Westside Park

August 22, 2021 by Shawn Taylor in parks

The Westside Park grand opening was held in August 2021. The former Bellwood Quarry has been converted into a reservoir for City of Atlanta water.

Bellwood Quarry was established in the 1890s to provide granite to the city and surrounding areas. The site was originally a Fulton County convict labor camp. More recently, the quarry was run by corporations. The city purchased the land from the quarry operator, Vulcan Materials, in 2006. This column by Sundiata Rush for the Saporta Report includes some more information about the history of the site.

A number of movies & TV shows have been filmed at the quarry, including The Hunger Games and Stranger Things.

As of August 2021, with only Phase 1 complete, almost all of the trails are paved and wide. The master plan calls for 4.1 miles of natural-surface walking trails and 3.2 miles of natural-surface mountain biking trails in a future phase.

Also known as: Bellwood Quarry Park
Address: 1660 Johnson Road Northwest, Atlanta, GA
Cost of admission: Free
Governance: City of Atlanta
Acres: 280
Approximate miles of trails: 2.5
Hours: 6am to 11pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 3.4
Transit directions: Take MARTA to Bankhead Station and use the Proctor Creek Greenway to connect to the park. Or take MARTA bus #26 from Bankhead Station to Perry Blvd NW & Johnson Rd NW. Walk about 0.2 miles southwest on Johnson Road to the park entrance.
Cycling directions: The park trails connect to the Proctor Creek Greenway
Parking: There are two large parking lots available, off of Johnson Road
Trailhead(s): The two main entrances on Johnson Road are clearly marked and visible from the road. Trailheads are clearly marked from these parking lots. There’s also neighborhood connectivity via Grove Park Place.
Trail surface: Many of the trails are paved and ADA accessible
Blazes/markings: Trails are paved and most intersections have maps
Restrooms: Yes
Dogs allowed: Yes, on leash

Amenities:

Restrooms
Pavilions
Water fountains
Playground
Scenic overlooks

Nearby amenities/conveniences:

MARTA rail station

Links:

Westside Park

August 22, 2021

More photos on Flickr:

From around the web:

Recent iNaturalist observations

Good to combine with:

Featured

Proctor Creek Greenway

Zonolite Park

August 09, 2020 by Shawn Taylor in parks

This former brownfield was cleaned up beginning in 2011. The pollutants were removed – as well as kudzu, privet, and other invasives – and there is now a nice meadow/seasonal wetland area and a creekside trail. Zonolite Park is home to Nickel Bottom Community Garden and a pollinator garden.

As of 2020, Zonolite Park & Herbert Taylor Park almost connect along Johnson Rd. Zonolite’s trails connect to a parking lot on Johnson Rd. on the north/east side of Peachtree Creek, and Herbert Taylor has a new trailhead on Johnson Rd. on the other side of the creek.

Address (approximate): 1101 Zonolite Place NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Cost of Admission: None
Acres: 13
Approximate miles of trails: 1.5
Hours: 7:00am to sunset
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 5
MARTA directions: From Five Points, take the 16 to Briarcliff Rd NE @ Johnson Rd NE, then walk west on Zonolite Rd. Take the 2nd left on Zonolite Pl and continue to the end of the road.
Alternatively take the #6 from Inman Park/Reynoldstown or Lindbergh to Clifton Rd@Briarcliff Rd. Walk southwest on Briarcliff, take the first right on Zonolite Rd, and follow the directions above.
Parking: There is a lot at the trailhead on Zonolite Pl.
Trail surface: Some natural, some large gravel
Dogs allowed: Yes
Guidebook mentions: None

Amenities:

Community garden
Pollinator garden

Nearby amenities/conveniences:

Strip mall at the corner of Briarcliff and Clifton includes a Kroger and several restaurants
QuikTrip gas station on Briarcliff, 0.5 miles from the park entrance
Floataway Cafe is adjacent to the park, but only open for dinner

Links:

November 9, 2014

November 20, 2016

September 24, 2017

Red-shouldered Hawk, September 24, 2017

September 24, 2017

Gray Catbird, September 24, 2017

December 9, 2017

May 27, 2018

For more photos, see my flickr album.

