It was some time in the making, but Georgia’s newest state park opened July 1. The nearly 3,000-acre Chattahoochee Bend State Park is located off Flat Rock Road in northwest Coweta and includes a number of amenities and seven miles of property fronting the Chattahoochee River.
Chattahoochee Bend State Park is one of Georgia’s largest, covering 2,910 acres, according to the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, providing visitors with what has been called a spectacular tract of protected wilderness area. The park will be a haven for paddlers, campers and anglers, DNR said.
Although most of the park has been left in its natural state, the new park offers amenities that include 25 RV campsites (with a $25-28 rental fee), 12 tent walk-in campsites ($25 rental), 10 tent pop-up campsites ($25 rental), 16 riverside platform campsites ($20 rental), four screened Adirondack campsites ($35 rental), two picnic shelters ($65 rental) and a visitors center, according to DNR.
Reservations for the campsites for the campsites and picnic shelters can be made by calling the park office at 770-254-7271 or toll-free at 800-864-7275, according to the DNR website at http://gastateparks.org/ChattahoocheeBend/.
Other amenities include a boat ramp that provides easy access to the river, a playground and more than six miles of wooded trails for hiking and nature photography. A half-mile hike from the day-use area leads to an observation platform with views of the river and forest. Covered picnic shelters may be rented for birthday parties, family reunions and other group gatherings, according to DNR. Groups such as Scouts have their own private camping area with screened sleeping shelters and a large fire pit.
The park will be open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. and requires a $5 parking fee. Office hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The park address is 425 Bobwhite Way. Access to the park is off Flat Rock Road.
It has been nearly 20 years since the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has opened a new state park. In 1993, the state assumed operation of Tallulah Gorge State Park in a partnership with Georgia Power Company, which had already been maintaining the popular recreation area. No other new state parks have opened since that time, DNR said.
“Being able to create a state park from scratch has been an amazing opportunity for the Department of Natural Resources,” said State Park Director Becky Kelley. “We talked to the community and to outdoor enthusiasts while in the planning stages, and they have a real investment in the park. We also worked very closely with Representative Lynn Smith, Coweta County officials and Friends of Chattahoochee Bend State Park, all whose help was crucial to making this happen.”
Members of the non-profit Friends of Chattahoochee Bend played a substantial role in bringing the park to fruition, hosting numerous work days beginning in 2008 and contributing thousands of man hours to the development efforts include the installation of the hiking trails.
Board member Dean Jackson the organization’s efforts have not been completed with the park’s opening. The Friends hope to eventually extend the trails to 25 miles and potentially install equestrian and mountain bike trails.
For more information on Friends of Chattahoochee Bend visit http://bendfriend.org
Potential Phase 2 amenities could be established some time in the future. That time frame is not set and will depend on state funding. As funding permits, Phase 2 amenities could include more than a dozen cottages in various locations throughout the park, a river lodge, an equestrian center and more activities and comfort stations.
Chattahoochee Bend is one of Georgia’s 65 state parks situated on more than 80,000 acres. In terms of sheer size, Chattahoochee Bend ranks as the fourth largest in the park system, behind Roosevelt in Warm Springs, Smithgall Woods Conservation Area in Helen and Hard Labor Creek near Madison. It will also be the closest state park to many southwest metro Atlanta residents. Other state parks in the vicinity include Panola Mountain near Stockbridge and Sweetwater Creek near Lithia Springs.
