Bowmans Island Upper and Lower Loop Trail (click to enlarge)
Northern Section Upper and Lower Loop Hike
Distance: estimated 1.75 miles
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate, somewhat hilly
Download the Bowmans Island Trail Map (PDF)
The trails at the northern end of the Bowmans Island Unit at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area are comprised of an upper and lower loop that are joined by a connector trail, thus forming a modified “figure 8”. Hiking these trails is for exercise only. They do not go near the Chattahoochee River and do not offer anything remotely scenic. If you want a better hike, albeit a much longer one, try my West Side Loop hike, which does follow the Chattahoochee for part of the way.
The hike begins at Lower Pool West Park. The road and the parking lot are owned by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, but annual National Park and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area passes are valid for entry. If you don’t have a pass, you must pay the standard entrance fee, which is currently $8. There is a credit card machine at the entrance, but your best bet is to purchase a pass (day or annual) in advance online at Recreation.gov. The credit card machines are often out of order, and cash payments are no longer accepted at the individual park units.
Once past the pay station at the entrance, be on the lookout for a parking area off to the right. If you get to the picnic area and boat ramp at the end of the road, you have gone too far. Once at the proper parking lot, you will see the trailhead that leads into the Bowmans Island unit.
Start of the trails at the north end of the Bowmans Island Unit of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area at Lower Pool West Park
Cross the bridge and start hiking along a well-worn path until you arrive at the trail map stand at BI 1 (intersections are identified by number). This is not an intersection, just the first place where you will find a trail map. If you did not bring a copy of the map with you, do not worry because trail map stands are at all intersections.
Start of the Bowman Island loop hike in Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
On your way to BI 2, there are a number of trails that branch off the main trail to the right and lead to the Chattahoochee River. However, this area is now closed, and all the trails are blocked with fallen tree branches.
Side trails at the northern end of the Bowmans Island Unit of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area that lead to the Chattahoochee River are now closed
Stay straight at BI 2 and head towards BI 3, which is .3 mile from the start. When the trail forks at BI 3, stay to the right / straight and continue along a trail that looks like a large gully created by rainwater that has cascaded down from the hillside. It is chock full of loose rocks and often lined with clay, so it is very slick when wet. You will pass intersection BI 4 on the way to your ultimate destination, BI 5. The total distance from B3 to B5 is only .2 mile.
“Gully” section of the Upper Loop Trail at the Bowmans Island Unit of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
When you reach BI 4 you’ll be wondering why there is even an intersection sign because it appears that you can only continue hiking straight ahead. However, if you look back over your right shoulder, you will see a trail that goes up the hill and immediately takes a sharp left and curves out of sight. This is a trail that cuts through the middle of the Upper Loop and comes out at BI 6. For this hike, continue on the “Gully” trail until you get to BI 5, the intersection for the connector trail that leads to the Lower Loop portion of the hike.
Clay-lined gully on the way to intersection BI 5 on the Upper Loop Trail at the Bowmans Island Unit of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Take a left at BI 5 and head towards BI 11, which is where the Lower Loop starts. Being a loop, you can go left or right at BI 11, but I hiked in the counterclockwise direction, to the left. There are two fairly steep hills to climb and descend along the way. You’ll pass intersections BI 14 and BI 12, but other than that, there are no side trails to get lost on. When you get back to BI 11, take a right and hike back to the Upper Loop Trail at BI 5.
At BI 5 take a left and head towards BI 6, just a short distance ahead. The trail forks left and right. As discussed earlier, a right is the trail that cuts though the middle of the Upper Loop and takes you back towards BI 3. You want to continue around the loop, so take a left and hike only a minute farther down the trail to BI 7.
At BI 7 is a trail that leads out of the park to Old Trail Court (BI 8). This is an entrance trail into Bowmans Island for the people living in the nearby neighborhood. Skip past this and continue around towards BI 9. Part of the trail takes you to within fifty feet of some nice houses; it must be strange to live there and see people hiking through your backyard!
There is another trail that forks to the left and leads to a neighborhood at BI 9, but you’ll want to stay straight / right to begin a hike along a section of trail that runs all the way back to BI 2. You’ll be starting out near the peak of a moderate hill, so from the intersection you’ll be heading downhill. After a quarter mile you will come to one last hill before reaching BI 2. Based on the numerous narrow and overgrown sections, I suspect that not many people come this way. To make matters worse, just before reaching BI 2, the trail becomes very narrow and is full of loose rocks. Once at BI 2, take a hard left to hike back to the parking lot.
Narrow section of the Upper Loop Trail at Bowmans Island right before the BI 2 intersection when coming from BI 9, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
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Last updated on May 6, 2024
