Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined Trust for Public Land (TPL) for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of Atlanta’s first public access point to the Chattahoochee River - Standing Peachtree Greenspace.

The Dec. 2 event unveiled an accessible kayak launch, a fully accessible path to the river, woodland restoration and upgrades to the access road on site.

“We are ecstatic to present Atlanta’s first public access point to the Chattahoochee River, and grateful for the opportunity to help Mayor Dickens fulfill his promise to open the river to the public,” said George Dusenbury, Georgia State Director at Trust for Public Land. “This tremendous milestone 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 more accessible and attractive to visitors.”

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 ribbon-cutting followed a similar event earlier in the day where Cobb County Department of Transportation, in partnership with Trust for Public Land, opened the first phase of the RiverLands Showcase Site in Smyrna. The site is the first section of paved, shared use trail along the Chattahoochee River in South Cobb County. and features a boardwalk that spans scenic wetlands, a soft surface trail, an education nook and river overlook.

Both sites are part of the Chattahoochee RiverLands – a bold regional vision to connect 19-metro Atlanta cities and 7 counties to the Chattahoochee River and to each other with an ambitious greenway trail connecting parks, overlooks, access points and trailheads.  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.