From around the web

Random eBird sightings from the last 30 days

Good to combine with:

Updated August 1, 2016, November 20, 2016, September 24, 2017, May 27, 2018, and August 9, 2020

Mason Mill/Melton/Medlock Parks

Mason Mill Park

November 02, 2019 by Shawn Taylor in parks

These parks are all linked together by both a paved multi-use trail and by unpaved hiking trails. This is a very popular park, especially on weekends.

The PATH trail connects Mason Mill Park to Medlock Park. The PATH trail is partly paved and partly boardwalk. It is intended for high volumes of pedestrians and cyclists. A map is available online.
The hills along the PATH route are minimal. The PATH trail has several nice views of South Fork Peachtree Creek from an elevated boardwalk.

On the other hand, the off-road trails have many very steep hills with some tricky footing, often with exposed roots. There are some blazes on the off-road trails: red, blue, and white rectangles painted on trees.

[Edit, November 2019:] The PATH has recently been extended from Mason Mill Park north all the way to N Druid Hills Rd and also west from Melton Park all the way to Emory University. It’s now quite convenient to combine a trip to these parks with Lullwater Preserve.

Finding the primary trailhead: Make a right from N Druid Hills Rd onto Clairmont Rd. Take the second left onto McConnell Dr. A large, free parking lot is available at Mason Mill Park.

Address (approximate): 1340 McConnell Dr., Decatur, GA 30033
Cost of admission: None
Governance: DeKalb County
Acres: 140+
Approximate miles of trails: 4
Hours: PATH: dawn to dusk; parks: 7:00am to sunset
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 5
MARTA directions: Take the 19 bus from Chamblee or Decatur station to Clairmont Rd@McConnell Dr. From there, walk East on McConnell Dr. The PATH trails begin at the end of McConnell Dr., heading north and east.
Cycling directions: My preferred route is to take MARTA or the PATH to Decatur Station. From there, go east on Sycamore St. then left on Sycamore Pl. Take the first right on E Ponce and then the first left on Glendale. Take a slight left to stay on Glendale. At the end of Glendale, take a left on Forkner. Cross Church St. and continue straight(ish) on Medlock. Take Medlock all the way to the end, then turn left on Gaylemont Cir. Once you see Medlock Park, turn left into it.
Parking: Parking is available at Medlock and Mason Mill Parks.
Trail surface: The PATH trail is paved and boardwalk. Other trails are natural surface.
Geocaching: Yes
Guidebook mentions: Chapter 4 in Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests

Features:

Mason Mill Park
- Bike racks
- Playground
- Multi-use field
- Recreation center
- Tennis courts
- Picnic area
- Garden
- Bathroom
- Dog park (separate from the main park)
Medlock Park
- Baseball and softball fields
- Playground
- Swimming pool
- Picnic area

Links:

DeKalb County (includes information about programming available at the parks)
PATH Foundation
DeKalb County master plan

August 13, 2016

October 26, 2014

August 13, 2016

January 17, 2017

Medlock Park Community Garden, January 17, 2017

April 29, 2017

February 18, 2018

November 2, 2019

Good to combine with:

Featured

Lullwater Preserve and Hahn Woods

Kittredge Park

W.D. Thomson Park

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Updated August 2, 2016, January 17, 2017, April 29, 2017, February 18, 2018, & November 2, 2019

WildWoods & Fernbank Forest

Fernbank Forest

September 16, 2018 by Shawn Taylor in parks

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

Atlanta's champion Eastern Hemlock, October 20, 2016

October 20, 2016

Cooper's Hawk, December 30, 2017

Barred Owl, March 17, 2018

For more photos, see my flickr album.

