4th Edition AtlantaAtlanta WalksWalks 4th Edition AtlantaAtlanta WalksWalks A Comprehensive Guide to Walking, Running, and Bicycling the Area’s Scenic and Historic Locales Ren and Helen Davis Published by PEACHTREE PUBLISHERS 1700 Chattahoochee Avenue Atlanta, Georgia 30318-2112 www.peachtree-online.com Copyright © 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2011 by Render S. Davis and Helen E. Davis All photos © 1998, 2003, 2011 by Render S. Davis and Helen E. Davis All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of the publisher. This book is a revised edition of Atlanta’s Urban Trails.Vol. 1, City Tours.Vol. 2, Country Tours. Atlanta: Susan Hunter Publishing, 1988. Maps by Twin Studios and XNR Productions Book design by Loraine M. Joyner Cover design by Maureen Withee Composition by Robin Sherman Fourth Edition 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Manufactured in August 2011 in Harrisonburg, Virgina, by RR Donnelley & Sons in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Davis, Ren, 1951- Atlanta walks : a comprehensive guide to walking, running, and bicycling the area’s scenic and historic locales / written by Ren and Helen Davis. -- 4th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-56145-584-3 (alk. paper) 1. Atlanta (Ga.)--Tours. 2. Atlanta Region (Ga.)--Tours. 3. Walking--Georgia--Atlanta-- Guidebooks. 4. Walking--Georgia--Atlanta Region--Guidebooks. 5. Outdoor recreation--Georgia--Atlanta--Guidebooks. 6. Outdoor recreation--Georgia--Atlanta Region--Guidebooks. I. Davis, Helen. II. Title. F294.A83D36 2011 917.58'2310444--dc22 2010045766 CONTENTS Preface...........................................xii 3 West End How To Use This Guide.................xiv Walking, Running, Biking The PATH Foundation ....................xv A Victorian neighborhood featuring the The Belt Line Project....................xvii Wren’s Nest, Hammonds House, and MARTA System Map ......................xix E. P. Howell Park. Trail Locator Map ...........................xx 1.5 miles, Easy ...........................46 Tips for the Trek..............................1 Shoe Selection...................................1 4 Outdoor Activity Center Preparing to Walk .............................2 Walking Walking with Children .......................2 Woodland preserve featuring exhibits A Guide for Teachers .........................4 and activities near the heart of the city. A Selection of Adventure Walks 1.5 miles, Easy–Moderate..........51 with Children ....................................4 Bicycling ...........................................5 5 Cascade Springs Accessibility for Disabled Persons.......6 Nature Preserve Walking Lush woodlands with cascading stream INTOWN and mineral springs. Site of Civil War ATLANTA Battle of Utoy Creek. 1 Atlanta Heritage Trails 2.3 miles, Easy–Moderate..........55 Walking, Running, Biking Two walks through the heart of the city, 6 Historic Oakland Cemetery including historic Underground Atlanta, Walking, Running the Capitol, Five Points, Centennial Atlanta’s first municipal burial ground Olympic Park, Sweet Auburn, and Martin (1850). A Victorian treasure where many Luther King, Jr. National Historic District. notable Atlantans are buried. Atlanta Skyline Trail: 2.3 miles, Easy ...........................60 4.4 miles, Easy; Sweet Auburn/King Historic District: 7 Grant Park 2.5 miles, Easy...........................10 Walking, Running, Biking A Victorian neighborhood surrounding a 2 Atlanta University Center large city park including Zoo Atlanta and Walking, Running, Biking the Cyclorama. The campuses of Clark Atlanta Univer - 5.0 miles, Moderate ..................69 sity, Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, the Interdenominational Theological Center, and old Morris Brown form the historically black university complex. 4.3 miles, Easy ...........................32 CONTENTS 8 Inman Park 13 Piedmont Park & Walking, Running, Biking Atlanta Botanical Garden Site of the pivotal Civil War Battle Walking, Running, Biking of Atlanta in 1864. Later, Atlanta’s A park that has been a gathering place first planned residential community. for Atlantans for more than a century. Excellent Victorian architecture. Adjacent Atlanta Botanical Garden fea- 3.0 miles, Moderate ..................75 tures rare, exotic, and native plants; the Fuqua Conservatory; and Canopy Walk 9 Freedom Park, Candler Park, through the Storza Forest Preserve. & Little Five Points 5.3 miles (including gardens), Walking, Running, Biking Moderate ................................119 Urban park with part of the PATH Foundation’s trail system. Links the 14 Ansley Park Jimmy Carter Library and Museum with Walking, Running, Biking the Candler Park and Little Five Points One of Atlanta’s earliest automobile communities. communities. Filled with large old 5.2 miles, Moderate ..................82 homes, winding streets, and pocket parks. 