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Chattahoochee Nature Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with nature through experiences along the Chattahoochee River and the watershed it sustains.
Across 127 acres of forests, wetlands, native gardens, wildlife habitats, and trails, people of all ages discover how the River, the land, and the life around them are connected. Through environmental education, wildlife rehabilitation, conservation initiatives, and outdoor experiences, the Nature Center helps build understanding, curiosity, and stewardship for the natural world.
Founded by community members in the mid-1970s, Chattahoochee Nature Center has grown into one of the region’s leading environmental education organizations, welcoming 150,000 visitors annually. For 50 years, generations of families, students, volunteers, members, and supporters have helped shape this place and its mission.
We believe that when people know the River, they care for it. That belief continues to guide everything we do, from caring for injured wildlife and restoring native habitats to creating opportunities for discovery, learning, and connection.
Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning to a favorite trail, Chattahoochee Nature Center offers a place to explore, learn, and deepen your relationship with the natural world. Visit us today and experience the wonders of Chattahoochee Nature Center.

Environmental Science Merit Badge

Fall Colors Canoe Trips

Double Vision for Kids

Naturally Artistic

Weekend Activities

Fall Native Plant Sale

Back to Your Roots Farm Fair

Give

Announcing the Winners of the 2025-26 Enchanted Woodland Trail

History of the Wildlife Department at CNC

Chattahoochee Nature Center Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The Blooming Future of Native Plants

Girl Scout Troop 18098 Contributes Service Hours to CNC

Working Together with UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

Your Place on the River: Unity Garden

Your Place on the River: Transplant Tales

Your Place on the River: Sustaining Our Forests

Your next discovery comes with points! 🌿 With PassPlay, members can earn points as they explore the Nature Center, participate in programs, and discover new places along the River. Just download the app, look for QR codes during your visits, and scan to collect points toward prizes and rewards. Here's where you can start earning: 🌊 Visit the A-Frame on the River Boardwalk Trail – 50 points 🛶 Participate in a canoe program – 150 points 🌳 Visit Charles Kelpin's grave – 100 points 🥾 Join a guided hike with a docent – 50 points 🔎 Make a trade at the Nature Exchange (NEX) – 25 points Not a member yet? Join the Chattahoochee Nature Center community and make every visit count. With membership and PassPlay, you'll have more reasons to come back, explore, and earn rewards along the way. Already a member? Download PassPlay and start collecting points on your next visit!

We're grateful to have the LifeSouth Mobile Blood Drive back on site today working to help support our community. Here until 5PM, come swing by to help a critical community in need by donating blood. Registration available online or in-person!

Some friendships last a lifetime. Others grow into something even more meaningful. Ralph, Ryan, and Joseph spent their childhood summers at Camp Kingfisher, exploring the Chattahoochee River, learning new skills, and becoming inseparable friends along the way. This summer, they returned to camp in a new role: Leaders in Training (LITs). The boys who once looked up to their counselors were now helping younger campers discover the same joy, friendship, and sense of belonging they experienced growing up. From racing to the canoes at Heron Pond to leading games and making campers laugh, they've come full circle. The place that gave them so many memories is now giving them the chance to create those memories for someone else. Their story is just one of many that begin at Chattahoochee Nature Center. Your support helps make moments of discovery, friendship, and connection possible across our trails, through wildlife encounters, and in programs for all ages. Help more stories begin. Consider making a gift today to support Chattahoochee Nature Center and the experiences that stay with us for years to come. 💚🌿

🥇WINNER REVEAL🥇 We want to extend a big thank you to all who participated in our First Annual Spider Count Contest during Halloween Hikes (Oct. 23-25). We had a whopping 187 entries during those three nights but... alas, there can only be one winner! Drum roll.... 863 spiders filled the jar & with a spooky close guess of 853 our winner was Grayson K., winning four CNC General Admission Tickets!!🎉🎃🕷️ Congratulations Grayson!

