Vinings' River Side Has Its Trails Before Its Park: What Paces Mill Offers This Fall
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
The construction fencing at Paces Mill came down more than a year ago, and the part of Paces Mill's makeover that will matter most this fall is the network of trails that runs into the park, more than anything inside it.
The order in which things got finished explains why. Over the past two years, the routes that lead to the river were completed one after another. The amenities meant to make you stay once you arrive are scheduled for later and still need money. Until that changes, the Vinings end of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is best used as a place to start out from.
The renovation is called New Day Palisades, and its first phase cost $6.3 million and is complete. Work wrapped in spring 2025, and Paces Mill held its ribbon-cutting and grand reopening on June 7, 2025.
Most of what that phase delivered is infrastructure. You notice it when you pull in, but it doesn't give you a reason to linger. The project's own pages describe:
All of that makes arriving smoother and the site healthier. The features that would turn Paces Mill into a riverside gathering spot belong to the next phase.
Phase Two carries a $9.5 million price tag, and the project lists it as "funding needed." As of the project page updated in May 2026, it's scheduled to begin in fall 2027, contingent on funding, with overall completion anticipated by spring 2028. That phase includes a new visitor information center, expanded river entry points and more circulation improvements. The project's planning documents also put new restrooms, changing facilities, an open-air pavilion, wide river steps and redesigned boat-takeout parking in Phase Two.
Some older pages still carry an earlier timeline. The project's own FAQ from 2025 gave fall 2026 as the start date. The newer project page has replaced that date, so anyone who remembered construction resuming this season can set it aside.
| Status as of fall 2026 | What it means for a visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded, resurfaced parking | Done in Phase One | Easier to arrive and park |
| Native meadow and bioswales | Done in Phase One | A greener entrance |
| Trail system upgrades | Done in Phase One | Better footing at the trailhead |
| Visitor information center | Phase Two, needs funding | Not yet built |
| Wide river steps, expanded river entry | Phase Two, needs funding | River access stays as it is for now |
| New restrooms, changing facilities, pavilion | Phase Two, needs funding | Plan for a shorter stop |
That gap is what shapes the next year or so at Paces Mill. Two parts of the place are finished: the parking lot and the routes leading away from it.
The bigger milestone for Vinings came three months after the reopening. In September 2025, the Cumberland Community Improvement District, Cobb County and the Atlanta Regional Commission opened the final phase of the Bob Callan Trail. That $7.4 million phase added a 0.3-mile extension that finally made the trail a fully connected 4-mile multi-use route from Terrell Mill Road to the Chattahoochee River at Paces Mill. The trail had been built in three segments going back to 2005, and Bob Voyles, chair of the Cumberland CID board, called it "the Cumberland Community's trailhead to a national park and the Chattahoochee River."
That final phase also added a new trailhead at Windy Hill and Bentley Road with accessible parking, shaded seating, fitness amenities, bike repair stations and wayfinding signage.
Put the dates side by side. The parking lot reopened in June 2025 and the continuous trail opened in September 2025, while the visitor center and river steps aren't expected before 2028. Until Phase Two is funded and built, the finished part of Paces Mill is the one that keeps you moving.
The National Park Service describes West Palisades as 302 acres with about 3.5 miles of trail and just over two miles of river shoreline. The route that matters most for Vinings begins at the Rottenwood Creek trailhead at Paces Mill. NPS notes that this trail is paved and open to bikes as well as walkers.
From the lot, the trails link up like this:
Because the route is paved, a stroller walk, a dog walk and a bike ride can all start from the same expanded lot. The finished pieces work in your favor here. The parking was rebuilt to handle more cars and smoother traffic, and the trail beyond it no longer dead-ends short of the river.
Paces Mill is a national park site, and its access rules come from the National Park Service fee page. They're simple, but they catch people who show up planning to pay in cash.
The sunset rule matters more each week as the days get shorter. A late-afternoon loop that worked in September runs out of daylight sooner in November, so start earlier. NPS updates these pages from time to time, so check the fee page and current park alerts the morning you go.
The trail runs out at the river, so the rest of the outing happens up the hill in the village. This fall that leg has a new stop. After nine years running Stockyard Burgers & Bones at Vinings Jubilee, chef Scott Kinsey and Alexis Kinsey renovated the space and opened Cotto Modern Italian there in late September, as Atlanta Magazine reported.
Atlanta Magazine says Cotto serves dinner nightly and brunch on weekends. The menu covers antipasti, pasta, mains and 10-inch wood-fired pizzas, with most dishes meant for sharing, and early favorites include gnocchi, pollo saltimbocca and cacio e pepe. The wine list runs to 85 Italian bottles. The renovated room seats 75 inside and 40 on an open-air patio, and the restaurant takes both reservations and walk-ins.
Walk-in seating and weekend brunch fit a trail morning well. A Saturday loop from Paces Mill can finish at a brunch table in Vinings Jubilee without a reservation made days in advance.
The river trails are the everyday option, and the park and the surrounding area have a few dated events on the calendar in November. The Chattahoochee River NRA calendar lists programs at other units of the park, upriver from Paces Mill:
November 28 also brings the free Tree Lighting at The Battery Atlanta, from 5 to 8 p.m. at 800 Battery Avenue SE. Organizers list live entertainment, Santa and an outdoor movie, and say more details are on the way.
Dates and details for the park programs can change, so confirm them on the NPS calendar before you head out.
Phase Two has a cost, a feature list and a target start date. Its start depends on fundraising, and the New Day Palisades project page takes contributions directly. Until that money comes in, Paces Mill is a well-organized parking lot at the end of a 4-mile trail, with the Chattahoochee on one side and the paved climb along Rottenwood Creek on the other.
Big park and trail projects tend to come up in conversations about a home's location, and the timelines get repeated long after they've changed. If you're thinking about selling in Vinings and want to know how nearby amenities like the Bob Callan Trail factor into your home's value, Adrianne Grant can walk you through it with appraisal-level detail. Request a complimentary home valuation and consultation, and we'll talk about what your location is worth today.
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