Gold Branch Trail, part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Bridge in the forest at Gold Branch Trail.

Part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

The Chattahoochee National Recreation Area is located along 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River across 15 separate units in metro Atlanta. This area has 66 miles of hiking trails and offers diverse views of riverfront hiking across the city and the surrounding suburbs.

Meandering path through the heavily forested Gold Branch Trail.

Gold Branch feels like one of the lesser-known Chattahoochee National Recreation Area Parks. Every time I go there, I may see like 2 other people. For that reason, you usually have a higher probability of seeing wildlife. I have come across deer, opossums, and squirrels on my hikes there so far.

Dogs playing in Bull Sluice Lake.

Mushrooms on the Trail

This is also a great hike to spot unique vegetation. I often find mushrooms growing throughout the trails. None of them appear edible, but it’s still cool to come across them on a hike.

Funky, orange mushrooms growing at Gold Branch Trail.

Trail Overview

  • Trail Name: Gold Branch Trail

  • Distance: 3.2 Miles, 4.7 miles of hiking trails available.

  • Difficulty: Easy

  • Location: Marietta

  • Family-Friendly: Yes

  • Dog-Friendly: Yes

  • Entrance Fee: $5 or $40 for an annual pass

Golden hour at Gold Branch.

Golden Hour at Gold Branch

My favorite part of this trail is how beautiful it looks as the sun rises. It certainly gets its name, Golden Branch, for how golden everything looks bathed in morning light. There is also usually fog on top of Bull Sluice Lake, which always makes it feel extra magical.

Yellowish, brown mushrooms growing on the trail.

 

The sun rising over Gold Branch and Bull Sluice Lake.

Bull Sluice Lake and More Hikes Nearby

This lake was actually created when the Chattahoochee River was dammed downstream at Morgan Falls. The lake spans over 600 shallow acres. It makes for a great birding spot since they love to hang around the shallow waters and wetland areas. There are also wetlands within the forested part of the hike at Gold Branch, but they are covered by small bridges to help ease navigation.

If you’re looking to hike more, you can check out the Roswell River Boardwalk or Nearby Vickery Creek.

Fog rising over Bull Sluice Lake.

Happy Hiking!

 

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