Chattahoochee Nature Center

This is a little-​known, and magical place just outside the city. I was really blown away when I realized what I had been missing all these years. This is a nature lover’s paradise. There are miles of nature trails including a boardwalk that goes over the marshy areas of the river. There are picnic tables located all over the property so you can bring your lunch and enjoy it by the pond or river. The visitor’s center boasts a gift shop for the kiddos and a lovely gallery space. The exhibit was of nature inspired paintings and drawings by local artists. The downstairs area is an interactive, interpretive science center. The nature center is home to several wild animals that have been injured in the wild and can’t be rereleased. Check the website to visit during feeding times or for other special events with the animals. In fact check the website for all kinds of things– concerts, yoga, canoe trips. Can I just live here?

I went by myself hoping to be able to put myself in nature and think about life, and I would say I was quite successful. Apparently it was extremely slow when I went (early Friday afternoon). I’m pretty sure everyone else there was an employee or volunteer. I started out with a guided tour of their indoor exhibits and I happened to come at a time when they do an up close animal encounter so I got to see, touch, and learn about a corn snake. This place is beautiful even in the winter even the buildings and landscape are very nice. I would very much like to come back with a kid to see what he/​she thinks. There’s a lot of opportunities for photography here as well. This place has enormous potential! But, because I feel that they are not quite taking full advantage of that, I decided to only give four stars. I mean a beaver habitat with no beavers? Cmon! I’ll probably visit again soon and maybe then I’ll upgrade to five stars, we’ll see…

This place is such a great spot for families. They are a non profit so I really feel good about the work they do. They have more than just trails and reptiles etc. they host special events, summer camps and my son and I just went to a beginning canoe class. The class was great. A great value.

For weddings: We got our coordinator switched at the last second on us to someone with no knowledge of how the place worked. We were being asked questions about our contract in the middle of the dancing. That’s how little she knew. Stay away.

Very nice, new facility with friendly, expert staff. The price was very reasonable ($ 10 for myself and $ 6 for my kid over 3… My two kids under 3 were free). The gift shop has reasonably priced knick knacks too. Some of the river walk was a bit tired, but the views of the river were stunning. However, the real attraction are the birds of prey and beaver, set in a sort of native botanical garden. The indoor exhibits are very worthwhile too. We ran out of time for the woodland trails, but look forward to enjoying them at some other visit.

Really, really beautiful place. I went here one day to check it out, as it’s along my daily commute. I arrived there and the associate at the front desk was super-​friendly, telling me about all the different programs they have to offer, the pricing of a daily or annual pass, and the conservational history. She made feel welcome to be there. The first time, I just went running through the trails and took some pit stops to see the plants and animals. Learned what snag was… who knew the benefits dead trees have to offer! Also, it’s impossible to get lost, as there are signs everywhere.
The second time I went was to run in a 10k they were hosting there. They have a nice pavillion where the runners picked up their goodie-​bags and a large greenspace for people to congregate and set up tents. Great experience. Hope to be back one day to support a worthy cause.

This place is AWESOME!!!
Beautifully done exhibit on the inside that gives history and information about the Chattahoochee natural areas, there is also some adorable animals downstairs (such as the snoozy possum). Outside there are great enclosures with birds (including bald eagles) with a ton of information (plus a beaver!).
Lots of plants as well, and a cool boardwalk around the Chattahoochee. I love this place, it’s definitely worth going to, especially with children.

I had a great time with my family. The place was pretty amazing and the staff were amazing. We saw the creature feature and the kids really enjoyed it. We walk the trails and saw the animals. The property is beautifully maintained. The displays in the education building were great quality.
The only reason I give 4 stars and not 5 is because it’s too pricey. I want to get a membership for my family but I often take other peoples kids with me and even with the membership it would be pricey to come regularly. Also when I see things that are supposed to be «community» or «non-​profit» that are priced in such a manner that a low income family of 4 would not be able to enjoy it, it kind of bothers me. But if you have it to spend it’s well worth the trip.

Prior to my spring break my best friend and I found this place on the list of things to do while in Atlanta. This was my first time doing anything close to hiking. We got up super early to hit up the trail even though we didn’t have to. The nature center was about a 10 – 15 minute drive from our hotel in Norcross.
The drive up was lovely and we even joked about the Cullen’s house being up on the hilltops. It wasn’t too difficult to find the Nature Center and we thought there was a parking fee. However, we weren’t charged for any parking and parked in the private lot of the nature center. The entrance building was very well kept and made me feel like I was on an educational field trip.
I forgot how much it was per person, but it was quite inexpensive. The lady working the front desk was so kind and helpful. She gave us the run through of where we would be starting and what to expect. Their otter was not feeling well however, so we were a little bummed about that. She even directed us to the downstairs area so we could check out the neat artifacts. We ran into a nice man who was in charge of the area in the children center. There was a chameleon they rescued and was recuperating in side a glass tank. I was fascinated with the tarantula and the trading station for kids to trade their findings in for cute knick knacks.
From the children’s center downstairs is a door that leads out to a wooden patio. From there you take the stairs down to the nature trail. We had definitely picked a beautiful day to go trailing. There was about 5 – 6 trails that were color coded on the map. Along each trail you will come across trees with paint on it to indicate which trail you are on. You don’t precisely have to follow the trail but we were advised go off trail at your own risk.
It wasn’t any hardcore trailing/​hiking but for my friends and I who are beginners it was quite an experience. We though we’d spend at least 3 – 4 hours out there but we finished within an hour and a half. Which gave us time to do more than we had planned that day. I would recommend this for families who want to spend some quality time together. The place is within a gated area so there are no worries if you guys get separated from one another.

