Find the top rated trails in Decatur, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Atlanta Road Path skirts the western border of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta. The paved path begins in the Belmont Hills subdivision of Smyrna and heads north 2.5...
Ivy Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway in Buford, which lies in the northeastern Atlanta region. Highlights of the trip include the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, Woodward Mill...
The Cricket Frog Trail gets its name from the quarter-sized amphibian native to this part of Georgia. The trail occupies the former railbed of the Central of Georgia Railway. Totaling 14.9 miles,...
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The Midtown Greenway is the centerpiece of Gainesville's redevelopment efforts in a blighted area known as Midtown, which is a 300-acre area located south of the Downtown Square. The Midtown Greenway...
Spring Road Trail offers a short, paved pathway through Smyrna, a suburb north of Atlanta. The paved trail is lined with trees on one side and parallels Spring Road on the other. Only a mile from...
The Noonday Creek Trail is open in two disconnected sections. The short, northernmost segment runs through the southwestern end of Woodstock, following its namesake tree-lined creek. At this section's...
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Covington's Eastside Trail connects Eastside High School, Newton County Public Library, and Chimney Park. Much of the landscape is pleasantly wooded and there are four wooden boardwalks over...
This 3-mile path around Chastain Park in Atlanta is one of PATH Foundation's most popular trails (the PATH Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a multi-use network of...
The Silver Comet Trail follows the bed of the old Seaboard Air Line. From 1947 to 1969, the shiny Silver Comet passenger train provided luxury service between New York and Birmingham. Today, three...
The Lionel Hampton Trail, on Atlanta’s west side, runs through mature forest and parkland. It's named after a jazz musician who gave the PATH Foundation the land on which the trail was later built....
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The Westside Trail offers a tree-lined route in Atlanta, running from University Avenue to Lena Avenue along the former Louisville and Nashville Railroad. It connects the historical neighborhoods of...
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The West End Trail was the first section to open of the greater 33-mile Atlanta BeltLine network of proposed trails. This 12-foot wide, multi-use path extends from Westview Drive south of I-20, across...
Big Creek Greenway spans nearly 20 miles, connecting Cumming, Alpharetta, and Roswell. The paved trail is currently open in two disconnected sections with a gap of a couple miles in northeast...
The Carrollton GreenBelt is the largest greenspace and greenway conservation project ever undertaken in the city of Carrollton's almost 200-year history. The 16-mile paved loop runs along public...
Whetstone Creek Trail, built on an old rail spur, winds through the Adams Crossing and Windsor Hills neighborhoods of northwest Atlanta. Much of the trail travels through woodlands and Whetstone...
The paved North Park Path is located in Alpharetta, a northern suburb of Atlanta. Although it's short (less than a mile), the trail offers terrific access to the amenities of Alpharetta North Park,...
The picturesque Oxford Trail winds along Turkey Creek through the heart of the charming southern town of Oxford. The wooded pathway runs behind the Oxford College campus and offers a kiosk with...
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The Atlanta BeltLine will link more than 40 neighborhoods, multiple public parks, and mass transit stations in a planned 33-mile trail network throughout the city. Rather than the straight line of a...
The PATH Parkway is the result of an innovative collaboration between the PATH Foundation, Georgia Institute Technology and the City of Atlanta. The creation of this multimodal corridor involved the...
Rockdale River Trail offers a beautiful natural escape through Rockdale County, just southeast of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The trail is hilly and winding as it goes through heavily forested...
South River Trail offers a wooded route along its namesake river, about 15 miles southeast of Atlanta. On its west end is Martin Luther King Jr. High School. On its east end, it ties into the...
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Atlanta's first trolleys were developed in 1870s and the many lines were consolidated to form the Georgia Power Company. The Path Foundation has been instrumental in developing this, and other,...
Big Creek Greenway spans nearly 20 miles, connecting Cumming, Alpharetta, and Roswell. The paved trail is currently open in two disconnected sections with a gap of a couple miles in northeast...
Rockdale River Trail offers a beautiful natural escape through Rockdale County, just southeast of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The trail is hilly and winding as it goes through heavily forested...
