A key starting point for what could become a 100-mile chain of parks, trails, and amenities along the Chattahoochee River has received a financial boost from state coffers to begin construction.
During its ongoing legislative session, the State of Georgia approved a $3-million grant that will allow the Trust for Public Land to begin work on Cobb County’s RiverLands Gateway Park. It’s the first of 25 regional trailheads planned for the broader Chattahoochee RiverLands vision.
TPL purchased most of the 12-acre, former industrial site in question—situated where Mableton Parkway meets Discovery Boulevard in Mableton, between Interstate 285 and Six Flags Over Georgia—in March last year. The nonprofit organization has since worked with Cobb County, which owns the remaining acreage, to set the park project in motion.
Leaders have commended the site’s river frontage and quick access to interstates 285 and 20.
The $3-million grant was approved by the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program and the state’s Department of Natural Resources. It later passed through the Senate and House Appropriation Committees, according to TPL reps.
Future plans for RiverLands Gateway Park in Cobb County. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land
RiverLands Gateway Park is scheduled to open in 2026 amidst restored woodlands. Features will include a kayak launch, boat ramp, outdoor seating, a plaza, pavilion, bathrooms, and event lawn, according to TPL officials and project renderings.
Another park feature will be a connection to the Mableton Parkway Trail, which links the Chattahoochee RiverLands project to the Silver Comet Trail.
George Dusenbury, TPL’s Georgia state director, said the grant marks the latest in a series of nearly $15 million in investments that highlight “the state’s steadfast commitment to our shared vision,” per a project announcement.
The initial RiverLands trailhead site, at left, with I-285 pictured at right. Courtesy…
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