Sometimes, the neatest things are right under your nose. Take for instance Island Ford at the Chattahoochee River NRA. Most Atlantans go to the wildly popular Cochran Shoals but we tried out the Island Ford area instead on this beautiful autumn day.

Directions & Fees

The entrance lies just off Roberts Road in Sandy Springs. Until I had taken one of my daughters to a day camp there a few years ago, I never knew this part of the Chattachoochee existed. 

Once you turn in, drive about a mile to the end of the road at the Hewlett Lodge. Resembling a small national park lodge, the rustic wood and stone structure houses the visitor center. Parking is $5, but you can purchase an annual pass for $40.

Hewlett Lodge

Before hiking, we walked to the back of the Hewlett Lodge. Built around 1935, the summer home of Georgia Supreme Court Judge Samuel D. Hewlett offers spectacular views of the Chattahoochee. Although I’d dropped my daughter off at this lodge during her day camp, I didn’t know the river was right there behind it.

A plaque explained that Judge Hewlett sold the lodge in 1950 to the Buckhead Century Club. When the club disbanded after five years, a church used the property for retreats. The National Park Service aquired it in 1978 and today it is protected National Register of Historic Places. 

Next to the lodge, a large grassy field offered a perfect spot for soccer or any other game. When the Atlanta Baptist Assembly owned the property, they added additional buildings including a gymnasium and dorms. 

Hiking

We headed north on the hike which hugged the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Although not crowded, we saw many hikers, dogs and families enjoying the area. 

The only one not enjoying the river was one of our dogs who slipped in headfirst while drinking from the river. I think he was surprised as he fell off a rock and couldn’t immediately feel any solid ground. As soon as dear hubby (DH) pulled him back onto the bank, he shook all the river water onto us.

Soon, we came to a natural rock structure. Whether used by wildlife or Native American Indians, the structure offered shelter from the elements. It would be a great place to bring a blanket and read a book for an entire afternoon.

After walking along the river bank for about a mile, we turned left at marker IF 22. The trail began a slow ascent and took us deeper into the woods. We stopped suddenly. In front of us stood a deer who was followed by two more deer. Of course they darted off before I could get a picture.

With all the fallen leaves, we sometimes had trouble staying on the trail. At one point, we had gotten off and didn’t realize it until another hiker came nearby.  

After crossing Summerbrook Creek, the trail narrows and becomes rocky. As it hugged the creek, I thought I might fall in. Soon, we reached the river at marker IF 14. We retraced our steps along the river until veering off at marker IF 11 to hike around the small pond.

After Hewlett Pond, we headed back to the visitor center parking lot. I am guessing that we hiked about 2.5 miles. For a 5-mile hike, we could have included the Island Ford-North section, which is bisected by a neighborhood.

For more information, visit the Chattahoochee River NRA website here. However, an easier-to-navigate website is found under the Sandy Springs Facility Directory here. This includes detailed maps of Island Ford North, South and Hewlett Lodge areas.