Escape into Atlanta’s Bamboo Forest

Atlanta’s Bamboo Forest, located on the East Palisades Trail.

You don’t need a long plane ride to Asian countries in order to be teleported into a lush and green bamboo forest. If you live in Atlanta or are visiting, you can simply drive to Sandy Springs, a municipality just north of Atlanta, for this awesome hike. Read on to learn how to plan your visit!

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Getting There

You can get to the bamboo forest by hiking on the East Palisades Trail, which is located in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The trail is about 20 minute drive from downtown Atlanta in moderate traffic.

There are two parking lots/entrances for the trail (the Indian Trail entrance and the Whitewater Creek entrance), but we decided to park at the Indian Trail entrance (use this as the destination for your GPS: 1425 Indian Trail NW, Sandy Springs, GA 30327.

In order to reach the parking lot, you’ll drive down the residential road of Indian Trail and continue onto a gravel road (at this point, we thought we were lost, but this is the right way). It takes about 4 minutes on the gravel road to reach the parking lot and there were many times where there was space for only one car, so be sure you drive carefully, as you may have to pull on to the shoulder so the car in the opposite direction can pass.

We visited the park on a Saturday afternoon, so the parking lot was quite busy! We had to circle around a few times in order to get a spot. Luckily, there were as many people leaving as there were people entering, so even if it seems tough to get a spot, you’ll be able to park soon enough.

A map of the trail and its markers. The bamboo forest is at marker 26 (outlined in pink) and the Indian Trail Entrance is at marker 20 (outlined in blue).

The trail markers are easily visible and it’s easy to navigate through the forest. There were many families we passed on the trail, so I would say that it can be completed by kids. And speaking of kids, the fur babies were out in full swing! The park allows dogs, as long as they are on a leash no longer than 6 ft (marker 1 is actually on the bank of the Chattahoochee River and is a popular spot for dogs to play in the shallow water).

This website provides a description for each marker on the trail.

Fees

Passes are $5 USD and are valid for for use only at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area for one day. They can be purchased online at Recreation.Gov. There are also QR codes printed out at the parking lot, so you can use your phone to scan and purchase a pass before starting the trail. We coincidentally decided to come to the trail during a National Parks Free Entrance Day (which, if you’re curious, for the year of 2021 fell/falls on January 18, April 17, August 4, August 25, September 25, and November 11 ).

The Experience

The bamboo forest was not underwhelming for me. The forest was larger than I envisioned, so there was plenty of space on a busy Saturday for people to hang in their own pockets of the forest. Many people want to visit to take photos, and it truly is a unique destination for photoshoots. The bamboo stalks are tall (with some towering almost 40 feet), so soft shade is created by blocking out the harsh sunlight (and if you visit on a warm day, the coolness the forest produces is a respite from the heat).

As you can tell from the map, the trail is bordered by the Chattahoochee River to the West, which formed an absolutely lovely backdrop for the hike. We saw some people kayaking and tubing on the river. It was wide and grand and beautiful.

During our hike, we came across spots for picnics, soft sandy banks along the rivers, natural tree bridges, large granite caves (which Indigenous people used for shelter hundreds of years ago), and spectacular views of the river and parts of Atlanta’s Skyline. We explored most of the trail and was in the park for about 2.5 hours. There is a lot of elevation on the trails, so get your glutes to be on fire. It was a fantastic cardio workout, even though the trail is pretty beginner-friendly in the grand scheme of things. Just know that I returned to the car hungry!

While hiking to the bamboo forest, we took a break to sit on rocks by the river and meditate. My friend Monét and I brought some of our crystals and put them out by the water. I also brought one of my singing bowls and led a guided mediation. A great spot to practice mindfulness, it was.

Travel Tips

• There’s lots of mud on the trails. Be sure to wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty (and that are comfortable) and avoid hiking if there’s been a lot of rainfall.

• Avoid hiking alone (if you can); or if you have to hike alone, go during the day on a weekend when there’s sure to be many others on the trails.

• Stay on the trails (this should go without saying, but still) and make sure your phone is charged up.

• Bring water.

• There’s a lot of elevation on the trials, so be sure to assess your ability to complete the hike.

• There were families picnicking in the forest, so feel free to bring some snacks with you!

Do you wish to visit Atlanta’s Bamboo Forest? Have you already been? Share your thoughts in the comments! We love to hear from you.