The Lionel Hampton Trail, on Atlanta’s west side, runs through mature forest and parkland. It's named after a jazz musician who gave the PATH Foundation the land on which the trail was later built....
The West End Trail was the first section to open of the greater 33-mile Atlanta BeltLine network of proposed trails. This 12-foot wide, multi-use path extends from Westview Drive south of I-20, across...
Castlewood Road Path offers a short, paved route through a residential area of Tyrone, about 25 miles southwest of Atlanta. The trail is part of a larger effort to create car-free connections between...
This 3-mile path around Chastain Park in Atlanta is one of PATH Foundation's most popular trails (the PATH Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a multi-use network of...
Covington's Eastside Trail connects Eastside High School, Newton County Public Library, and Chimney Park. Much of the landscape is pleasantly wooded and there are four wooden boardwalks over...
East Cobb Trail is located in Marietta, a northern suburb of Atlanta, and parallels Roswell Road (SR 120). Although less than 2 miles, the trail is a valuable connector between neighborhoods, shopping...
Although only a half-mile long, the Yellow River Trail is Newton County’s first rail-trail and offers a serene and scenic experience under a lush tree canopy. It opened in December 2015 and is nestled...
Rock Creek Greenway is a well-shaded, paved pathway connecting four parks on its way across Gainesville, from downtown to Lake Lanier. A pleasant place to begin is on the trail’s eastern end at...
While most Atlanta residents would know this trail as a greenway through Freedom Park and Candler Park, it's really much more: a continuous 19-mile stretch of car-free paths and on-street bike lanes...
The developing PATH400 Greenway Trail will one day run 5.2 miles from the Atlanta BeltLine north through Buckhead up to I-285 and the trail system in Sandy Springs. Currently, the paved trail is open...
The Noonday Creek Trail is open in two disconnected sections. The short, northernmost segment runs through the southwestern end of Woodstock, following its namesake tree-lined creek. At this section's...
The Atlanta Road Path skirts the western border of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta. The paved path begins in the Belmont Hills subdivision of Smyrna and heads north 2.5...
This extensive network of multi-use trails snakes throughout most of Peachtree City. Though the trails are open for non-motorized uses only, golf carts are welcome. Pedestrians have the first right of...
Cochran Shoals Trail, on the northwestern outskirts of Atlanta, follows the western bank of the Chattahoochee River for nearly two miles. The unpaved pathway travels through Chattahoochee River...
This 10-foot wide off-road trail both draws trail users off the Silver Comet Trail into Mableton, and connects Mableton’s neighborhoods to the 61.5-mile rail-trail. It begins at the Floyd Road...
The Cricket Frog Trail gets its name from the quarter-sized amphibian native to this part of Georgia. The trail occupies the former railbed of the Central of Georgia Railway. Totaling 14.9 miles,...
Big Creek Greenway spans nearly 20 miles, connecting Cumming, Alpharetta, and Roswell. The paved trail is currently open in two disconnected sections with a gap of a couple miles in northeast...
The East Decatur Greenway offers a pleasant outdoor experience and community connector in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The paved pathway begins across the street from MARTA's Avondale Station and...
Spring Road Trail offers a short, paved pathway through Smyrna, a suburb north of Atlanta. The paved trail is lined with trees on one side and parallels Spring Road on the other. Only a mile from...
The Arabia Mountain Trail winds its way through giant rock outcroppings, past rushing streams plunging in woodland waterfalls and among farmland and fields of wildflowers undulating in the breeze. In...
The developing PATH400 Greenway Trail will one day run 5.2 miles from the Atlanta BeltLine north through Buckhead up to I-285 and the trail system in Sandy Springs. Currently, the paved trail is open...
The paved North Park Path is located in Alpharetta, a northern suburb of Atlanta. Although it's short (less than a mile), the trail offers terrific access to the amenities of Alpharetta North Park,...
This 10-foot wide off-road trail both draws trail users off the Silver Comet Trail into Mableton, and connects Mableton’s neighborhoods to the 61.5-mile rail-trail. It begins at the Floyd Road...
