The Chattahoochee River. An oasis of nature nestled in a large metropolitan city.

The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) consists of a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River and 15 land units along its corridor. It begins at Lake Lanier's Buford Dam, near Buford, Georgia, and continues downstream through four counties to Peachtree Creek in Atlanta. The park provides outdoor recreation for more than 3 million visitors a year. It is an important resource for this urban area that is experiencing unprecedented population growth and development.

The park is rich in natural and human history, each influenced by the river's pervasive force. Usually clear, cold, and slow moving, the river sometimes plunges as a muddy torrent through its rockbound shoals. For centuries people have been drawn to the river for food, transportation, and for power to sustain the mills, factories, and homes built along its banks.

Today the river attracts us for different reasons. People come to float down the river, as the locals will say, "shoot the 'hooch", hike the trails along its banks, fish in its cold water, and simply relax.

Wildlife is abundant in the park. Some animals you will see every time you visit and some, like the playful river otter, will delight you with a rare appearance.