Roswell Riverwalk Hike from Chattahoochee Nature Center, just prior to evening CNC event

IN a NUTSHELL:  This early-evening hike by the lovely Chattahoochee River has been planned to immediately precede our AOC participation in an event at the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC).   Hike registrants are encouraged to register also for the 7:00 Potluck Dinner and "Plant Mysteries" presentation hosted by our CNC Nature Club friends.  We can conveniently enjoy both events without moving our parked cars.  (BTW, we hikers who also register for the CNC event are likely to get a "Double-Booking?" auto-email from the AOC website, which is of no concern since our hike will end just prior to the dinner.)

HIKE DETAILS:  We'll gather for the hike in the free CNC parking lot a few minutes before 5:30 PM.  (See Directions & GPS Address Info, etc. below.)  Our scenic "Roswell Riverwalk" route will take us along the NW shore of the Chattahoochee's "Bull Sluice Lake" to Roswell's Azalea Park - then back to the CNC via a similar route - for a total of about 4 miles of mostly level waterfront terrain.   Along the way we'll explore various piers & boardwalks, discuss native flora & fauna, and pause occasionally to regroup, observe birds & wildlife and take photos.

MORE about the CHATTAHOOCHEE NATURE CENTER (CNC):  Located on a beautiful 127-acre site overlooking the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, GA (just upstream of "Morgan Falls") the Nature Center features an amazing variety of gardens, woodlands,meadows, ponds & wetlands, native plants and wild animals that showcase the natural beauty of Georgia.  Its professional staff and hundreds of member-volunteers are known especially for their dedication to protecting and promoting our state's native wild flora & fauna.  Since its founding by local citizen-activists in the 1970s the CNC has served as a focal point for for environmental education and communion with nature. Visitors who enjoy hiking are urged to explore a network of more than 2 miles of scenic trails via a fascinating variety of habitats.
  The Center continues to grow and reach out to citizens as a place to explore new ideas and expand the awareness of the natural world.  Its strong grass-roots environmental learning center touches the lives of more than 100,000 children and adults each year.  This a unique place where people connect to each other and the land through a shared respect for nature - a safe place where interaction with nature excites the senses and encourages learning.  Here are some CNC links of interest:

- Main Website: http://www.chattnaturecenter.org/
- Map of the Nature Center and its hiking trails, lakes, buildings, etc.:  http://chattnaturecenter.org/includes/trails/CNCMap2017.pdf
- Membership Info Webpage: http://www.chattnaturecenter.org/membership/join-renew/

GPS and Maps.Google.com USERS:  You can augment the verbal directions below by entering either of the following as your Destination Address for the Event:
- Street Address of Chattahoochee Nature Ctr:  9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075
- Lat/Lon of Conference Room where we'll meet (Be sure to include comma & minus sign): 34.0043, -84.3826

DIRECTIONS from GA-400 EXIT 6, "Northridge Rd" (This exit is about 5 miles N of the GA-400/ I-285 Interchange in N. metro Atlanta and just south of Roswell, GA.)

1. At the GA-400 Exit #6 ("Northridge Rd") carefully follow the "Dunwoody Place" directional signs.
2. Just a few feet west of the GA-400 overpass bridge merge smoothly northward onto Dunwoody Place.  (No need to pass through any of the nearby Northridge Rd traffic lights).
3.  Take Dunwoody Place about 1.3 miles to the traffic light at Roswell Rd (and get in one of the right turn lanes).
4.  Turn Right onto Roswell Rd and go 0.6 mile to the traffic light at Azalea Drive (just beyond the Chattahoochee River bridge, and get in the left turn lane).
5.  Turn Left onto Azalea Drive and go 1.7 miles to the traffic light at Willeo Rd.
6.  Turn Left onto Willeo Rd and go just 0.6 mile to the Chattahoochee Nature Center main entrance on your right.
7.  Turn Right into the Chattahoochee Nature Center and park in the NE end of the parking lot near the entrance of the largest building.  We'll gather there beginning a few minutes before 5:30 PM and would like to begin the hike together at 5:30 sharp after introducing ourselves.  (The "6:50" meetup time originally mentioned here for the hike was a typo, copied from my "CNC Dinner & Talk" article!)