The first phase of the Proctor Creek Greenway opened in May 2018 and stretches nearly 3 miles in northwestern Atlanta, surrounded by the neighborhoods of Bankhead, Grove Park, Rockdale and West...
The Carrollton GreenBelt is the largest greenspace and greenway conservation project ever undertaken in the city of Carrollton's almost 200-year history. The 16-mile paved loop runs along public...
While the mile-long Allatoona Pass is today a serene, pine-shaded trail, in April 1862 it played a role in the Great Locomotive Chase, when disguised Union soldiers seeking to destroy critical bridges...
Whetstone Creek Trail, built on an old rail spur, winds through the Adams Crossing and Windsor Hills neighborhoods of northwest Atlanta. Much of the trail travels through woodlands and Whetstone...
The Midtown Greenway is the centerpiece of Gainesville's redevelopment efforts in a blighted area known as Midtown, which is a 300-acre area located south of the Downtown Square. The Midtown Greenway...
Covington's Eastside Trail connects Eastside High School, Newton County Public Library, and Chimney Park. Much of the landscape is pleasantly wooded and there are four wooden boardwalks over...
The Cricket Frog Trail gets its name from the quarter-sized amphibian native to this part of Georgia. The trail occupies the former railbed of the Central of Georgia Railway. Totaling 14.9 miles,...
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The Southwest Connector Trail is part of the Atlanta BeltLine, a 33-mile network of paved trails throughout the city. Although currently disconnected from other segments of the BeltLine, this one-mile...
The Atlanta Road Path skirts the western border of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta. The paved path begins in the Belmont Hills subdivision of Smyrna and heads north 2.5...
The Keswick Park Extension Trail, also known as the Chamblee Rail Trail, is situated in Chamblee, a community northeast of Atlanta. It offers a short but useful paved pathway through downtown, passing...
While most Atlanta residents would know this trail as a greenway through Freedom Park and Candler Park, it's really much more: a continuous 19-mile stretch of car-free paths and on-street bike lanes...
This 3-mile path around Chastain Park in Atlanta is one of PATH Foundation's most popular trails (the PATH Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a multi-use network of...
Castlewood Road Path offers a short, paved route through a residential area of Tyrone, about 25 miles southwest of Atlanta. The trail is part of a larger effort to create car-free connections between...
I recently bicycled from Dallas, Ga, to Anniston, Ala. An excellent ride which I highly recommend, that could easily be broken into sections for a family outing or weekend 'de-stressor'. Thank you to those responsible for the development and maintenance of this path. Great job!
Comments;
Trail surface conditions; excellent. The path is cement in Georgia and asphalt in Alabama for the entire length. It is well drained, smooth, wide, and in excellent repair.
Signage & markers; very good over all. Markers are located every mile, however a recommended improvement would be to add distance values to\from cities, towns, trailheads as the existing markers only provide overall distance in miles, kilometers, and elevation. As for signage there is very little. Interpretive plaques, historical markers, place names, availability and direction of restroom\food\lodging\police\medical signs, etc. could be added at appropriate sites.
Trail maintenance; very good to excellent. The trail right of way is clear and wide, free of encroaching brush and bordered by well kept grass. Some vistas could be improved by clearing underbrush which would allow viewing of surrounding area. Especially when approaching some road crossings is this true. I noticed virtually no litter. Trestles and bridges, while currently usable and safe, are showing typical wear and age. Hopefully a schedule of maintenance exists for these.
Amenities; average. While benches and rest stops are conveniently located and not too far apart, I think toilets or port-a-potties are needed trailside at appropriate locations.
Great job to those who created this trail!
I am new to the area, and started riding the trail at Kennesaw Mountain. Rode the trail all the way to the Confederate Cemetery in Marietta, and the trail winded very tightly and was very narrow/un-ridable at points. It was also hard to navigate-without the GPS in my phone I probably couldn't follow it.
