Smyrna now has a paved half-mile path along the Chattahoochee. The Trust for Public Land and the City of Smyrna cut the ribbon on it the morning of Thursday, Oct. 8, at Riverview Park, 6275 Riverview Road SE. The path is the northern section of the Cobb RiverLands Showcase, a three-mile riverfront project that will eventually connect Riverview Landing to Discovery Park and Mableton Parkway.
"Eventually" is the key word. Today the half-mile is a trail by itself. The pieces that would link it to the rest of the corridor are on a county schedule that runs well into 2027. One of those pieces is a bridge over Nickajack Creek. People have been getting across that creek without one.
About a mile of trail is built, in two pieces
The river trail in this corner of Cobb now exists in two places, and they don't connect.
The first piece opened almost two years ago. Cobb County and the Trust for Public Land held a ribbon cutting on Dec. 2, 2024, for a 0.6-mile trail behind Discovery Park at the River Line. The park is at 6653 Discovery Blvd. in Mableton and has trails, restrooms, playgrounds, interpretive signs and parking. The Chattahoochee RiverLands project notes that Nickajack Creek winds through the Discovery Park site.
The second piece is the new half-mile in Smyrna. The Marietta Daily Journal reported that it runs through Riverview Park, a 12-acre linear park along the river at Riverview Landing. The same report says Cobb's share of the Showcase is a $48 million project covering Smyrna, Mableton and unincorporated Cobb.
Together that's about 1.1 miles of a three-mile plan, split between two parks. The Showcase also sits inside a much larger idea. Walt Ray directs the Trust for Public Land's Chattahoochee program, and he told the MDJ that the full vision is 100 miles of trails and parks from Buford Dam on Lake Lanier to Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Newnan.
The creek in the middle, and two different timelines
At the ceremony, Ray put the next step in plain terms. According to the MDJ's account, he said construction on a bridge over Nickajack Creek would begin "in the next few weeks." The bridge is going where people now cross the creek by walking on a large sewer pipe.
Cobb DOT's schedule gives a later date. A county presentation dated Sept. 24, 2026, lists the Nickajack Creek Bridge, RiverLands Gateway Park and the RiverLands Boat Launch Site as "construction anticipated to begin in 2027." Both statements came out within about two weeks of each other. Early site work this fall and a formal construction start next year could both turn out to be true. Until the county updates its schedule, the honest answer to "when can I walk across" is "not yet, and the official date is 2027."
Here is where each piece stands as of late October 2026, based on the Cobb DOT presentation and the ribbon-cutting records.
| Piece of the corridor | Status | Date on record |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Park pilot trail, 0.6 mile | Open | Ribbon cutting Dec. 2, 2024 |
| Riverview Park trail, 0.5 mile, Smyrna | Open | Ribbon cutting Oct. 8, 2026 |
| Nickajack Creek Bridge | Planned | Construction anticipated 2027 |
| RiverLands Gateway Park | Planned | Construction anticipated 2027 |
| RiverLands Boat Launch Site | Planned | Construction anticipated 2027 |
| Phase II trail, Mableton Pkwy to Nickajack Creek | In procurement | Tentative RFQ Dec. 1, 2026 |
November is the first public checkpoint
Phase II is the stretch that takes the corridor south. The county describes it as a paved shared-use path from Mableton Parkway at Lee Industrial Boulevard, under the Mableton Parkway bridge and along the river to Nickajack Creek. It also includes boardwalks over wetlands and a bridge over a small unnamed creek. At its southern end, it ties into an existing 10-foot shared-use path. The path is planned at 10 to 17 feet wide, with some stretches separating walkers from cyclists.
The county will deliver it as a design-build project, meaning one contract covers both design and construction. The schedule includes a public information open house in November 2026, a tentative request for qualifications on Dec. 1, 2026, proposals due April 9, 2027, and environmental approval expected around Feb. 24, 2027. If you walk the river and want to see the plans or ask about timing, the November open house is the next public chance. Cobb DOT hasn't published a date yet, so keep an eye on the county's notices.
Until then, Riverview Landing finishes the walk
A half-mile out-and-back is a one-mile walk. That's about right for a lunch break, a quick dog walk or a cooldown after a run. What makes this short trail more useful than its length is where it sits. It starts right next to the shops and restaurants of Riverview Landing at 6255 Riverview Road SE.
The park has the basics. Smyrna's Riverview Park listing shows parking, restrooms, a walking trail and a dock with kayak access. For the opening, the Trust for Public Land pointed visitors to on-street and metered parking nearby at Riverview Landing.
One way to build a morning or evening around it:
- Coffee first. Chattahoochee Coffee Company runs its Eddy location at Riverview Landing. It's open seven days a week: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Its location page has validated parking details.
- Walk the half-mile and back. Start at the park on Riverview Road, follow the paved path along the water and turn around at the end. The dock with kayak access is part of the same park.
- Barbecue Thursday through Sunday. Owens & Co. is in Building 4000, Suite 100, and posts separate menus for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Sunday. Longtime regulars may know it by its earlier names.
- A taproom to finish. Reformation Brewery's Smyrna taproom is upstairs in the same building, Suite 200. Its current site lists Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday noon to 9 p.m. Older hours still turn up online, so check the brewery's homepage before you go.
Thursday through Sunday is the only stretch of the week when all four stops are open. If your plan includes barbecue or a pint, aim for those days.
Why a short, safe trail matters here
What people said at the ribbon cutting was less about distance and more about getting to the river comfortably. Councilman Rickey Oglesby Jr. told the MDJ that "the city of Smyrna has put an emphasis on being an outdoor friendly community and being able to enjoy the river in a much safer environment." He added that visitors can now walk, jog, take part in water sports and go on boat rides without leaving Smyrna.
Amias Jordan, operations manager of Woofie's of Smyrna-Mableton, a mobile pet grooming company, came to the opening and told the same paper what it meant for his work:
"As a pet care business we're super pumped to have a new place to bring the dogs, that's a safe place, a clean place, somewhere I don't have to worry about them stepping on anything that could get them hurt."
Jordan also told the MDJ that before the park was finished, it could be hard to find good places to walk in the area. That gap is what the Nickajack Creek bridge will help close next. Until the bridge is built, the safe way to visit both trails is to drive to each park and use its own parking.
Ray summed up the larger project at the ceremony. "The river was always here, but for many, it was hidden behind the industry, behind roads, behind private property," he told the MDJ. "The Chattahoochee RiverLands is about changing all of that." In Smyrna today, that change is half a mile long, with a bridge on the county's 2027 schedule and a public open house this November.
If you live near Riverview Landing and wonder how a new riverfront path fits into your home's value, Hollingsworth & Company knows this stretch of the Chattahoochee. We're happy to walk you through it, starting with an instant home valuation.
