Bob Callan Trail

I thought East Pallisades Trail was the Best ITP, but this 1 takes the cake!
Btw the pics of the path I followed (as there are many branch offs) is the 1 that begins at Bob Callan Trail parking lot, & heads «SOUTHWARD» along Rottenwood Creek which eventually joins into Chatt. Also why I love this trail is because it switches up terrain several times; in addition to inclines. GREAT For Dogs bc every .25 miles, there is a easy way down to the river, has beach sand and is shallow for pups to play in, if they get hot. Total mileage for this route (& not forking off any point to another extension of the trail), is: 4 miles round trip and ends in Akers Park near Cumberland

Great place to walk, run and ride. Connects with other Chattahoochee trails. There are also some great restaurants along the way.

All but about 0.45 miles of what is called the Bob Callan trail (e.g. on Google maps) is actually the Rottenwood Creek trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area — West Palisades unit. Only the last, northern bit is Bob Callan. Together, the two form a continuous 1.8 mile multi-​use walking, running and biking path.
The path can be accessed from parking lots at either end. The southern one is the very large lot off Cobb Pkwy that serves the West Palisades NRA unit while the northern one is a small (a dozen spaces) unmarked lot off North Interstate Pkwy just to the north of the I-​75/​I-​285 interchange.
The path is wide, paved and moves up in elevation from south to north. Particularly with the NRA part of the path, it’s a very enjoyable walk. Rottenwood Creek is scenic and the area where the creek, the river and I-​75 overpass intersect is pretty cool. Also cool is the intersection of the path, the creek and I-​285 at the transition from NRA trail to Bob Callan trail. The path bridges the creek in a spot where the water runs over a lot of rock, creating a minor waterfall if the water’s running hard.

This trail is a hidden gem in the middle of an urban section of Cobb County. I work on the area and come here sometimes for a walk during lunch.
The trail runs along Rottenwood Creek to the Chattahooche. I have only walked sections of it in the time I have available at lunch.
It’s a paved trail with two lanes marked suitable for biking, running or walking. It gets quite hilly in spots. The creek has quite a bit of water in it and is very scenic.
There’s a parking lot with spaces for about 10 cars on Cumberland Blvd, just past Akers Mill.
There are some tables and benches in a few spots where you can relax and eat your lunch.
It’s not usually too crowded, so the peace and quiet and solitude gives a nice break from the urban activity around the area.
The trail runs under Highway 75 and gets a little noisy in spots from the traffic. This is really the only downside, but it cons with the territory.

This is one of the best trails in the area hands down. There’s a fishing hole too which makes it really cool. As others have said there is a series of hills you don’t really notice on your way down, but you definitely notice on the way back up. Haha. They aren’t bad though, if you have any stamina at all you’ll make it up no problem.
Lots of fun!

I would bet money that this is the best trail in Atlanta. Approximately 3.8 miles. Half is pretty hilly the rest completely flat. Walk/​run along creeks, waterfalls, and the Chattahoochee river!

«Actually I’m going on a hike. I’d ask you to come along, but you haven’t got any hiking boots, provisions, survey maps, or a compass.» — Youth in Revolt (2009)
Holy hills, Batman! Okay, so wow. First, this trail (ONE WAY) is 1.8 miles. I had no idea when I started it. Apparently, Tanya C. told me, but I wasn’t listening. We started on the The Bob Callan side which has a tiny\ parking lot. The good news is this parking lot is free. The bad news is that starting here will kick your ass when you finish as the hills are all on this side.
The entire trail is paved, so that is great for walking. You don’t have to worry about mud and crud. The entire trail is scenic and you almost forget the workout you are getting. The beautiful river keeps you company for the complete path. But let’s talk hills. When you start on this side, you very quickly hit a few hills, and then a long downhill stretch. What you don’t consider is that this means the end of your trek will be mostly UPHILL!
The entire walk took us 90 minutes, which was a great pace for me and I nearly passed out (okay, not really) when we hit the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area side and realized we were only halfway done! Apparently, this parking lot you have to pay $ 3 to park. But, surprisingly I made the trek back with little issue — until the hills. The first one you encounter is really the steepest and hardest on the knees — the middle is nothing and then last is just mean. But when you finish you can be proud of yourself for killing it — at least I was!
I will do this again, especially now knowing what to expect.

