

Courtesy of Trust for Public Land/Chattahoochee RiverLands