Sunday Afternoon Hike at Island Ford

Let's hit the hills of Island Ford like Vikings out on a day pass. Please join me on the beautiful trails of the Island Ford unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA).   We will hike at a moderate pace with rest breaks at the top of each and every hill.  The plan is to visit every major parking lot as well as the lake. Please bring lots of water to stay hydrated during the hike.

I'm listing this as a D2 to be consistent with similar hikes I've been on at Island Ford.  However, the speed (2.25 mph average, 6 peak) combined with the hills/stumps/nature might make it challenging for beginners.  The pace won't be leisurely but it won't be a fitness hike either.  If you're a regular, go ahead and sign up - you know what to expect.         

We will meet at the Visitor Center.   No bathrooms will be available as the visitor center closes at 5 pm. Please note that there is a $3 cash parking fee unless you have an annual Chattahoochee River Rec parking pass.   Please plan to arrive a few minutes early to pay for parking and check in as we will be leaving on time.

 (image courtesy of S. Perchalski. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

DIRECTIONS for DRIVERS proceeding NORTHBOUND on GA400 from the GA400/I285 Interchange

1. Take GA400 to exit #6 (Northridge Road) Bear right to loop around the exit, stay in the right lane, cross over GA 400 and immediately turn right at the light onto Dunwoody Place.          
2. Continue northward on Dunwoody Place about 0.5 miles to the light at Roberts Drive.
3. Turn right onto Roberts Drive and proceed 0.7 miles to the park entrance on your right (pictured above) at Island Ford Parkway. 
4. Turn right onto Island Ford Parkway and go all the way until it dead ends into the Visitor Center which is about 3/4 of a mile.     

DIRECTIONS for DRIVERS proceeding SOUTHBOUND on GA400 from Alpharetta/Roswell

1.  Take GA400 southbound to exit #6 (Northridge Road). Bear right to loop around the exit and at the traffic light continue straight ahead onto Dunwoody Place.  
2.  Then follow directions steps 2,3,4 above for the Northbound GA400 drivers to reach our meetup parking lot at the Visitor Center. 

For a zoomable map or satellite view of that spot click on the rectangular blue/green "event location" icon near the top of this article.

Physical address is::

1978 Island Ford Parkway
Atlanta, GA  30350

GPS co-ordinates : 33° 59' 40.64" N 84° 20' 2.16" W

Trail map - http://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/upload/TrailMapIslandFord.pdf