Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area | ABBOTTS BRIDGE HIKING TRAILS

Abbotts Bridge Trail Map (click to enlarge)

Abbotts Bridge Trail Map (click to enlarge)


Abbotts Bridge Unit Main Page


Start of the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Start of the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Length:  .8 mile, round trip
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy

Directions

Download the Abbotts Bridge Trail Map (PDF)

There is one short trail at the Abbotts Bridge Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area that runs along the Chattahoochee River before ending unceremoniously at a soccer field at Scott Hudgens Park. According to the park signage, the trail is .2 mile long, but it is actually double that, making the round trip hike .8 mile. For the most part, there is nothing worth seeing, and the trail should be avoided unless you are picnicking at Abbotts Bridge and are simply looking for something to do.

The trailhead is located at the left side of the Abbotts Bridge Boat Ramp. The trail looks overgrown right from the start, but just beyond the small hill next to the ramp is a wider, well-groomed trail.

Terrain at the start of the Abbotts Bridge trail, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Terrain at the start of the Abbotts Bridge trail, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Though the trail is often no more than 20 feet from the river, unencumbered glimpses of the water are rare due to the heavy brush along the riverbank.

Typical terrain along the first half of the Abbotts Bridge Trail at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Typical terrain along the first half of the Abbotts Bridge Trail at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

At the halfway point is a deep ravine, and no bridge has been built across it. To get around it, the trail turns inland, following the ravine as it gradually becomes shallower. It is full of water, so it appears to be a creek that empties into the Chattahoochee River, but it is actually nothing more than a very narrow cove.

Ravine bisects the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Ravine bisects the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

At the end of the ravine, the trail crosses over to the other side. There is a very obvious trail to your left, but this is not the way to go, and I have no idea where it leads. The official trail heads to the right and follows the ravine back to the Chattahoochee River.

Abbotts Bridge Unit Trail on the other side of the ravine, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Abbotts Bridge Unit Trail on the other side of the ravine, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Due to light use, the trail beyond the ravine becomes overgrown, though it was not too bad during the fall when I did the hike—I certainly wouldn’t want to be here in the summer. At some points I was actually stooping to walk under the brush that was consuming the trail.

Terrain towards the end of the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Terrain towards the end of the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

There is one location on this second leg of the hike where you can get an unobstructed view of the Chattahoochee River. It was also along this stretch that I came across three bowl-sized mushrooms, one of which was actually full of water.

View of the Chattahoochee River towards the end of the Abbots Bridge Unit trail

View of the Chattahoochee River towards the end of the Abbots Bridge Unit trail

Large, bowl-size mushrooms

Large, bowl-size mushrooms

There is an official National Park Service trail sign (intersection AB 2 on the map) just before the end of the trail. Beyond this is a thicket of brush that you can walk through to emerge onto the soccer field. There is no sign at the field identifying the trail into the Abbotts Bridge Unit, but if you know where to look you can spot the gap in the brush.

Gap in the brush at the Scott Hudgens Park soccer field is the trailhead for the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Gap in the brush at the Scott Hudgens Park soccer field is the trailhead for the Abbotts Bridge Unit trail at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

On the trail’s positive side, there are a couple of exceptionally large trees a short distance from the start of the hike. I was not sure if I was looking at one tree or a group of trees that had grown together over the centuries, but the girth was substantial.

One of a few large trees at the start of the Abbotts Bridge trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

One of a few large trees at the start of the Abbotts Bridge trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

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Last updated on May 10, 2024
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