I live in Downtown Decatur and I've been searching for a way to walk my dog in the mornings without running into small children too frequently. My dog can be a reactive to strangers and I want to find a safe way to exercise her. I found this trail randomly thinking it was the Beltline.
As far as quality goes, in between the East Lake and Avondale MARTA stations, this trail is an absolute dream! Nice wide walking path. Easy for walkers, joggers and bikers alike to enjoy the trail without obstructing each other's path. Nice tree coverage from the hot sun.
However, if you actually try to take this trail to Stone Mountain Park. Do so at your own risk, especially by walking. You definitely run into very dicey areas. Areas that aren't well maintained. There are quite a few spots where the trail doesn't have signs and it runs into busy streets and roads. Also, there are areas that aren't maintained at all which really sucks. I'd love to walk from home safely all the way to Stone Mountain Park.
It's a nice stretch--20 miles from end to end. However safety is a huge factor. This trail has so much potential if the state or city put a lot effor to make it safe for pedestrians and bike riders alike.
However, it's better than nothing I suppose. Decatur sidewalks can be too crowded during weekday mornings. They're so narrow and lots of families are dropping their kids off at school and heading to work.
So, I have to make due with the trail as it is which is still WAY better than the Beltline East Side trail that's crowded at all hours of the day every day of the week.
This is the main trail I go to. I wish there were signs for the Buddy System for safety along with wearing a bicycle helmet. I wrote a book about this trail after walking the whole trail in 2004 with friends. The first day I went alone and that convinced me to find friends. I love this trail.
I hope this trail system continues to grow as it provides easy access for metro Atlanta residents to get off the roads and get some exercise. I primarily use the Woodstock trials and really look forward to being able to visit my friends in Cobb county. We are waiting for that connector where the Woodstock section ends at 92. I hope the funds are there for a nice pedestrian/cycling bridge over 92. I miss my friends in Cobb. We haven't seen each other in so long. Please complete the trail. :-)
I live .25 miles from this trail, and I LOVE it! I see maintenance workers maintaining the trail regularly, and they just finished an overlook bridge over I-285 that’s made specially for the trail. Yes, there are a few parts of this trail where you will need to be on the road, but as long as you ride responsibility you will not have a problem. Drivers in the area are aware there is a large bike trail nearby, so I’ve never had an issue with uncooperative drivers. Not recommended for street biking, but it is great for a workout if you enjoy casually cycling.
The Proctor Creek Trail is a hidden gem. The bridgework is impressive, and the surrounding foliage adds to the trail's serenity. The southern end point adjoins the Bankhead Marta Station, and immediately the path winds you through a number of oldtimey industrial buildings, vacant but clean and safely away from the path. Then the rest of the trail is as if you are in the country - quiet, peaceful and beautiful. There are a few gentle slopes and a number of park benches.
Warning: there are parts of this trail that are remote which means that if there were to be an incident on the trail, you would have to wait awhile before city services could respond to your call.
Parking: On the southern end point, you can park at Maddox Park and follow the sidewalk out of the park and over to the southern endpoint. (Or of course, take Marta to the Bankhead Station on the East/West Line.)
Boardwalks are simply too dangerous at any speed when cycling - I've seen walkers slip and fall as well - Cannot recommend this trail.
I hesitated to use trail as a runner because of lack of parking..huge mistake!!! You can park on neighborhood streets near the access points. Hoosier Church, beecher hills school, flamingo drive of willis mill. I believe You can get a total of about 5 --7 miles on entire trail.
Change of pace-using city streets you can connect to Westside belt line.
There are off road (following the creek) and paved trails. Benches are also along the trail and a playground. A natural tree canopy provides shade in summer months.
I was on an ecowalk to learn about vegetation in the forest! HUGE oak trees, natural bamboo, and others. Cool experience, will definitely return.
Very nice trail. Wide, paved, multi use trail. It should be noted however, that about 6 miles from where the trail is picked up at the mall, it is dead ended. Construction has it closed and there is no real viable detour. I would avoid this trail for now until this is fixed, but evidently the construction has been going on for years.
Nice paved trail, with a few hills.
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