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Print Friendly MapCochran Shoals Trail, on the northwestern outskirts of Atlanta, follows the western bank of the Chattahoochee River for over two miles, forming a popular fitness loop for exercise and recreation. The unpaved pathway travels through Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and is tree-lined and scenic. Due to its tranquil beauty, expect crowds on the weekends. The southern end of the trail marks the beginning of the paved Akers Mill Trail, which enables you to extend your journey west and connect to various other trails in Cumberland and Smyrna.
To Native Americans, "Chattahoochee" is thought to mean "River of Painted Rocks." Fishing is permitted in its waters, where anglers will find trout. Contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for more information about fishing in the river. Rafting, canoeing, and kayaking are also permitted in the park.
A large parking lot is available at the north end of the trail at 152 Columns Drive, with accessible restrooms and drinking fountains.
Parking is also available at the trail's southern end. From I-285, take exit 22; get onto New Northside Drive, then Interstate North Parkway. The lot will appear less than a mile after crossing the Chattahoochee River. This entrance also features accessible restrooms and drinking fountains.
This is a really nice trail that runs beside the Chattahoochee river. Beautiful areas and we saw multiple deer feeding in the woods along our walk. This is a very popular trail though. It is recommended that you donate to the trail at the trailhead they have digital method available which was convenient. This biggest issue is getting a parking space. I have never been to this trail where the it is not packed.
Beautiful but there’s WAY too many people. Great for runners.
I love this trail. It is mostly flat and very wide alongside the river. I would like to add that there are many 1-2 Mile offshoot trails that are connected to very wooded and beautiful small trails - with lots of shade and uphill options. I’ve explored 3 already.
I love this river trail. I've been running/biking this trail for probably close to 20 years. It's the perfect 3.1 mi loop for those starting out for 5K. It's mostly flat and very scenic along the river side. Parking can get a little crazy (both ends of the trails) during peak hours (weekends, evenings) but usually it's fairly quiet. For those seeking a little more distance or more difficult terrain, it connects to the sope creek trails which take you up north towards Paper Mill Road/Sope Creek area. There's a parking area there as well.
I would only add to the above review that it is quite easy to continue onto Columns Dr. from the northern part of this trail. There is a fairly wide bike path on either side of the street, which is divided by a median for much of its length. This is residential street, so does not suffer from high speeds and bike riders are quite common. Columns Dr. dead ends into one of the parking areas for the Cochran Shoals NRA.
On December 30, 2011, my wife, son-in-law and three granddaughters (ages 10,8 and 6) rode on this trail and found it to be very suitable for family riding. Although the trail is not very long, it does have an offshoot that circles away from the river and adds a little extra variety and one small hill. The surface seems to be a combination of crushed rock and gravel and is surprisingly smooth, although it's probably not that great for road bikes or skates. The main trail is quite wide and seems to have a lot of folks walking and running, so it's not the trail for speed demons. The trail for the most part does closely parallel the Chattahoochee River and the scenery is quite pleasing. We did three laps and rode slightly over ten enjoyable, relaxing miles.
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