The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is composed of a number of disconnected land units along the shoreline of the river as it passes through the greater Atlanta area. Since living in Georgia, I've hiked through many of the sections, but one I had not yet visited was the Bowmans Island unit. It's a beautiful late autumn day out, which seems like the perfect time to add this one to my list.
The trailhead is at the end of a short drive just after passing over the Buford Dam, which holds back the waters of the winding river to create Lake Lanier. I quickly find a parking spot and hit the trails. The early part of the trail follows very close to the shoreline and offers views of some of the waterfowl that visit the river, including blue heron and Canadian geese. It rained a bit a couple of days ago and the trail is muddy in places, but still very passable. The views of the river are pretty nice, but the shallow nature of the waters is evident here as a number of rocks and fallen trees can be seen in the waters.
The trail eventually forks and heads uphill and away from the river, leading into an area behind a residential neighborhood. The hillsides of this section are gently sloping and covered with the fallen leaves of the season making for a pleasant hike. Completing the small loop, the trail then returns to the section by the river and I had return the way I came. Though it was a bit brisk, this was a great way to start a Saturday morning. I was able to get in just about 4.4 miles along this trail.
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