Shake it off! 💦🦉 This Barred Owl loves a good misting. In fact, our Wildlife Team says she'll happily stand there as long as they keep the water coming! For birds of prey, bath time is about more than cooling off. Bathing helps clean their feathers and remove parasites. Afterward, they preen, using their beaks to spread natural oils from a special gland near the base of their tails. These oils help keep feathers flexible and protect them from harmful microbes. All of our resident raptors have access to water for bathing and drinking. During the warmer months, our Wildlife Team also offers gentle misting on especially hot days. The birds can choose whether to enjoy the water or move away. And as you can see, this owl is a big fan! Moments like these are part of the everyday care our Wildlife Team provides. Your donations help us care for resident wildlife and continue sharing opportunities to learn about the animals that call our watershed home. 💚 Want to help? Make a gift by visiting our website today.

Calling All Architects!🧚‍♀️The Nature Center invites you to create whimsical fairy houses and gnome homes to sit along our Enchanted Woodland Trail exhibit! Inspired by the Chattahoochee, this year's theme is “Our River,” highlighting the waterway which has become the heart of our community.🩵 The exhibit opens December 19th and spots are filling up fast, apply on our website or visit the link in our bio today!

Come enjoy all the fall season has to offer at Chattahoochee Nature Center🍁 Explore the season’s changing colors, listen to the sounds of leaves crunching, and start your newest adventure with us!🛶🥾

As we enter November, with crisp weather settling in and our surrounding fall foliage erupting with color, now is a most wonderful time to get outside, observe, and explore! With so many exciting things to see and do, there’s no time for hibernation at Chattahoochee Nature Center.🥾🛶 Visit our website to book your visit today!

We’ve taken the classroom to the River! 🛶 🦦 Our friends @wildernessinquiry are here & they’ve brought with them an exciting week full of River exploration and discovery aboard a 10-person canoemobile! That’s not all, on Saturday, Nov. 7th, ours doors will be opening for a FREE Communtiy Day! Come hop aboard a canoemobile and enjoy all 127 acres of the Nature Center.🌿

There’s something different about experiencing the Chattahoochee River from the water. 🛶 Through our partnership with @wildernessinquiry , Canoemobile brings students and community groups onto the River for hands-on learning, exploration, and shared discovery. Throughout the program, participants paddle together in large canoes, experience the River from a new perspective, and learn more about the waterway that connects our communities. At Chattahoochee Nature Center, we believe that getting to know the River is the first step toward caring for it. Programs like Canoemobile help make those experiences possible, creating opportunities for people to explore, ask questions, and discover something new. Want to experience Canoemobile for yourself? Join us for a FREE Community Day on Saturday, November 7, and discover the River from the water! Learn more and find registration details when you visit our website.

This is the final week to shop our Fall Online Pop-Up Native Plant 🌱 There's no better time than fall to prep your garden for an astonishing blossoming of southern springtime Azaleas. Swipe through to check out what's left and let your garden bloom to its full potential this year!! Flowers pictured: Moutain Azalea, Rhododendron Canescens Sweet Azalea, Rhododendron Arborescens Southern Yellow Azalea, Rhododendron Austrinum 📸 @alancressler

Halloween Hikes is here! For this weekend only, trick or treat at the Nature Center after dark, learn about the amazing animals that call the Chattahoochee watershed home, and embark on a haunted quest along the River. Visit our website and get your tickets to join the fun! 🎃🌿

Halloween Hikes is almost here! 🎃 Join us at Chattahoochee Nature Center October 23-25 and discover the amazing critters that call the Chattahoochee watershed home. Visit our website and get your tickets before they're gone!

