Chattahoochee,

7 - The Wave - Upstream of Atlanta Road

The Wave

The Wave
Photo of Will Reeves by Brad Roberts

Gauge Information

River Description

The Wave is a park and play spot in metro Atlanta. It is also a slalom training area. There are usually slalom gates that have been hung over the rapid.

It is located at the Atlanta water works intake.
It is immediately upstream of both the Cobb and Fulton county sewage treatment plants. A breeze to the southeast helps keep the smell to a reasonable level.

How Polluted is the River??

How to get there:
From the Atlanta Road exit on I-285 North, the wave is about 4 miles south, toward Atlanta, down Atlanta Road. When you see and smell the sewage treatment plants, you are really close. Continue across the river. Just upstream of the Atlanta Road bridge is where the water works intake is, and the small dam that makes the wave.

As of 2008, the parking area on Atlanta Road was taken out for bridge construction.

What most people did before the road widening is park on the large pull-out on the East or Fulton County side of the bridge where Atlanta Road crosses the river. There is a Rails to Trails bike path that follows the river on the Fulton County side. Walk down the path beside the Atlanta Road Bridge to the paved bike path and carry your boat upstream. Try to ignore the big pipes under the path that say "Outflow".
Just past the Railroad Trestle the Bike path veers to the right. There will be a dirt fishermans trail that veers off to the left, going down to the 'beach' where Nancy Creek enters the Chattahoochee. From there its about a 100 foot flatwater paddle up to the playspot.

Warning 1: There have been many car break ins at the Atlanta Road parking area.
Warning 2: The water quality is off the scale polluted.

Another parking option is on Ridgewood Road near where it crosses Nancy Creek. From there paddle down Nancy Creek to the Hooch, and the Wave will be just upstream. Nancy Creek drains all of the nasty stuff in downtown Atlanta. The mud on the banks is deep, sticky, and unnaturally nasty.

Once upon a time you could drive into the Water Works intake parking lot and walk down the hill to the wave. These days, after the 1996 Olympics and since the 9-11 security concerns, that doesn't happen often unless you are connected.