In addition to city strolls, Atlanta offers many wonderful places for quiet nature walks and easy day hikes.
The Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Rd. (tel. 404/814-4000),stands on 32 woodland acres and offers self-guided walking trails and 5 gardens. You'll discover many plants native to the region along the forested mile-long Swan Woods Trail.
The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is a series of "units" or parklands that punctuate the 48 miles along the Chattahoochee River--from Buford Dam at Lake Lanier north of the city to Paces Mill at Vinings just outside Atlanta's northwestern limits. Along the way, there are trails that range from flat, easy walks to more strenuous ridge and valley hikes. It's an excellent way to enjoy some of the unspoiled parts of the scenic Chattahoochee River. There is no admission, but there is a $2 parking fee. For maps and more information, contact the National Park Service (tel. 770/399-8070 or www.nps.gov/chat).
Georgia's Stone Mountain Park, 16 miles east of downtown on U.S. 78, is also covered in this chapter. It offers thousands of acres of beautiful wooded parkland and lakes. There's a walking trail that goes up and down the moss-covered slopes of the mountain; you'll be delighted by the wildflowers that bloom here each spring. There are also 20 acres of wildlife trails in the park, with natural animal habitats and a petting zoo, as well as more challenging hiking trails.
There are 16 miles of extensive hiking trails at Kennesaw Mountain/National Battlefield Park, Old Highway 41 and Stilesboro Road, Kennesaw (tel. 770/427-4686). The scenery is beautiful, and trail maps are available at the visitors center.
Piedmont Park, centrally located with its main entrance on Piedmont Avenue at Fourteenth Street, offers a glorious setting for strolls, jogging, and biking. The wonderful Atlanta Botanical Garden is next door.
Château Élan, 30 miles north of Atlanta at Exit 126 off I-85 in Braselton (tel. 678/425-0900), has nature trails along St. Emilion Creek (forested with tulip poplar, oak, hickory, and beech trees) and by Romanée-Conti Pond. There are picnic areas on the lovely grounds; custom picnics can be purchased at Café Élan.
The Fernbank Science Center, 156 Heaton Park Dr. NE (tel. 404/378-4311), has 1 1/2 miles of paved trails with trees, wildflowers, and plants labeled for identification. This unspoiled natural environment is home to many animals and birds, and a small pond teems with aquatic life.
The nonprofit PATH Foundation (tel. 404/355-6438), which is dedicated to creating and maintaining a network of trails in metropolitan Atlanta for pedestrians and bicycles, has so far completed 18 miles of greenway trails. The most accessible is around Chastain Park in the northern part of the city. It's an easy, paved 2.6-mile loop around the rolling hills of the park and golf course. The Atlanta-Stone Mountain trail, which goes from the Carter Center to Stone Mountain Park, is another popular trek. Maps are available at most bicycle and sporting good stores. Call the above phone number for more information and advice about where to begin your journey.