Looking for something spooky to do this weekend? Join us for a mystical Haunted Quest during our weekend long Halloween Hikes festivities🎃 Embark on an adventure with friends and family, work together, and find the key to solve the mystery of the realms. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 & 24 | 6-10PM Sunday, Oct. 25 | 5-9PM Tickets are going fast! Visit our website, reserve your spot, and find the key before it’s too late!👻

It's National Reptile Awareness Day! 🐢 Meet Georgia's official state reptile: the Gopher Tortoise. Listen to that crunch! 🌺 The two Gopher Tortoises who live at Chattahoochee Nature Center have a particular fondness for fallen hibiscus flowers. During the summer, our Horticulture team collects spent flowers and shares them with our Wildlife team, who offer them to the tortoises as a special treat. In the wild, Gopher Tortoises dig long, deep burrows in the sandy soils of Georgia's Coastal Plain. And they're not the only ones who benefit! Hundreds of other species use these burrows for shelter, making Gopher Tortoises a keystone species. Our two tortoises were found in metro Atlanta, far from their natural range. Due to injuries from improper care before arriving here, they're unable to dig the burrows they'd need to survive in the wild. Instead, they serve as wildlife ambassadors, helping visitors learn about their species. While their usual diet includes a variety of vegetation, including native cactus paddles, hibiscus flowers are a favorite treat! Enrichment like these hibiscus treats is just one part of the daily care our Wildlife team gives the animals who call Chattahoochee Nature Center home. Because we cannot accept payment for rehabilitation services, donor support helps make this work possible, from treating injured raptors, reptiles, and amphibians to meeting the ongoing needs of educational animals like our Gopher Tortoises. Consider making a donation today to help us continue caring for wildlife. ❤️

IRL = In River Life ☀️ Sun-covered walks along the water 🍁 Crisp autumn air flowing through the trees 🏞️ A golden reflection of the changing landscape on the Chattahoochee 🥾 The crunch of leaves as you make your way through the trails Trade screen time for stream time this fall. What does your #InRiverLife look like?

📢 Fall Online Native Plant Sale Spotlight! There's only two weeks left in our Pop-Up Native Plant Sale and our fall flora are looking to plant their roots in your garden! 🌱 Fall is a great time to plant, and native plants can provide food and habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife while helping create a healthier backyard ecosystem. 🍂 Swipe through to check out some superstar plants available at the sale! Interested in adding to your garden? Visit our website to make your purchase.

Sneak peek at your November plans! (Swipe to see the River transform)🍂🚣 Fall along the Chattahoochee brings changing colors, migrating waterfowl, turtles along the banks, and plenty of birds overhead. See it all from the best seat in the house: right on the water. 📆 Saturdays & Sundays: Nov. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15 | 3-6 PM 👥 Ages 8+ | $45 Public | $40 Members ‼️ Advanced registration required by the Thursday before each trip! Who's your paddling partner?🍁 Canoe Programs sponsored by @officialkpga #poweredbykaiserpermanente

Spooky, not scary... just the way we like it!🎃 Join us for the 41st year of Halloween Hikes, where lighted trails, friendly forest characters, and night-time magic come together for an unforgettable family tradition.✨️🌙 October 23-24 | 6-10PM October 25 | 5-9PM Who's in your Halloween Hike crew this year? Tag them below!

Fall is a great time to plant. Shop the Online Pop-Up Native Plant Sale and add plants native to Georgia to your garden or containers this fall. Native plants can provide food and habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife while helping create a healthier backyard ecosystem. It’s one more opportunity to plant native this season. Visit our website for more details, sale opens October 9th.

What does a beaver do with a chunk of watermelon? 🦫🍉 In this case: investigate it, push it out of the pond, stash it, and come back to eat it later. The watermelon is more than a snack. It’s an example of multi-type enrichment — providing sensory, food, and cognitive enrichment as she explores a new object and figures out what to do with it. That problem-solving comes naturally to beavers. In the wild, they may travel to find food, move it through canals, and store it underwater for later. Providing enrichment like this is one part of the daily care our wildlife team provides. Because our team cannot accept payment for rehabilitation services, donor support helps make this work possible — from caring for raptors, reptiles, and amphibians in rehabilitation to providing food, enrichment, and daily care for educational animals like our beaver. Consider making a donation today to help us continue caring for wildlife. 🦉🐢🐸

How many habitats can you find at Chattahoochee Nature Center?👀 From the treetops to the forest floor, the river and everything in between, our 127 acres are made up of variety of habitats that provide food , shelter, and space for wildlife. For World Habitat day, let’s explore the three habitats wildlife call home! Which habitat would you explore first?

