Gold Branch

The City of Roswell has several well-known trails and outdoor recreational areas due to its proximity to the Chattahoochee River and the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Some popular trails in the Roswell area include the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, the Oxbo Trail, the Vickery Creek Trail, Big Creek Greenway, and the Roswell Riverwalk.  The park spans about 90 acres, providing plenty of space for various outdoor activities. The trails are close to the cities of Marietta and Roswell – so don’t expect much privacy here – but for being so close to the city, these are really nice and scenic hikes.

This hike to the Chattahoochee River is from the Gold Branch parking area off Lower Roswell Road near Marietta, GA. The route starts in the northwestern corner of the park and descends down to a small stream in a hardwood forest. From here, you can hike either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to reach the river. Either way you will eventually walk along Bull Sluice Lake – which is a body of water on the northern end of the park. It is almost entirely cut off from the main flow of river with only a narrow passage connecting Bull Sluice Lake with the Chattahoochee. Hiking clockwise takes you to the lake in under 30 minutes.  The entire Gold Branch loop is around five miles, but if you are short on time or energy there are a number of smaller loops in the park (see map). This gives you a number of options ranging from 1-5+ miles in the Gold Branch area.