Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Gold Branch

Love these trails!!! Some are less traveled, and so very peaceful and not too many people. Lots of dogs enjoying these as well, especially along the water where they can swim.

Peaceful and serene. Great well defined trails for a nice walk/​hike or run. We were on a time limit so didn’t stay too long (about an hour, close to 3 miles) and cut a small portion of the trail out to return to the car but this seems like the true definition of a Forest Bath and pretty level terrain making it an easy choice for any fitness level.
There was nothing strenuous about it. Spotted a Barred Owl within about 10 minutes of our hike/​walk, which was very cool since I’d never seen one and several ducks in the river. My boyfriend, his brother and I really enjoyed taking a little time to explore the Chattahoochee River.
Parking is $ 3

Great area! It was a little steep at some points but nothing too tiresome. The scenery was amazing and the paths were well marked. I could still hear some traffic in the distance but it was by no means a mood killer. A nice trail that I would definitely visit again. The trail is about 5 miles around so its a good walk for those looking for some exercise. Definitely recommended.

One of the many units of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. This one lies along what is called Bull Sluice Lake, which is just a wider section of the Chattahoochee River created by the old Morgan Falls Dam. Because of the proximity to the dam, the river here is slow and calm.
There’s a smallish parking lot accessed from Lower Roswell Rd just a couple of miles NE of Johnson Ferry Rd. The trailhead is at the south end of the parking lot, which itself is in a electric power line right-​of-​way.
Trails are much what you find in all the Chattahoochee NRA units. Well-​defined and — mostly — well-​marked. The NRA uses signs at trail intersections to let you know where you are and where the various trail branches go. But not all intersections are marked and there are more trails than are shown on the maps. Still, given the topography and small size of the park, you can’t get lost.
Trails along the water are very scenic and quite different from those at the other units because of the character of the river here. The dam created a wetland and the trails in the northern part of the unit actually don’t front the main course of the river.
Great place for casual, in-​town hiking. Watch for tree roots on the trail.

Gold Branch Trail is a fantastic walking/​hiking trail located right smack dab in the middle of busy East Cobb. It goes through National Park and takes you along Bull Sluice Lake.
Growing up, my backyard butted up to the National Park and we could access Gold Branch through a maze of self-​created trails. It was the perfect place to be a kid and experience nature. We had so many adventures within the park and every time I go back there it stirs up such great memories.
Nowadays our paths from the backyard to the main trail are well-​covered by brush, but we still go to Gold Branch every once in a while to walk my dog. There’s a parking lot at the main entrance and the trail is very clearly marked from the get-​go. The trail is used very minimally but they do a great job of keeping it clear. It’s beautiful to walk along the lake and it’s so quiet that we’re often able to take our dog off her leash and just let her run (shhh… don’t tell the park ranger!).
There’s no real address listed, so you can get there by going North on Johnson Ferry Road and then taking a right. You’ll get in to the residential areas with all of the subdivisions and it will be on the right, across from Asheforde. It’s on Lower Roswell between Johnson Ferry and Little Willeo.