CHATTAHOOCHEE NATURE CENTER: 20+ REASONS WHY YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE IT

Rain or shine, Winter or Summer, kids always want to be outside, exploring, and what better place to take them to do just that than Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) in Roswell, Ga, where nature and exploration meet in an explosion of discovery and excitement. Located next to the Chattahoochee River this nature center is a natural playground that you want to be sure to visit, and we have 20 reasons why it is tops in our book!

SCREAMING EAGLE AERIAL ADVENTURES

ECO ZIPLINE CANOPY TOUR

Take to the skies and get a bird’s eye view of the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Designed for children ages 8 to 208! Their Zip line Canopy tour will take you through a 1-1.5 hour tour of the fabulous and stunning aerial ecosystem of the Nature Center while zipping twice over Beaver Pond. Get up to 55 feet in the air on one of the 7 zip lines that stretch up to 500 feet! The Eco Zipline Canopy Tour offers up to 12 challenging elements as you explore the landscape of the Nature Center.

AERIAL ADVENTURE COURSE

Take a 1-1.5 hour adventurous trek around the treetops on the NEW Aerial Adventure Course. Designed for children ages 6 to 206! Harness up in cutting-edge safety gear and experience up to 28 challenge elements. Be prepared for FUN! Challenge elements include up to 4 zip lines, suspension bridges, ropes, and much more! Children 6-9 must be accompanied by an adult.

LEAVE YOUR MARK

Once you have purchased your tickets in the Discovery Center head on in to the next room  where you can contribute to a real life message board! Leave a note answering one of the questions they are asking, like “How can you enjoy Chattahoochee in Columbus?” or “How does Trust For Public Land help conserve the watershed?.? Read what other visitors have to say (my 8 year old answered “To help the environment stay healthy!”) and see what the experts think! For once leaving a note for others to read is not only encouraged but filled with positivity and hope, and we all could use that!

MOUNTAIN TOP ON THE ROOFTOP

Next, you want to head outside the Discovery Center, keeping your eyes open for plants you might see, like Spiderwort, Hairy Lip Fern, Georgia Rush, and Stone Mountain Daisy. These are more than just awesome names, they are also only found in a few places in Georgia, and this green roof was created to mimic their unique growing conditions! Spend some time picking out the incredible species growing here.

Bonus activity – Hop up on one of the provided chairs, look through the free viewfinder, and see if you can spot what the two bald eagles are up to in the Bald Eagle Aviary!

PADDLE THE CHATTAHOOCHEE

Lesli and her husband did this one fall and loved it.  If you are going to canoe Atlanta, then this is the tour to take! Their guide took them along the Chattahoochee River, past the towering rock/stone walls, and into parts of the Chattahoochee that you can only see by water.  He pointed out various birds and other critters, and told them stories about the changing watershed. It was calm and peaceful, informative…but he wasn’t too chatty.  It was a perfect balance.

If you want to make it a family date, then a third seat can be purchased for 1/2 price. Kids 6 and older can be in a canoe as long as an adult is also in the canoe. There are also Family Canoe classes, too!

WILDLIFE WALK

Wildlife in the city? The Chattahoochee Nature Center wildlife department focuses on education and rehabilitation of injured animals, and receives thousands of calls a year from people who have questions ranging from animal identification to habitat destruction to animal rescue. Many of these animals, who they have determined cannot be released back into the wild, can be seen along the Wildlife Walk, and it is a great opportunity for educating on the great work the Chattahoochee Nature Center does! From Great Horned Owls to Barred Owls to Barn Owls, Red-Shouldered Hawks to a Cooper’s Hawk, this walk helps you to decide whooooo is your favorite and also see these amazing birds up close!

Bonus activity – Find the games along the way, and see if you can figure out the answers to these nature based questions!

BUTTERFLY GARDENS

In keeping with their eco-friendly grounds these butterfly gardens include native flowers and plants which provide both nectar for the butterflies and leaves for the caterpillars, which is really like watching a life cycle right before your eyes! In the Winter the Chrysalis, larva, eggs and butterflies find hiding places to survive the colder weather, but the rest of the year you can find them all in this amazing area of beauty.

GET YOUR HIKING SHOES ON!

With 6 trails at the Chattahoochee Nature Center you can spend the day hiking, or choose one to tackle at a time, and leave the rest for a return visit – and trust us, you will want to conquer every one of them! There is something special to look for on all of them, so take your pick, or do them all.

HOMESTEAD TRAIL

Once the home of an old cabin, this trail, slightly over 1/4 mile, is a chance to find native species of plants and animals and also to search for all the remains of the house that dates back to the 1940s, which include a chimney and a concrete drive. Imagine life back then, and how you would have lived, nestled in the forest.

STONE CABIN TAIL

Another 1/4 mile loop that starts close to the Discovery Center, this trail leads you first to the remnants of an Old Stone Cabin. Once used as part of Camp Chattahoochee, it now provides a picnic area and a great overlook to the Beaver Pond. If you’ve packed a lunch this is an easy, and scenic, spot to take a rest and eat!

