Home › Georgia › Marietta › Cochran Shoals Unit - Interstate North
Cochran Shoals Unit - Interstate North
4.7 ★★★★★ 455 Google reviews · Running trail in Marietta, Georgia · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- 3 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Cochran Shoals Unit - Interstate North's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Easy, wide trail following the Chattahoochee River, plus ponds.
What runners say about Cochran Shoals Unit - Interstate North
“We also like biking in the mtb trail it's well maintained.”
“Beautiful place to connect with nature, go for a hike, walk, ride a bike, kayaking, and even fishing.”
“Great place to run walk hike or have a picnic with your family.”
“I hiked one of the many trails and while the lead up to the trails was not shaded the majority of the actual trails have lots of shade trees.”
“This our favorite nearby trail to walk our dog!”
This trail is really nice. The parking is $5 for the day and $40 for the year. There is both wide gravel paths for biking, walking, and running as well as wooded paths just for hiking and wooded paths for mixed use. There are beautiful creeks, the river, and a nice pond. I enjoyed my time there.
A great place to take a leisurely walk or ride a bike. Very flat. Several places to sit along the trail if you wish. Very wide trail so you have space and aren’t elbow to elbow with folks. Nice bathroom facilities and usually ample parking.
Fairly flat 5k loop. So recommend. Partially shaded along the chattahoochee and partially not. Also this trail connects to acres mill road trail/sidewalk. Which connects to Cumberland area. It’s a great location. Also there’s a secret coffee shop (chattahoochee coffee company )near by.
The normal gravel walking trail is very popular and a little to busy for me. They have a couple of trails in the woods that are awesome. We really enjoyed walking the mountain bike trail. We also like biking in the mtb trail it's well maintained.
Trail conditions & character
“A part of Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area with easy access from I-285 and relatively large parking lot.”
“Beautiful place to connect with nature, go for a hike, walk, ride a bike, kayaking, and even fishing.”
“I hiked one of the many trails and while the lead up to the trails was not shaded the majority of the actual trails have lots of shade trees.”
“The flat gravel paths are very wide along the river so there's plenty of room for runners, walkers, and bikers to get by each other.”
“There is both wide gravel paths for biking, walking, and running as well as wooded paths just for hiking and wooded paths for mixed use.”
“If you do a "full" loop on the main gravel path, it is a little over 3 miles.”
“There are restrooms right next to the parking lot at the start of the trail as well as doggy bag stations throughout the trail.”
“There are blue trail markers on trees and it’s really well marked with maps.”
Plan your run at Cochran Shoals Unit - Interstate North
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Loop distance3 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitenps.gov
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Tuesday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 9 AM–8 PM |
Running trails near Marietta
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Cochran Shoals Trail - River Loop
4.8 ★★★★★ 588 reviews
Riverside park featuring a mix of trails for hiking and biking, plus picnic space.
Powers Island Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 116 reviews
Kid-friendly spot for hiking and tubing trails, with kayaking rentals.
Palisades West Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 224 reviews
Forested loop trail featuring a boardwalk section & scenic views of the river & rock outcrops.
Bob Callan Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 77 reviews
Paved hiking trail along a creek with opportunities to rent bikes and fish.
Cochran Shoals Unit, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 756 reviews
Park trail for biking & moderately challenging hikes with scenic views of the river.