On Monday, December 2, the Cobb County Department of Transportation and Cobb PARKS, in partnership with Trust for Public Land, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the first phase of the Chattahoochee RiverLands.

The first section of this river trail brings a bold regional vision to fruition that will connect 19 metro Atlanta cities and 7 counties to the Chattahoochee River and to each other with a greenway trail of connecting parks, overlooks, access points and trailheads.  The site also offers the first-ever public access to the river in South Cobb County.

Key features along the 0.6-mile trail include a paved shared-use path, a boardwalk that spans scenic wetlands, a soft surface trail, an education nook, a river overlook and more.

The project was led by the Cobb County Department of Transportation, with pivotal support from Commissioner Monique Sheffield, who secured $1 million in SPLOST funds to kickstart the initiative. Trust for Public Land contributed an additional $470,000 to help bring the project to completion. Chairwoman Lisa Cupid and the Mableton Improvement Coalition have also been instrumental advocates, rallying community support throughout the process.

This project is a significant milestone for Cobb County and the metro Atlanta region as it sets the standard for the envisioned 100-mile linear park system of the Chattahoochee RiverLands. Once complete, the RiverLands will connect nearly one million nearby residents and visitors to nature and activities such as kayaking, swimming, biking, picnicking, walking, camping, and more along the river.

This river trail, located in Mableton, sits behind Discovery Park at the River Line, and will be maintained by Cobb PARKS. To learn more about this project or other upcoming projects in the Atlanta region, visit TPL.org.