Come With Me Down To The Incredible Atlanta Bamboo Forest

Ever since moving to Atlanta and finding out about the Atlanta Bamboo Forest I've wanted to go. In fact, I made a few attempts to get there over the last few months.

First, Zhanna and I visited the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area about a month after arriving. However, we parked a bit too far to make the full hike and ended up turning back.

Next, I attempted to make it to the Bamboo Forest was a foggy rainy day in late Oct. That attempt failed when Waze tried to get me to turn into someone's private driveway. Now, ordinarily that wouldn't be too bad. However, this was a gated driveway for a massive mansion and I didn't want them to "release the hounds" on me.

As a result of Waze being confused I ended up across and down the river from the forest. I did have an amazing hike in the Chattahoochee NRA. However, I didn't get to see the bamboo which was disappointing.

Visiting the Atlanta Bamboo Forest

With the arrival of Thanksgiving Zhanna had a little bit of time available. As such, we headed off in search of Atlanta's seemingly elusive Bamboo Forest once again. This time we succeeded. So, if you're not from Atlanta and are looking to visit the Bamboo Forest here is how to go about it.

Parking Near the Atlanta Bamboo Forest

There isn't really any parking that is close to the Bamboo Forest. However, the closest place is the Indian Trail Parking Lot off of Northside Drive. After parking you've got to walk back along the road to the trail entrance. Then, you can begin the decent towards the Chattahoochee River.

There are two routes. We took the route that branches off to the right shortly after you begin the trail near one of the route markers. This seems like the fastest route. However, there are areas that require you to walk along steep creek banks with a lot of tree roots sticking up here and there.

Trail Confusion

There's a confusing intersection on this trail. At one point you'll come to the intersection with the other trail from the parking lot. Then, you've got to cross the creek. There's a bridge but there's also another point before the bridge which you can use. After that the trail actually goes back up the other side of hill until there's a hidden switchback.

I'm not joking about the switchback being hidden. We saw another couple who were clearly lost but didn't ask us for directions. Of course, we had no idea either. However, I looked a bit closer at the map and figured it out.

So, if you run into the same issue, cross the stream and follow the trail. You'll be able to turn back around once you climb the hill a little bit.

Walking Along The Chattahoochee

The views walking along the Chattahoochee are incredible no matter what section of the park you're in. However, this section was amazing. In fact, given how low the sun was in the sky it illuminated only a few trees and made for some very dramatic light. That said, I'm getting ahead of myself.

From The River To The Bamboo

When you pop out of the forest along the river I highly encourage you to stop and look around. There are often cormorants and other water birds along with an abundance of song birds here at the edge of the forest. As a result, this is a truly magical place to stop and bath in nature.

Finally Getting To The Atlanta Bamboo Forest

After walking along the shore of the Chattahoochee for a short distance the banks open up to reveal the bamboo forest.

The Sounds of the Atlanta Bamboo Forest

We had the great fortune of visiting the Bamboo Forest on a very windy day. As a result, we got to hear the bamboo smacking together while billowing in the wind. That sound really added to the magic. Plus, there is a different smell in the area. It feels extra calm there, even in the wind. There's a real feeling of shelter.

Conclusions about the Atlanta Bamboo Forest

We had the great time visiting the Bamboo Forest. Plus, we'll certainly be back. By the way, all the photos and video here were taken on my iPhone. Next time I'll take a real camera but this was more of a family hike than a photo expedition. Therefore, these photos will have to do.

I love the whole Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. It's something I think the National Park Service should do more of - reserve beautiful places where people can play in more areas. If you've never visited then I highly encourage you to do so. The Atlanta Bamboo Forest is certainly worth the hike to get there!

I'm professional nature photographer Don Orkoskey. Be sure to take a look at my nature portfolio, bird photos, fine art, and the rest of my work. View the articles on my blog and be sure to follow me on social media accounts:

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