10 Midtown 4.0 miles, Moderate ................127 Walking, Running, Biking Early 20th-century residential commun - 15 Virginia-Highland & ity near Peachtree Road and Piedmont Morningside Park. Walking, Running, Biking 3.1 miles, Easy–Moderate..........89 Two mid-20th century residential areas featuring craftsman bungalows and cus- 11 Peachtree Promenade tom designed houses. Popular shopping Walking, Running and dining area. Historic Peachtree Street and West 6.3 miles, Moderate ................134 Peachtree from the Fox Theatre District to Pershing Point. 16 Druid Hills 4.0 miles, Easy–Moderate..........96 Walking, Running, Biking A park-like, early 20th century neigh - 12 Georgia Tech borhood designed by Frederick Law Walking, Running, Biking Olmsted. Elegant estate homes, Druid Historic college campus, site of Tech Hills Golf Club, Fernbank Museum of Tower and Dodd-Grant Field. Natural History. 4.3 miles, Moderate ................108 6.3 miles, Moderate ................142 Around Atlanta 17 Fernbank Forest 22 Atlanta History Center & Walking Buckhead’s Beautiful Homes A woodland path through an old-growth Walking, Running, Biking forest, a science center, and a natural Headquarters of the Atlanta History history museum. Center, Museum, re-created Tullie Smith 2.0 miles, Moderate ................151 farm complex, Swan House, and gar- dens. Nearby estates, including Georgia 18 Emory University Governor’s Mansion, along famous West Walking, Running, Biking Paces Ferry Road. The campus of a renowned university 6.3 miles, Moderate–Difficult...185 featuring historic buildings, performance venues, a museum, galleries, and green 23 Brookhaven spaces. Walking, Running, Biking 3.3 miles, Moderate ................157 Prestigious, old golf club community. National Register Historic District 19 Tanyard Creek Park & 3.7 miles, Moderate ................195 Brookwood Hills Walking, Running, Biking 24 Oglethorpe University & Site of the Civil War Battle of Peachtree Silver Lake Creek (1864) and a tree-shaded mid-20th Walking, Running, Biking century neighborhood. Historic college campus and nearby resi- 5.7 miles, Moderate ................168 dential area near a lake. 4.0 miles, Moderate ................200 20 Peachtree Battle Avenue & Atlanta Memorial Park 25 Chastain Park Walking, Running, Biking Walking, Running, Biking Site of the Civil War Battle of Peachtree Pleasant walk along PATH Trail through Creek (1864), tree-lined streets of large a city park with tennis center, community estates, a popular city park, and a pool, and golf course. municipal golf course named for golfing 3.5 miles, Easy .........................207 legend Bobby Jones. 6.0 miles, Moderate ................175 AROUND ATLANTA 21 Garden Hills Walking, Running, Biking 26 Historic Marietta A neighborhood of large homes built in Walking, Running, Biking the 1920s and more modest bungalows Old town square and commercial district constructed during the post-Depression close to historic antebellum homes. Con- years. Community park with playground federate and National Cemeteries are and swimming pool. both nearby. 4.7 miles, Moderate–Difficult...181 5.8 miles, Moderate ................214 CONTENTS 27 Silver Comet Trail: 31 Historic Roswell Mavell Road to Floyd Road Walking, Running, Biking Walking, Running, Biking Old mill village with preserved antebel- Follow the route of the old “Silver lum houses including Bulloch Hall, home Comet” train on this section of the PATH of Martha Bulloch Roosevelt (mother of Foundation’s linear rail-trail through President Theodore Roosevelt). Old mill western Cobb County. ruins, shopping and dining areas. 4.2 miles (one way), add 4.5 miles, Moderate ................248 3.0 miles (roundtrip) for walk through Heritage Park, 32 Autrey Mill Nature Preserve Easy–Moderate........................226 Walking Scenic woodlands surround a complex of 28 Silver Comet Trail: historic buildings. Floyd Road to Florence Road 2.2 miles, Moderate ................258 Walking, Running, Biking The continuation of the PATH trail pro- 33 Big Creek Greenway: vides a scenic route over Olley Creek and Alpharetta Section golf course, near Wild Horse Creek Park, Walking, Running, Biking and past Powder Springs. A thin ribbon of woodland, surrounded 7.3 miles (one way), by residential and commercial develop- Easy–Moderate........................232 ments, winds through Piedmont forest and along the banks of meandering Big 29 Kennesaw Mountain