I think some people’s reviews are written for other things entirely… like this is in Roswell which does not touch 285 last I checked. This place is somewhat hidden, but easy to find by heading up Roswell Road from Sandy Springs, crossing the river and turning left at the first light and then following the signs.
It’s $ 8 to get in for adults, and they have memberships available for visiting multiple times. The admission area also has a small gift shop with plenty of owls. Everything at the nature center is native to the area except some invasive Japanese plant. I also had no idea beavers live in the area.
Every animal in here cannot return to the wild, but they take care of them. For instance, the beaver here was found when he was just a week old and a trapper killed the rest of his family :(He seemed comfortable here, taking a nap.
Then we headed to the birds of prey aviaries. There are vultures, hawks, owls, and two bald eagles! So awesome. A lot of them are incapable of flight due to past injuries so watching them hop between branches in their aviaries made me want to cheer for them. The great horned owls were my favorites. They totally look like the most judgmental owls in the universe, but then they get sleepy and look extremely happy.
There are a bunch of walking trails through the nature center, as well as one across the street on a boardwalk that takes you along the river. It wasn’t every interesting right now but I’m sure it’s way cooler in the spring when everything is green. It was kind of overcast on the day we went too.
Back inside, there is the neatest area called the trading post. You can bring in something you’ve found in nature, like seashells or rocks, and get points to trade for other items ranging from skulls, butterflies, etc. There’s also a small aquarium type set up with information on the fish in the Chattahoochie and other birds and animals that live in the area. There’s a couple owls here and some possums.
Overall, if you’ve never been here, it’s really neat to see and would be a great place to go on a day off. The walking trails aren’t too long, I think if you walked them all it’s only about 2 miles total. So at most I think you could spend 3 hours here and it’d be well worth it.

Went there last Sunday with the hubby and our 16 month child, we had a great time! every one at the center was SUPER nice. We took a guided tour and later toured the butterfly garden and met some cute owls. Everything is organized/​clean and very kid + stroller friendly. It does cost 8 dollars for adults (2 years and under for free) which I thought was a bit expensive, but again — service was awesome. Only a 30 minute drive from midtown, we will come again!!!

Love the nature center. The kids love going to see the animals and the staff is super friendly. Very tranquil environment nestled in Roswell. Relaxing and fun!

Came with a group to work in the Unity Garden, which produces vegetables (and provides education about healthy eating) for local food banks. The staff members here are super friendly and helpful. In no time, they had our large group organized and doing different tasks in harvesting vegetables, and maintaining the garden for the next growing cycle.
Location– easily located by following their website directions and signs (as well as GPS). The base buildings are very basic, and there is plenty of parking in the large lot.

To my knowledge, this is one of the few places, if not the only place in Atlanta that offers beekeeping classes. I thoroughly enjoyed the one I took there. I keep meaning to visit for a picnic or a nature stroll, but it is so far from my house…

Nice area to go walking in down by the hoochee. Good to get away from all the hustle and bustle around… but be sure when you go you take the marked trail… and not the nature trail (unless your adventurous-I’m not) But i decided to take the nature trail anyways… Big mistake… as my friend always tells me…“don’t let Ian (my Caucasian boyfriend) drag you out there in those woods. black people and nature DON’T get along!” — I mean seriously do you see any on the discovery channel trying to climb mount Everest… and well she was right… Mistake on my part for not really eating much before I went on this journey… going just before dusk… and well taking the nature trail which is again, NOT marked.lol. well after our 3 hour hike. getting lost numerous times .me falling over a fallen tree into a puddle and getting banged up… I was determined to find my way back to the car… after doing so I wanted to kiss the pavement. But I will be back!!! with vengeance, a map, and a full tummy next time!

I’m reviewing the Chattahoochee Nature Center Trail. Great for biking and a five mile walk but HEADS UP the bathroom facilities have been closed since November due to some «plumbing problem» and they don’t have many resources to remedy the problem (a porta-​john).
Also, it’s $ 3 to park and the parking lot on Columns Drive is smaller but less busy than the 285 side. The bike trails are cool and up in the woods but the walking trail is very flat and not challenging. It’s very busy on the weekends on nice days. Great place to bring your dog too. All dogs are typically on a leash which is good. :-)

I never would have thought that there would be room for a nature center this large there. It’s actually quite nice. The nature center is nestled in the city of Roswell.
I arrived early in the morning at about 6am to volunteer for a 10K race. It was incredibly cold! Driving through the park in the dark didn’t really give me the full feel of where I was. What I did notice was that the park was well preserved. In the nature store, there were several different educational materials available for purchase as well as Eco friendly bird feeders.
I spent the morning volunteering during the race. After runners finished running 6.2 miles, I handed out organic bananas and oranges as well as bagels and water provided by Whole Foods. As the sun rose, the feel of the park was much more apparent. The people who work there also lent their knowledge of the area.
What I learned is that the park is home to more than 75 species of animals. It has been around for 30 years and used to have several swimming pools that were open to the public. One man who ran the race fondly recalled a time when he used to come swimming when he was a boy. (There’s still one pool that I could see.) The park also has Camp Kingfisher where children learn about the natural habitat of the area.
If you’re not interested in the camp, you can visit the nature center for $ 5. If you have children, they are just $ 2 and if they’re under 2 they’re free.