Your Chattahoochee Nature Center membership is getting easier to take with you. We’re introducing PassPlay, a new digital membership app that makes it simple to access your membership card when you visit. Members, keep an eye on your inbox for an invitation email with instructions to sign up and access your digital membership card. Then you’ll be ready for your next visit and whatever you discover while you’re here. 🌿

The Fall season is here, reconnect with the outdoors and explore the seasons programs at Chattahoochee Nature Center🍂

Welcome the Fall season with outdoor adventures for the entire family at Chattahoochee Nature Center🍁 Visit our website to plan your next visit!

Stone mountain daisies in bloom make the green roof feel like heaven 🌼 Come see them during their peak blooming time!

🎃 Halloween + nature? Now that’s a combination we can get behind. Halloween Hikes returns for its 41st year, October 23–25, with new ways to explore the season! 🌙🌲 Discover traditions from around the world, from Samhain to Día de los Muertos, then set out on a self-guided trick-or-treating adventure with woodland characters, activities, surprises, and candy along the way. Looking for an extra challenge? Take on The Haunted Quest, an immersive scavenger hunt set on the night of Samhain, recommended for ages 12 and older. Whether it’s a family tradition or your first Halloween Hikes, there’s something new waiting along the trail. 🎟 Member tickets open October 1 🎟 General ticket sales open October 8 Which animal are you looking forward to meeting on your Halloween Hike?

Cool weather and even cooler plants. Visit our Fall Native Plant Sale this weekend! 🌿 Our exclusive members only sale is open today from 4-7PM, and the sale opens to the public Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 from 8AM-5PM. Explore a wide selection of species that provide food and shelter for wildlife while creating a beautiful, resilient garden through every season. 🌼🐝 Check out our website to learn more and plan your visit.

🌱 Back to Your Roots Farm Fair is today! Come spend part of your Sunday at Chattahoochee Nature Center. Meet farm animals, explore Unity Garden, enjoy hands-on activities, and discover how food, farming, and nature are connected. This event ends at 4PM. Bring your curiosity and come celebrate the harvest season with us today!

Get ready for an evening of jazz, funk, rock, and classic favorites. 🎷 Marcella Jones and Brown Liquor Band bring a high-energy mix of music spanning the '70s, '80s, and '90s to Sunset Sips. Gather with friends, enjoy a drink, and spend a late summer evening by the River with live music at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Get your tickets on our website or via the link in our bio.

🍂 What grows here belongs here. Every native plant plays a role. Milkweed feeds monarch caterpillars. Native flowers provide nectar for pollinators. Shrubs and trees offer food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. Find plants for sunny gardens, shady corners, clay soils, slopes, and everything in between at Chattahoochee Nature Center's Fall Native Plant Sale. Members Only: Thursday, Sept. 24 | 4–7PM Public Sale: Friday–Saturday, Sept. 25–26 | 8AM–5PM Learn more at the link in our bio.

The guesses are in, and we have our Cicada Count Contest winners! 🎉 Thank you to the 572 visitors, traders, members, docents, volunteers, and staff who joined our third annual Cicada Count Contest in July. The correct count? 1,546 cicada molts in the jar! Congratulations to our two closest guessers: 🍃 Kiera P., a Nature Exchange trader, with a guess of 1,543 🍃 Williams A., a docent, with a guess of 1,472 Kiera and Williams each won 1,000 points to spend in the Nature Exchange. Thanks to everyone who took a closer look, made a guess, and joined in the fun!