From around the web

Recent iNaturalist observations

Random eBird sightings from the last 30 days

Good to combine with:

Featured

Lullwater Preserve and Hahn Woods

Olmsted Linear Park

Lullwater Conservation Garden

Frazer Forest

Woodlands Garden

Updated October 24, 2016, December 30, 2017, March 17, 2018, & September 16, 2018

Hampton-Beecher Nature Preserve

August 19, 2018 by Shawn Taylor in parks

This nature preserve is composed of two parks, one named after its former owner, jazz musician Lionel Hampton, and the other sharing its name with nearby Beecher Hills School. The nature preserve is largely mature forest. The trails are a combination of paved, multi-use trails and natural-surface nature trails. There are plans to connect the paved trails to the Beltline.

History: The park contains trenches and fortifications used by Union troops in the Battles of Ezra Church and Utoy Creek. Near this site were the locations of the Peyton Road wall, barriers meant to prevent African Americans from easily entering the Cascade Heights neighborhood.

Also known as: Lionel Hampton Park, Lionel Hampton-Beecher Hills Park
Address: 366 Willis Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30310
Cost of admission: None
Governance: City of Atlanta
Acres: 54
Approximate miles of trails: 4
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 5
MARTA directions: The park is 0.7 miles from H.E. Holmes train station
Cycling directions: Take MARTA to H.E. Holmes Station and exit towards M.L. King Jr Dr. Head left on MLK. After 0.2 miles, turn right on Willis Mill Rd. Continue to the end of the road, where the PATH trail begins.
Parking: Street parking is available at several trailheads, including the one at the end of Willis Mill Rd.
Trailhead(s):
Trail surface: PATH trail is paved, other paths are natural surface
Blazes/markings: PATH trails are marked, others are not
Dogs allowed: Yes
Best time to visit: Fall foliage is excellent
Guidebook mentions: None

Amenities:

Playground
Fitness trail

Links:
PATH Foundation
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

Grey trails are paved, green trails are unpaved

July 26, 2014

June 7, 2014

October 18, 2014

November 19, 2016

August 19, 2018

November 19, 2016

From around the web

Recent iNaturalist observations

Good to combine with:

Featured

Aug 3, 2016

Outdoor Activity Center

Aug 3, 2016

Cascade Springs Nature Preserve

Aug 3, 2016

Updated August 3, 2016, November 19, 2016 & August 19, 2018

Atlanta Memorial Park

June 28, 2018 by Shawn Taylor in parks

Address: 384 Woodward Way NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
Cost of admission: None
Governance: City of Atlanta
Acres: Approximately 200
Approximate miles of trails: 1
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 5
MARTA directions: From Midtown Station, take the #12 bus to Howell Mill Rd@Peachtree Battle. Walk South on Howell Mill across the creek. The trailhead will be on your left, before any intersection.
Cycling directions: From the Northside Beltline Trail at Tanyard Creek Park, follow the trail north. Follow a sign to turn left towards the tennis center. From the tennis center, take the connector trail north along Northside Drive. As of June 2018, the trail ends right at Atlanta Memorial Park. Note: as of June 2018, the trail is not quite complete. There are a couple sections where you need to go through some gravel and rocks and might need to walk your bike.
Parking: Free street parking is available adjacent to the park
Trail surface: Natural
Blazes/markings: None
Dogs allowed: Yes
Guidebook mentions: Chapter 19 in Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests (1st edition)

Amenities:

Playground
Water fountain

Links:

Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy

From around the web

Recent iNaturalist observations

Good to combine with:

Proctor Creek Greenway

May 07, 2018 by Shawn Taylor in parks

Address (approximate): 1259 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Cost of admission: None
Governance: City of Atlanta
Approximate miles of trails: 2
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 3
MARTA directions: Take the train to Bankhead station. The trail begins immediately west of the station.
Trailhead(s): There are trailheads at Hollowell, Johnson, and Kerry Circle. The trail is paved, so the trailheads are easy to find.
Trail surface: Paved

The segment from Hollowell to Johnson was built as part of the Renew Atlanta bond of 2015. The trail segment was opened on May 7, 2018. The segment from Johnson to Kerry Cir (the "River Park Trail") is a PATH trail that was built many years earlier. The new segment makes the trail easily accessible by MARTA. The trail begins immediately west of the Bankhead MARTA station (east of the creek).