KINGFISHER POND TRAIL

Another trail that works for beginners and children is the Kingfisher Pond Trail, which runs parallel with the Kingfisher Pond. See if you can find the variety of wildlife who make this pond their home, from turtles to Kingfishers to Herons to frogs and lizards. It also makes a pretty spectacular photo opportunity!

FOREST TRAIL

This .31 mile trail leads to the highest point on the Chattahoochee Nature Center property and is truly a forest explorers dream. This land, which was once used mainly for farming and owned by the Kelpin Family, is considered a young forest but still provides trees that we can all be in awe of today. Hike to the top and find the gravesite which belongs to Charles Kelpin, a son of the land owner, who died during the Civil War.

RIVER BOARDWALK TRAIL

The most diverse trail at CNC is .50 miles long of boardwalk, taking you between two different wetland marshes. The marsh platform is a viewing area for migratory birds, Herons, Mallards and more. Watch the river and see if you can find fish or ducks, look out at the river and watch as people canoe or kayak by!

DISCOVERY CENTER

Make your way back into the Discovery Center and head down the stairs, where you can easily spend the rest of your visit! Start off with the animals and insects, with skulls and bones galore, remnants of the wildlife that once walked these grounds. Grab a feather and check out the microscope, looking at the beauty of what lies beneath. Search through the rocks and minerals to see which one is the sparkliest, shiniest or just your favorite.

Bonus Activity – Don’t miss a chance to check out a Discovery Backpack for fun adventures around the nature center. They are FREE for members (and a nominal fee otherwise.)

THE NATURE EXCHANGE

If collecting rocks and sticks are as big of an activity in your house as they are in ours then the Nature Exchange is a stop you can’t miss! Natural objects from all over the World are here, and you can bring them home by bringing in natural treasures of your own and trade them in for points. There are rules that must be followed, but with enough points you can bring home up to 3 items per visit. This is a greatly to encourage collecting and trading and discovery of new things!

EXPLORE YOUR WATERSHED

This hands on section of the CNC brings the plants and animals of the Chattahoochee River to you! Learn about everything from fish to healthy water (and in turn healthy fish!); play the river flows water game and discover all the things that can affect a river’s flow, from sunny skies to rainy days and more! See what it’s like to walk under a beavers dam; what happens when wetlands release stored water back into our river, and how adversely it can keep the rivers from flooding when high.

Further into the exhibit you will find a Virginia Opossum, nestled tight in its home, a faux worm bin, where kids can see how creating a worm bin turns organic material into healthy soil. Look up and see if you can spot the Eastern Screech Owl. Climb on the giving tree, and try to find 10 things to love about the tree. We bet you can find more!

Bonus Activity: Play the food chain game. Take a provided piece of paper, and see if you can correctly choose which of the plants and animals make a food chain!

COWIE WEISS THEATER

This theater can hold private and corporate events, shows informative movies, programs, and speakers, and even live performances. Check out the calendar of events to see what is going on there during your visit.

HAVE FUN LEARNING

While Chattahoochee Nature Center is an amazing place to visit, they shine with their educational programs for kids of all ages. From in-house educational programming to highly trained naturalists who can come to your business or school with their outreach program, they’ve created a way to engage, entertain and educate at the same time.

We love their Pee Wee Naturalist class for 3 and 4 year olds! It is THE BEST! CNC Homeschool Days are another great opportunity for kids to learn about animals, conservation and more.

FESTIVAL TIME

While they may not be as big as some of the festivals found in other parts of Atlanta these festivals are not to be missed, including their annual Butterfly Festival, now in its 18th year! Watch as butterflies fill the air with their beauty, and help raise money for this important center at the same time. Other festivals include Halloween Hikes and their popular Holiday Market.

SPECIAL EVENTS

CNC not only has their day-to-day activities but they are known for its special events, from their after-hours events to family fun days to birthday parties and scouting events. Listen, do you hear that? That is the sound of wedding bells – you can even get married here!

LIVE REINDEER

You’ll want to be sure to visit at Christmas when you can see and pet live reindeer. It’s a perfect Christmas treat.

FUNDRAISING

If raising money for great causes or road races are more your speed they have a variety of fundraisers throughout the year that appeal to everyone from the wine drinker to the runners to a garden party tasting event! You can feel good while having fun and who wouldn’t want that?

So put on your comfortable shoes, pack up a picnic, don’t forget your young naturalists, and head over to the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Prepare to explore, discover and be amazed!

Want more fun? Find more preschool fun here!

WHERE TO STAY NEAR CHATTAHOOCHEE NATURE CENTER

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Andrea Botham

World Traveler at Passports and Pushchairs

Andrea Botham recently started Passports and Pushchairs, a blog extolling the ability to travel with kids without losing your cool. She was born with a passion for many things, some of them realized, like traveling and writing, some still a work in progress, like photography. Her goal is to not only encourage other parents to travel but to inspire them to show their kids the World, one city at a time. She lives in Atlanta with her British husband and her half British, half American son and daughter, both of whom use more British words than Peppa Pig.

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