Sarah Today I’m bringing you my experience and advice on hiking the Gold Branch Unit of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area! Here is a little background information, what to do, and what to bring on your trek through this beautiful area.
The Chattahoochee River cuts through the Atlanta metro area from northeast to southwest, on its way from the hills of North Carolina to the coastal plains of Alabama, and defines Atlanta almost as much as Peachtree Street. Shooting the ‘Hooch is a rite of passage for every Atlantan, and the river serves as the backdrop for countless walking paths, hiking trails, fishing docks, and picnic spots throughout the city.
The National Park Service maintains 48 miles of river and 15 land units under the umbrella of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. It is such a great resource for our community, and I love to take advantage of living so close to it, whether it’s for a quick run along the riverside, or if I have more time, a hike on one of the several trails in the NRA.
One of my favorite hikes to do is in the Gold Branch Unit, which in my experience is more lightly trafficked than some of the other Chattahoochee NRA trails. The Gold Branch is nestled on the banks of Bull Sluice Lake, a reservoir and marshy area of the river that formed to the north of Morgan Falls Dam. The hiking trails here meander by the banks of the river and reservoir, and crisscross over the top of forested hills and ravines.
What hiking route should you take?
You will encounter some elevation if you take the approximately 3.3 mile circular route next to the river bank, but not as much as on the cut-through trails. If you’re looking for a moderate elevation workout, you could cut back and forth across the hill.
My personal favorite route is to bear north after crossing the small wooden bridge, and take the circular route next to the water. You will encounter rocky steps and a forest stream before you hit the riverbank, and then some fun little bridges, rocks, or logs to cross where little streams run off from the hills into the lake. Eventually, the trail leaves the riverside and climbs back up into the forest, connecting with your starting point.
What is there to see?
Along the trail you will see countless cool trees, Chattahoochee River and Bull Sluice Lake views, and even Morgan Falls Dam in the distance. This dam was the first source of hydroelectric power in the city of Atlanta, and still provides a small amount of power to metro Atlanta today.
There is plenty of wildlife to see, including ducks, geese, beavers, and squirrels. And there are even the remnants of a burned out car along the trail–rumor has it that it’s a ’57 Thunderbird, and that there was once a note explaining how the car got there, but the note is long gone. Now it’s just a neat artifact to see along the way.
What gear do you need?
All you need are hiking shoes with good grip for this adventure! Be aware that on portions of the trail near the riverbank, there are a ton of tree roots and rocks that make footing tricky. My current hiking shoes of choice are Merrell Yakota 2 hiking shoes, because I love the grip and have found the shoes to be pretty good in water, although they don’t claim to be waterproof. I did have to replace the insoles with Dr. Scholl’s Running Insoles, because I pronate and I just love the rigid support these insoles give to my arches (in fact, I use these in all of my sports activity shoes, but I digress).
I also think hiking poles might not be a bad idea if you need something extra for balance while you’re making your way over the rooty and rocky areas. Also, don’t forget a water bottle–here’s my favorite–the ascent from the river bank back toward the parking lot is not too bad, but I always need to pause for a drink of water at the top. And if you’re going during warmer months, bug spray in my opinion is a necessity.
When to go?
I personally love to do this hike in late fall, winter, or early spring. It is good year-round, but in summer and early fall there are lots of bugs and poison ivy. If you don’t mind dealing with those annoyances, the views of the river are still great during the warmer months. I also would not recommend hiking the Gold Branch right after a heavy rain or during a wet season. The trail can wash out on the riverside portions, and get pretty muddy even on the higher elevations.
This trail is great for older kids who don’t mind scrambling over roots and rocks, but I would not recommend it for younger kids. We took my son when he was five years old during summertime, and he managed to stir up a yellow jacket nest, which resulted in his first sting.
Hiking the Gold Branch is my escape to nature in colder months! Check out my Instagram @earbudtravel for pictures of my adventures there. I hope this post helps you plan your own trip to the Gold Branch Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Have a comment, correction, or suggestion for me? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line in the comments below.
xoxo
S