The greenway will eventually extend all the way to the Chattahoochee River, for seven miles total.

Links:

April 1, 2018

For more photos, see my flickr album.

Good to combine with:

Olmsted Linear Park

March 31, 2018 by Shawn Taylor in parks

In 1890, Atlanta businessman Joel Hurt was planning Druid Hills to be Atlanta’s “ideal residential suburb”. He approached Frederick Law Olmsted — a co-designer of New York City’s Central Park — to design the Olmsted Linear Parks. Originally, a streetcar ran along the edge of the park. A trolley shelter still stands in the Deepdene segment, at the intersection of East Lake and Ponce.

The park consists of six segments. From west to east, they are: Springdale, Virgilee, Oak Grove, Shadyside, Dellwood, and Deepdene. With the exception of Virgilee, the segments are names after a feature of the segment. Virgilee Park is named after Druid Hills developer Joel Hurt’s daughter who died at a young age. Virgilee Park was originally going to be called “Oaklawn.”

The five western segments are pastoral, large grassy areas punctuated by old trees. The easternmost segment — Deepdene — is very different. Deepdene is a natural woodland with a stream flowing through it. While all the paths in the five western segments are paved, most of the trails in Deepdene have a natural surface. Deepdene is the largest of the park segments, at 22 acres.

Address: 1000 South Ponce De Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Cost of admission: None
Acres: 45
Approximate miles of trails: 4
Hours: The City of Atlanta part of the park (Springdale, Virgilee, Oak Grove, and Shadyside) is open 6:00am to 11:00pm; the Dekalb County portion (Dellwood and Deepdene) is open 7:00am to sunset
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4
MARTA directions: Take the #2 bus from North Avenue or East Lake station. There are several stops along Ponce that are adjacent to the park
Cycling directions: The Freedom Park PATH is near the park
Parking: On-street parking is available on S Ponce and N Ponce alongside the park segments
Geocaching: There are geocaches in the park
Guidebook mentions: Chapter 8 in Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests (1st edition)

Links:
Olmsted Linear Park Alliance: Web Facebook
Olmsted Plein Air Invitational

November 8, 2014

October 8, 2016

Springdale Segment, December 10, 2017

March 31, 2018

For more photos, see my flickr album.

From around the web

Recent iNaturalist observations

Random eBird sightings from the last 30 days

Good to combine with:

Updated August 1, 2016, October 9, 2016, December 10, 2017, and March 31, 2018

Lullwater Conservation Garden

December 10, 2017 by Shawn Taylor in parks

This tiny 6.5 acre park is home to a number of truly large trees, including a state co-champion beech.

The Lullwater Garden Club was founded in 1928, and they purchased Lullwater Conservation Garden from Emory University in 1964.

Address (approximate): 834 Lullwater Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
Admission: Free
Acres: 6.5
Approximate miles of trails: <1
Hours: Uncertain
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4
Trail surface: Natural

Links:
Lullwater Garden Club

November 8, 2014

November 3, 2016

Georgia state champion beech, November 3, 2016

November 3, 2016

Under several large tulip poplars, November 3, 2016

November 3, 2016

November 3, 2013

November 3, 2016

December 10, 2017

Good to combine with:

Updated November 4, 2016 & December 10, 2017

Piedmont Park

October 21, 2017 by Shawn Taylor in parks

Piedmont Park is a large, heavily-used neighborhood park in Midtown Atlanta. Piedmont Park was home to the Piedmont Exposition in 1887 and the Cotton States and International Exposition in 1895. In the early 20th century, the park was redesigned by the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted.

As well as the many paved trails and greenspace areas, there are also some wooded, natural (or boardwalk)-surface trails in the park. Those trails can be found in the areas of this map marked "The Northwoods" and "Six Springs Wetlands". Also, part of the path around Lake Clara Meer is not paved.

Another place to check out is the demonstration orchard and apiary. Those can be found just south of the dog parks.

