near: friendship forest — Blog

The house at Johns Homestead was built in approximately 1832, and is one of the oldest remaining houses in DeKalb County. More information about the buildinds and land are available from Friends of Johns Homestead Park and The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. The park was created in 2004 when DeKalb County purchased the homestead land. The lake section was added via a separate purchase in 2006. The City of Tucker was incorporated in 2015, and the park now belongs to the city.

Address: 3071 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker, GA 30084
Cost of admission: None
Governance: City of Tucker
Friends of the Park Group: Friends of Johns Homestead
Acres: 50
Approximate miles of trails: 2
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 11
MARTA directions: Take the 75 bus from Avondale Station to the Lawrenceville Hwy @ Lovely Ln stop. This stop is right in front of the homestead.
Parking: There is a parking lot for the park on Lawrenceville Highway, just NE of the homestead buildings.
Trailhead(s): There are two trailheads along Lawrenceville Highway, one at the parking lot and one at the homestead buildings. The trails are also accessible from Edinburgh Drive and Stapp Drive.
Trail surface: Mostly natural, some gravel
Blazes/markings: None
Restrooms: None
Dogs allowed: Yes, on leash
Fishing allowed: Yes
Accessibility notes: As of June 2021, on the trail connecting the homestead to the lakes, there are two footbridges across small streams that are narrow (~12” wide) and bouncy. There are plans to replace these with full pedestrian bridges.
Links:

Friends of Tucker Parks
Concept Plan (note, this includes several trails and other amenities that are not yet build)
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

July 4, 2017

Pileated Woodpecker, January 6, 2018

January 6, 2018

Frozen Twin Brothers Lake, January 6, 2018

Slaty Skimmer, June 18, 2021

More photos on Flickr

From around the web

Random eBird sightings from the last 30 days

Recent iNaturalist observations

Good to combine with:

Featured

Friendship Forest Wildlife Sanctuary

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Shamrock Forest

Updated July 15, 2017, January 6, 2018, and June 18, 2021

Pine Lake is the smallest city in DeKalb county, with a population of about 750 people. At the center of the town is a lovely public park with a lake, along Snapfinger Creek.

There is a walking trail around the lake, as well as a trail along the berm that separates the swimming area from the rest of the lake. East and west of the lake, you can find the Eastern Wetland Trail and Western Wetland Trail.

Address: 4580 Lakeshore Dr, Pine Lake, GA 30083
Cost of admission: None
Governance: City of Pine Lake
Acres: 20
Approximate miles of trails: 1
Hours: Dawn to sunset
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 12
MARTA directions: Take the 117 from Avondale Station to Rockbridge Rd@Rowland Rd. Walk north on Poplar Rd. After the road turns to the left, take a right onto Spruce Dr. Walk until you reach the lake at Lakeshore Drive. The walk from the bus stop to the lake is approximately 0.4 miles.
Parking: There is a small parking lot on Lakeshore Drive.
Trailhead(s): The trail is accessible from all along Lakeshore Drive. There is an additional trailhead along Oak Hill Circle, and yet another trailhead (unmarked) on Spruce Drive near Orchid Drive.
Trail surface: The trail on the north side of the lake is paved. The other trails are dirt.