Why I Love the Roswell Riverwalk (And What’s Coming Next at Riverside Park)

By Alison Belknap / Compass Real Estate

Living near the Roswell Riverwalk and Riverside Park was one of the biggest draws for our family when we first moved into Southeast East Cobb. I run the boardwalk most weekends, and even though the recent park construction has made it a little tricky to navigate lately, I’m genuinely excited to see it all come together.

If you’re not familiar, the Roswell Riverwalk is a multi-purpose greenway that runs alongside the Chattahoochee River part of a larger boardwalk system that ties together several of Roswell’s most-loved outdoor spaces — the Chattahoochee Nature Center, Azalea Park, Riverside Park, and Don White Memorial Park — along with new parks currently in development. The boardwalk itself was built with helical screw piles rather than traditional foundations, which minimizes the impact on the surrounding ecosystem, just a small drilled hole per pile instead of large-scale disruption. The Riverwalk is the best way to stroll along the river and snap photos of the water, or catch the sunset from the waterfront on any given evening. You’ll see your neighbors out and about on the boardwalk, families grilling at the picnic spots along the way, rowers on the water, and artists and landscape painters capturing the scenic views.

A Major Renovation Is Underway at Riverside Park

If you’ve visited Riverside Park recently, you might’ve been surprised to find a big empty space where the playgrounds, splash pad, and performance stage used to be. The city kicked off a $13.8 million renovation, part of a bigger plan to connect six of Roswell’s river parks (Riverside, Azalea, River Landing, Willeo, Ace Sand, and Don White) into one unified system along the water. The same design team is behind all six parks, so this isn’t just a quick fix, it’s part of a much bigger vision for the whole riverfront.

Here’s what’s coming:

• A brand-new, free-to-use sprayground (replacing the current paid one)
• A “nature-inspired” playground
• New ADA-accessible restrooms (hoping for a fan or AC 🤞🏻)
• An upgraded open-air pavilion and improved stage/event space for concerts and community gatherings
• Better pedestrian connectivity, parking, and circulation
• Stormwater and drainage upgrades, yay for no flooding!
• 221 trees are being removed for construction, but 307 replacement trees are replacing them

Riverside Park closed on February 1, 2026, and is expected to reopen in summer 2027. The Riverside Sounds concert series is on hold until then, and the sprayground will stay closed for the duration. It’s a big investment in a space that’s genuinely central to this community. Riverside Park host concerts, festivals, and family days since it opened back in 2002.

What This Means If You Live Nearby

Short term, there’s some construction noise and rerouted paths to deal with. I won’t pretend the detours haven’t been a little annoying on my weekend runs. But long term, this is exactly the kind of investment that makes a neighborhood better for years to come. a refreshed, more accessible community space and continued protection of the natural areas that make this stretch of the river special.

If you’re thinking about this part of Southeast East Cobb and Roswell, it’s worth knowing you’re not just moving near a nice trail, you’re moving into a community the city keeps actively investing in.

I’ll keep posting updates as the renovation moves forward. If you want to know more about the area or have questions about what’s nearby, feel free to reach out.

Alison Belknap | Compass Real Estate | alison.belknap@compass.com | 617-605-5939