Address (approximate): 1084 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Admission: Free. Paid parking is available at the Botanical Garden located within the park.
Acres: 185
Approximate miles of trails: 1 mile of natural-surface or boardwalk trails + 3 miles of paved trails
Hours: Park hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm // Northwoods and Six Springs Wetlands hours: 6:00am to sunset
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 2

Features:

Restrooms
Water fountains
Apiary
Demonstration orchard

Links:
Piedmont Park Conservancy
Park map

October 1, 2016

December 1, 2016

Eastern Screech-Owl, January 14, 2017

October 1, 2016

January 7, 2017

Orchard Oriole, April 22, 2017

October 19, 2017

For more photos, see my flickr album.

Good to combine with:

Featured

Oct 3, 2016

Bike-N-Bird: Piedmont Park, October 1, 2016

Oct 3, 2016

Updated August 4, October 3, December 1, and December 30, 2016; January 7, January 28, April 22, May 1, October 19, & October 21, 2017

Frazer Forest

Frazer Center

February 05, 2017 by Shawn Taylor in parks

Address: 1815 S Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
Cost of admission: Free
Governance: Frazer Center
Acres: 39
Approximate miles of trails: 1
Hours: 8:00am to 6:00pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 5
MARTA directions: Take the #2 bus from Five Points station past Clifton Rd to the S Ponce De Leon Ave stop. From there, go southwest on S Ponce less than a block to the center.
Trail surface: Natural, paved, mulched

Amenities:

Gardens
Bike rack

Links:
Frazer Center
Friends of the Frazer Forest

February 5, 2017

Good to combine with:

Tanyard Creek Park

November 30, 2016 by Shawn Taylor in parks

The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought here during the Civil War. Historical markers at the trailhead provide details about the battle.

The trail is part of the BeltLine, so it will eventually connect to other trail segments.

Address (approximate): 484 Collier Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
Admission: None
Acres: 21
Approximate miles of trails: 2
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm

Miles from downtown Atlanta: 5

Links:
PATH Foundation
Beltline

June 17, 2014

November 30, 2016

June 17, 2014

July 22, 2014

November 30, 2016

July 22, 2014

May 30, 2015

Photo by Marc Turnley, October 16, 2016

October 16, 2016

November 30, 2016

Good to combine with:

Updated August 1, 2016, October 23, 2016 & November 30, 2016

Brownwood Park

November 07, 2016 by Shawn Taylor in parks

Address: 607 Brownwood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
Admission: None
Acres: 12
Approximate miles of trails: <1
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 3
Trail surface: Some natural, some paved

Features:

Playground
Basketball and tennis courts
Community garden
Picnic pavilion

February 13, 2014

February 8, 2014

January 16, 2014

January 28, 2014

February 8, 2014

February 13, 2014

July 11, 2015

Good to combine with:

Grant Park (post forthcoming)
Kirkwood Urban Forest
DeKalb Memorial Park (post forthcoming)

Kirkwood Urban Forest

September 26, 2016 by Shawn Taylor in parks

As well as the nature trails and community garden, this park is also home to a natural meadow area.

Address: 1800 Dixie St. SE, Atlanta, GA 30317
Cost of admission: None
Governance: City of Atlanta
Acres: 5
Approximate miles of trails: 1
Hours: 6:00am - 11:00pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4
MARTA directions: From Edgewood/Candler Park Station, take the 24 bus to Hosea L Williams Dr @ Rogers St SE. Walk east on Hosea L. Williams for half a block. Turn right into the DeKalb-Atlanta Human Services Complex. There is a trailhead at the back of the back parking lot.
Or... From King Memorial Station, take the 21 bus to Memorial Dr SE@Warren St SE. Walk west on Memorial. Take the first right onto Dearborn St. The trailhead will be on the left.
Bike directions: From the Freedom Park trail, take Oakdale south (it becomes Whitefoord). Turn left on Hosea L. Williams. Turn into the DeKalb-Atlanta Human Services Complex. There is a trailhead at the back of the back parking lot.
Parking: There is some parking available at the Dearborn St. trailhead.
Trail surface: Natural/mulch
Blazes/markings: None
Geocaching: Yes
Dogs allowed: Yes
Guidebook mentions: None
Trailhead(s):

Behind DeKalb Community Service Board

End of Dearborn St.