Obsessed and in love with this trail.
I run a lot of miles every week and I’m always searching for new routes and trails to run. Now, I wouldn’t consider this a legit trail– the whole thing is paved so no need for a trail shoe. The views from the trail and the surroundings are absolutely gorgeous– it’s shocking that this exists amongst the office buildings along the perimeter. There is limited parking– but you can park at Cochran Shoals (where there are bathrooms and water fountains) and it’s a 1.1 mile run down Interstate N. Parkway to this trail head.
A few things to note: this is not a trail, esp as a woman, that you should go out on alone. I run early in the morning and saw 1 other person cycling and I would not feel safe if I wasn’t in a group. So either go out when it’s busy on weekends or go with others. Also, there a several hills and if you’re not a hill runner you may struggle up them, but the views at the top are worth it. Finally, I spotted a good amount of poison ivy– so if you need to use the restroom trail-​side, be careful what leaf you choose to clean up with: avoid leaves of three.

I’m so excited to have discovered this trail through In It to Thin It (Thanks, Heidi P.!). This trail is conveniently located close to 75 and 285 in NW Atlanta. Each end of the trail has parking. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area side offers plenty of parking for $ 3. The Bob Callan side of the trail has a small parking lot, but parking is free on this end.
This is a great trail because it is paved the entire way and is very scenic. Loved all of the bridges. We started on the Chattahoochee side. The first half of the trail is relatively flat. There were lots of people walking with their dogs and families riding bikes. Hills start about halfway through. I almost passed out when I saw the first one because I wasn’t expecting any hills. I should have read the reviews first so I would be prepared. The hills offer a nice little workout even if you are walking.

I’ve been meaning to pass by since it is so close to the apartment, easy to get to, and is free to park, as I’ve read about. I like the mix of urban and natural formations. The paved trails save you from the poking of twigs, tripping of roots, and snagging of spider webs. It’s super walk-​able, yet, surrounded by all the beautiful scenery of the Rottenwood Creek, and connects to other trails along the Chattahoochee, including the Silver Comet trail.
Who knew that all this was hiding under the highway and between the buildings? There are some, early parts of the trail where office buildings and chain link fence show it’s plain, ugly face, that, for me, actually augments the charm of the creek side, as it opens up into the river. If I were ever homeless, I think this would be a good place to call home.

One of out fav trail !!!

I love this trail so much I added it to Unilocal!And yes that is my dog in the picture. Bob Callan Trail is attached to the Rottenwood Creek Section of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
I love the rise in elevation on this trail, and the fact that its paved as opposed to muddy. There are plenty of local places for me to run my dog that leave us both in need of a dip in the river afterward, so Im pretty stoked to have this option close by.
In the CRNRA there is paid parking, however on the Bob Callan side of things there is a free parking lot. SCORE!

Finally a first!
Bob Callan trail is one of my favorite spots to run for a few reasons.
First and foremost it’s very easy to get to. It’s right at 75 and 285 on interstate pkwy north. You can pull in to the right near Strayer and park for free. From there you can walk down onto the trail. Which brings me to my second point.
It’s beautiful. I get so tired of running in between buildings that I love to come up here and get lost in the woods. You start out on a paved path that runs along a tributary for the Chattahoochee. The trail follows that river, crossing over it a few times via bridges like the one I attached, until you reach the Chattahoochee.
It’s about 1.8 miles from the trail-​head to the hooch. From there you can take a number of dirt paths off into the forest. I usually head straight north and follow the river. Just look out for mountain bikers if you are on foot. They haul a size-​able amount of ass through here.
If you live anywhere convenient to 75 it’s a very easy ride and a great place to run and clear your head.