One of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area’s best spots for fly-fishing and shaded, summertime walks has a reimagined trail system.
Why it matters: The top-to-bottom overhaul of Island Ford’s trail system in Sandy Springs is part of a multiyear effort to improve the roughly 7,000-acre recreation area’s hiking paths.
- The new trails are also the first in the recreation area to have names.
Zoom in: By realigning the park’s trail, park officials managed to add more than 2 miles to the path network, bringing the total to 6.4 miles, according to the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy. Updates also include two new pedestrian bridges and better wayfinding and signage.
- In addition, crews turned a well-worn downhill trail leading to the river into a set of concrete stairs designed to prevent stormwater erosion and handle heavy use.
- The end result: a more resilient trail network that protects natural resources.
The project is the product of a public-private partnership between the conservancy and the National Park Service…