Discover the changing of the seasons with outdoor activities for all ages at Chattahoochee Nature Center 🌿

🌱 Where does our food begin? Come find out at Back to Your Roots Farm Fair at Chattahoochee Nature Center. Meet farm animals, explore Unity Garden, enjoy hands-on activities, and discover how food, farming, and nature are connected. Bring your curiosity and celebrate the harvest season with us on September 20!

Ease into the evening with the soulful sounds of @saintejane. 🎵 This Sunset Sips performance features heartfelt songs, rich harmonies, and an intimate live music experience that pairs perfectly with a summer evening by the River. Bring a friend, grab a drink, and enjoy the Nature Center after hours. Click the link in our bio or visit our website and get your tickets today. 💚

Thank you for an amazing summer! 🌿🌊 Chattahoochee Nature Center will be closed on Monday, August 31 to give our staff a well-deserved rest. We will reopen on Tuesday, September 1 during normal operating hours, 10AM-5PM.

Tonight: live music by the River. 🌊 Spend your Thursday evening at Chattahoochee Nature Center with Sunset Sips and @electromatics. Settle in on the Great Lawn as the sun goes down and enjoy their Southern roots sound, with influences ranging from Atlanta to New Orleans. 🌅 Sunset Sips runs from 6–9:30PM and is included with general admission and free for members. Make plans for tonight and get your tickets when you visit our website.

At first glance, they look like beautiful plants. Take a closer look, and you'll notice pitchers that collect insects, sticky sundew leaves that sparkle in the sun, and traps that close in an instant. 🌱🪰 See these remarkable plants at the Carnivorous Plant Sale tomorrow from 8AM to 1PM. Whether you're adding your first carnivorous plant or searching for something rare, you'll find plenty to discover.

🌱🌾 Where does our food come from? Find out at Back to Your Roots Farm Fair! Celebrate the harvest season at Chattahoochee Nature Center with an afternoon of hands-on activities, live farm animals and opportunities to explore the connections between food, farming and the natural world. 🐓🥕 Take a tour of the Unity Garden, test your knowledge with a garden scavenger hunt, enjoy games and crafts with community partners, and bring a picnic to enjoy along the way. 📅 September 20 ⏰ 12–4PM 📍 Chattahoochee Nature Center 🎟️ Advance registration required Come curious, leave connected. 🌿 #ChattahoocheeNatureCenter #BackToYourRoots #FarmFair #NatureEducation #UnityGarden

🎶 Southern roots music, summer sunsets, and the River. Join us for Sunset Sips featuring @electromatics, bringing a mix of Southern rock, New Orleans-inspired rhythms, and roots music to Chattahoochee Nature Center. Grab a drink, bring a friend, and settle in by the River for an evening of live music and summer views. 🎟️ Get your tickets today when you visit our website.

📍 Status: Exploring. 🛜 No notifications. No deadlines. Just the sound of the Chattahoochee River, the rustle of leaves and a little more room to breathe. Follow the River Boardwalk Trail, paddle through the water, wander beneath the trees or simply find a quiet spot to take it all in. 🌿🚣 Where do you go when it's time to unplug? 👇 #ChattahoocheeRiver #Chattahoochee #ChattahoocheeNatureCenter

Even in the summer heat, @georgiasymphony kept it cool yesterday evening at Sunset Sips. 🌅 Join us on August 27 for a stroll along our river boardwalk, a cold drink, and music by @electromatics.

Looking for something different this season? Head up to our greenhouse area and browse a wide selection of carnivorous plants, bog orchids, and companion plants from multiple specialty growers during the Carnivorous Plant Sale on August 22, 8AM-1PM. Whether you're building a bog garden or just curious about these fascinating plants, it's a great chance to ask questions, compare varieties, and bring home something new. Admission to the sale is free, and members receive a discount! Plan your visit using the link in our bio or when you visit our website.

