Jones Bridge Trail

The Jones Bridge Trail can be accessed from Barnwell Road and is a quaint little walking trail meandering through the woods along the Chattahoochee River. If you ever visit Jones Bridge Park in Norcross then you have seen Jones Bridge Trail on the opposite bank of the river. There were two parking lots, the first one had a boat ramp and the second lot was where everyone else was parking. Both lots cost $ 3 and one of them accepted credit cards. The trail itself was a bit confusing because there is one branch leading to the «historic Jones Bridge» and the rest of the trail is in the opposite direction. We took the half mile to the bridge first, before hitting the real trail. There were LOTS of roots on the real trail so be weary. The trail consists of numerous loops, which eliminates the fear of getting lost. Plus there were trail maps and trail markers all along the way. Did not see many animals beside the usual birds and squirrels. One part of the trail gets fairly steep and departs from the side of the river, going deep into the forest. Seems like a good place to bring your dog. Overall, the trail is for moderate hiking and is nice, but could use a little revamping.

I’ve been visiting a different park/​preserve/​trail every weekend since the summer started and today was JBT day. I spent my entire morning — 8:45am to 12:00pm — hiking here. I’m pretty sure I went down almost every trail and then some. If you’re in shape and you’re into exploring and getting your workout on, this is for you. I’d rate this trail a 5, 1 being easy breezy, 10 being «leave-me-to-die-I-can’t-go-on» hard.
This is a sold 4-​star trail. No human noise for the most part. Just water, birds, crunching sticks under your feet… the natural stuff. Actually came face to face with a deer. Not scary, not at all. The trails are clean and the fellow hikers were pleasant. Of the 20 people that passed me, maybe 18 said hello. Corny or not, it made me feel a bit safer.
Why not 5 five stars?
1) The entrance is only clearly marked on one side of the road. Once I figured out that I had passed it and had found my way inside, I had no clue where I was going. There aren’t any signs telling you where parking is; you just kind of drive for 2 minutes until you see a large parking lot. There’s one before then, but I didn’t park there because there are signs indicating it’s only allowed M-​F for regular cars.
2) For some reason, I was expecting for there to be a booth where a person collected the fee from you. Not the case. Once you’ve parked, you’ll see a booth-​like structure with a ticket ATM for debit/​credit cards and a tall metal container where you’re supposed to deposit your cash payments in pink envelopes. Problem is the cash box is stuffed to max capacity and there is nowhere else to leave the money. I’m holding on to it until I can figure out how else to pay. No one else seemed bothered, though; they just walked right in. The envelope has a car tag that warns that if you don’t pay, you’re breaking the law. So… I’m officially a criminal.
3) The river banks aren’t clean. Old clothes, bottles, plastic containers, etc are tangled in tree branches and roots. It’s a shame, but there aren’t any garbage cans either.
4) Some of the trails aren’t really… trails? They’re overgrown and in some cases, the foliage is taller than me (I’m 5’9″). I found a solid «walking stick,» embraced my inner bushwhacker (Do New Jerseyans have one of those?) and went to town on some of the less intimidating paths instead.
5) I got lost at least 8 times, mostly due to overgrown vegetation and faded path markers (the paint squares on the trees). The aimless wandering with no one else around for half-​hour periods was kind of nerve-​wracking, but every time I spotted a sign of civilization like a bridge or trail map, I felt like breaking out in a victory dance.
The New Jerseyan’s take: I wouldn’t suggest bringing kids out here; there are plenty of high roots, low-​hanging branches and loose rocks — perfect injury factories for little ones. Empty your bladder before you start your excursion (no porta-​potties), wear repellent, a hat, and carry a big stick. And, oh, yeah — have fun.

I started hiking because of this trail — I passed it on the way to a playground with my kids one day, and decided to check it out soon after just to go for a walk. I ended up walking for 5 miles! You can do anything from a very short hike along the river, to a 6+ mile hike if you follow the south loop and explore all of the interior trails. The river part is flat but there is some elevation so you can also work up a pretty good sweat.
There are two small ponds, a meadow, and tons of little side trails down to the river’s edge. Pants are recommended, even though the trail is well maintained the underbrush on the sides has poison ivy, and I would imagine also ticks and other things of that sort.
This trail is part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, with several units along the river going south from the Buford Dam down to the ⁷⁵⁄₂₈₅ junction. The National Park Service has lots of info and maps on their website —
As mentioned, parking is $ 3 or you can buy an annual pass for $ 25 which is valid at any unit. There are two parking lots, the boat launch lot is closer to the entrance and on weekends is for cars with trailers only, but during the week you can park there without one. The main parking lot is further in and has the bathrooms. Both lots have pay stations but the boat launch lot doesn’t have a credit card machine so cash/​permit only in that spot.

Great hike. Lots of birds and deer. Quite, serene. I’ll definitely be back!
Remember to take $ 3 for parking. Cash and credit cards accepted.

Rustic but a beautiful day. This trail head is off Barnwell about 1.5 from Holcomb Bridge, much of the trail is along the Chattahoochee. About half of the trail is flat and by the river and about half of the mileage was more challenging. 2 of the Bridges were Eagle Scout projects one from 1993 with some extra engineering and twisted wire support and the other simpler and from 2003, nice work from both boys and troops.
You can do the whole trail system for 6+ miles (which we did on 3÷28÷13) or there is a nice half mile flat trail between the parking lots that is about a half mile. The big parking lot has rest rooms (but no water fountain) and there is a river trail which goes north to the old bridge or an up hill/​down hill trail which covers the same point to point but is much more strenuous.
A nice afternoon away from the traffic.

As the first preview says, this trail is perfect for the residents of Johns Creek and Alpharetta. Very kids friendly and pretty busy all year round. The trail head is often confused to be in Jones Bridge Park which is right across the river and unless you’ll cross the river (which actually many people do as it’s not deep in this area), the parking lots (one for launching boats then another for hikers) of the trail head is located off Barnwell Road. South of the boat launch area, The trail goes to 3 levels. right by the river, a middle and a higher level. Maps are every where at this point and it’s almost guaranteed to spot a deer, couple or a whole family.

The trail is a perfect place to get away from the city without driving for hours. You can see Chattahoochee River on your side along the way you walk. And some of the areas can make you forget that you are in the city. I went there today even the weather was overcast and cold, I still could see a lot of runners, kids, and people with their dogs. I really enjoyed it. Can’t imagine, in summer it must be crowded.
Some parks or trails I have been if they are close to the city they are always too small and also you can see streets and cars driving by. But Jones Bridge Trail has a good size (not too small) and much quieter. It can make you sweat a bit to finish the whole loop depends on your pace. It is still very easy to walk because most of the trail is flat. Just have to be careful not to stumble over tree roots. (for someone who is clumsy like me)
Parking cost $ 3.00 and there is a restroom right at the parking lot.

I give it 4 stars because it is such a great place to get away from the city to enjoy nature. I would give it 5 stars if the trail had more varieties of difficulty. Well, I am just being picky.