Note: As of August 2022, the trail between Lullwater Preserve and Hahn Woods is closed for sewer line repairs. The suspension bridge is also closed.

According to a sign in Lullwater Preserve, "The place called Lullwater passed through four stages in its history: Piedmont forest; hunting grounds for the Cherokee and Creek nations; site of farms, mills, and residences for European American settlers; and finally as a resource for Emory University, which has used it alternately to house the president, to sell for profit, to build on, and to preserve for recreation and education."

Today, the park has a neat pedestrian suspension bridge over the south fork of Peachtree Creek.

Signs at some of the trailheads state that the trail is for use by Emory staff, faculty, and students. I have never heard of this being enforced, with many groups and individuals visiting regularly.

The PATH trail in Medlock, Melton, and Mason Mill parks is planned to connect to Lullwater Preserve, and construction began in 2017. As of October 2018, there is a fence blocking where I would expect the trail to connect, so I am unsure what is planned.

Also known as: Lullwater Park; Emory President’s Estate
Address: 1463 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322
Cost of admission: None
Governance: Emory University
Acres: 154
Approximate miles of trails: 4
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 6
MARTA directions: Take the #6 MARTA bus from Lindbergh or Inman Park to the Clifton Rd NE @ Haygood Dr NE stop. From there, walk north along Clifton Road for a little over a block. The entrance to the preserve is on the right.
Parking: Parking is available at the Hahn Woods trailhead at 866 Houston Mill Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329. From what I understand, parking at the Clifton School at 1900 Starvine Way is free on the weekends.
Trail surface: Some paved, some natural, some gravel
Dogs allowed: Yes
Fishing allowed: Yes, catch and release only
Best time to visit: Early-November fall foliage is excellent
Guidebook mentions: Chapter 5 in Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests (1st edition)

May 2, 2015

November 3, 2016

Hahn Woods beech, November 3, 2016

November 3, 2016

Great Blue Heron, January 12, 2017

December 9, 2017

For more photos, see my flickr album.

From around the web

Random eBird sightings from the last 30 days

Good to combine with:

Featured

Mason Mill/Melton/Medlock Parks

WildWoods & Fernbank Forest

Lullwater Conservation Garden

Updated November 4, 2016, January 12, 2017, April 9, 2017, and October 14, 2018

Once you've entered the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, walk down the stairs (or take the elevator) and exit through the doors to get to the woods.

Address: 767 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30307
Admission: $20/adult, see site for other prices (includes museum admission)
Acres: 75
Approximate miles of trails: 2
Hours: Open 10-5 daily. Fernbank Forest closes at 4:30pm; WildWoods and the museum close at 5.
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4
MARTA directions: Take the #2 bus from East Lake or North Avenue Station to Ponce De Leon Ave NE @ Clifton Rd. From there, walk north on Clifton Rd. The entrance to Fernbank Museum of Natural History is on the right. The woods are accessed through the museum. The walk from the bus stop is approximately 0.2 miles.
Cycling directions: Follow the Stone Mountain PATH trail to its intersection with S Ponce. Turn right on S Ponce. At the first intersection, turn left onto Clifton Rd. Cross Ponce and continue on Clifton. Turn right into the Museum area. Continue straight to the end where the museum is. Go around the dinosaurs to the right to the bike rack. (The rack is to the right of the main entrance, next to the parking lot.)
Parking: There are two parking lots at the museum.
Trailhead: Once you have paid and entered the museum, go downstairs and out the doors. The trails begin just outside the doors.
Trail surface: Mostly paved, with some natural and boardwalk sections

Amenities:

Playgrounds
Cafe
Museum
Restrooms and water fountains in the museum and at the Kendeda Pavilion in WildWoods
Vending machines in the museum
Movie theater

Links:
Wildwoods
Fernbank Forest

WildWoods

WildWoods is a new, outdoor exhibit of Fernbank Museum of Natural History. It features several hands-on elements, an elevated boardwalk, interpretive signage, and a couple of playground areas. In the 1930s, there was a landscaped garden here. A stone wall remains from those days.

October 20, 2016

March 17, 2018

Features:

Two playgrounds
Restroom
Seasonal exhibit
ADA accessible

Just past the WildWoods area lies Fernbank Forest.

Fernbank Forest

Until July 2012, Fernbank Forest was publicly-accessible. At that time, a lease ended, and the property was transferred from the Fernbank Science Center and the DeKalb County School District to Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

In September 2016, it reopened for self-guided tours as part of Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Museum admission or membership is required for forest access.

Fernbank Forest is an old-growth Piedmont forest, with large beech trees, tulip poplars, and 7 trees on Trees Atlanta's champion trees map. Some segments of the forest are very similar to Deepdene Park in Olmsted Linear Park, which is located nearby. In the years while the forest was closed to the public, the museum restored the forest, removing invasive species. Restoration work continues.

Links:
http://www.fernbank.edu/forest.htm
http://www.clatl.com/news/article/13081005/fernbank-forest-reopening-in-2016