End of Rogers St.

Clay St.

Dearborn St. near Bixby St.

Trailhead #1: In parking lot behind Dekalb Community Service Board, 33.751993, -84.327267
Trailhead #2: End of Dearborn St., 33.751032, -84.327267
Trailhead #3: End of Rogers St., 33.750412, -84.329231
Trailhead #4: Clay St., 33.750066, -84.330411 note: you basically have to walk through someone's yard to access the trail here, but the trailhead is marked next to the street with an official City of Atlanta sign
Trailhead #5: Dearborn St. near Bixby St., 33.749103, -84.327731

Features:

Picnic table
Sandbox
Community garden

Links:

August 20, 2016

From around the web

Recent iNaturalist observations

Random eBird sightings from the last 30 days

Good to combine with:

DeKalb Memorial Park (post forthcoming)
Frazer Forest
Olmsted Linear Park

South Bend Park

September 25, 2016 by Shawn Taylor in parks

The Southtowne PATH trail goes through South Bend Park. Check out its page for more info. When viewed from the PATH trail, it seems like this park is thoroughly overgrown with kudzu, but the park does hold some remnants of old-growth forests.

The main trailhead for unpaved paths is located along Lakewood Avenue between the entrance marked "South Bend Park Swimming Pool" and the entrance marked "South Bend Center for Arts and Culture". The trailhead is on the west side of the creek. As of September 2016, it is marked with a "leave no trace" sign.

Address: 2000 Lakewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
Admission: None
Acres: 77
Approximate miles of trails: 2
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm

Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4

Features:

Picnic pavilion
Water fountains
Multi-use PATH trail
Playground

Good to combine with:

Featured

Sep 25, 2016

Sycamores and Kudzu at the Atlanta Kudzu Festival, September 24, 2016

Sep 25, 2016

Southtowne Trail

September 25, 2016 by Shawn Taylor in parks

This is a PATH foundation multi-use trail. It connects two parks, South Bend Park and Swann Preserve.

Address: 226 Bromack Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30315 OR 2000 Lakewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA, 30315 OR other trailheads
Admission: None
Approximate miles of trails: 3 miles round-trip out-and-back
Hours: PATH trails are open dawn to dusk

Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4

Links:
PATH Foundation

September 10, 2014

September 24, 2016

Good to combine with:

Perkerson Park

perkerson park

August 07, 2016 by Shawn Taylor in parks

While primarily a recreational neighborhood park, this park is also home to ITP's only permanent disc golf course.

If you want to hike this park, it would probably be best to visit at times when there aren't many disc golfers around. For reference, I arrived at the park around 7am on a Sunday, and there was no-one playing. When I was leaving around 8am, a few groups of players had just arrived. As of July 2016, they have a league that plays every Sunday at 9am.

Address: 770 Deckner Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
Admission: None
Acres: 50
Approximate miles of trails: 1, primarily used for disc golf
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4

Features:

Disc golf course
Splash pad
Recreation center
Tennis courts
Basketball courts
Playground

Links:
Perkerson Park Disc Golf
Disc Golf Course Map

August 7, 2016

Bike rack and directional signage for disc golf course

August 7, 2016

Good to combine with:

Outdoor Activity Center

August 03, 2016 by Shawn Taylor in parks

Address: 1442 Richland Rd. SW, Atlanta GA 30310
Admission: Free
Acres: 22
Approximate miles of trails: 0.5
Hours: 9:00am to 8:00pm
Miles from downtown Atlanta: 4

Links:
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance
WABE's Beautiful City

June 20, 2014

August 14, 2014

September 28, 2014

Good to combine with:

Hampton-Beecher Nature Preserve
Emma Millican Park (post forthcoming)