One donation can make a difference for more than one person. ❤️ Join LifeSouth's Mobile Blood Drive at Chattahoochee Nature Center and help provide lifesaving blood for patients in our community this Friday, August 7, from 10AM-5PM. Donate blood, receive a $20 e-gift card, and know you've helped someone when they needed it most. Reserve your spot using the link in our bio.

Reconnect with the outdoors this August and explore adult programs at Chattahoochee Nature Center 🌲🌳 Visit our website to plan your next adventure!

August is here, and so are more outdoor adventures! 🌿 Check out what's happening at Chattahoochee Nature Center this month, and visit our website to book your next adventure.

🌿 Today is World Nature Conservation Day. Conservation often starts with something simple: noticing. A bird calling from the trees. A turtle warming itself on a log. Native flowers buzzing with bees. The quiet flow of the River. The more we notice, the more we understand. And when we understand this place, we're more likely to care for it. What have you noticed outside lately? #WorldNatureConservationDay #ChattahoocheeNatureCenter

🚰 The River Behind the Tap 🚰 The Chattahoochee River is part of everyday life for millions of people, whether they realize it or not. More than 70% of metro Atlanta's drinking water comes from the Chattahoochee, making it one of the region's most important natural resources. Beyond providing water, the river supports wildlife, offers recreational opportunities, and helps connect communities across the Southeast. The next time you're by the river, remember it's doing a lot more than creating a beautiful view. 🌊 #Chattahoochee #ChattahoocheeRiver #ChattahoocheeNatureCenter

🧺 If a Belted Kingfisher was having a picnic by the Chattahoochee... The menu would be: 🐟 Fish 🐟 Fish 🐟 Fish No sides. No dessert. Just fish. These river-loving birds spend their days perched above the water, watching for the perfect moment to dive in and grab a meal. Good thing the Chattahoochee keeps the buffet stocked. 🌊 What's your favorite wildlife sighting along the river? #Chattahoochee #Picnic #ChattahoocheeRiver #ChattahoocheeNatureCenter

Tomorrow at Sunset Sips, enjoy live music from singer-songwriter @darbywilcox. Known for honest songwriting and unforgettable performances, Darby's songs explore life's joys, heartbreaks, and everything in between. A familiar face in listening rooms throughout the Southeast, she'll bring an evening of soulful music to the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Bring a friend, grab a drink, and settle in by the River for an evening of live music, fresh air, and a chance to enjoy the Nature Center after hours. 🎶 See you tomorrow!

📡 IRL = In River Life 📡 The Chattahoochee may not make the evening news, but there's always something happening along its 430-mile journey. Swipe through today's river report. 💬 Our IRL means In River Life. What does IRL mean in your outdoor world? Let us know in the comments! #Chattahoochee #ChattahoocheeRiver

🌿 DM = Discover More 🌿 There’s more to explore at Chattahoochee Nature Center inside the Discovery Center! Swipe through to see some of our latest finds. 💬 Your turn: What's your nature acronym for DM ? #Chattahoochee #ChattahoocheeRiver #ChattahoocheeNatureCenter

Country music, summer nights, and a sunset over the Great Lawn. 🌅🎶 @codybolden & The Roadhands brought the honky tonk to Sunset Sips with an evening of live music, good company, and plenty of reasons to kick back and stay awhile. Missed this one? Sunset Sips returns July 23 with singer-songwriter Darby Wilcox! Join us for another evening of live music and summer sunsets at Chattahoochee Nature Center. Learn more and get your tickets at the link in our bio!

Pardon Our Progress — CNC Is Open! As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, we’re investing in improvements that will shape the next 50 years of discovery at CNC as part of our multi-phase capital improvement project! During 2026, you will notice construction fencing throughout the grounds, temporary relocation of paths and walkways, and periodic traffic detours or lane closures in the parking lot. But don’t worry — CNC remains open during our normal hours, and our trails, Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, programming, and exhibits are operating as usual. These upgrades will make your visitor experience more beautiful, more accessible, and more functional for years to come. Thank you for your patience and support as we grow! We can’t wait to welcome you on your next visit.

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