A small cutout of wilderness, which may have been left unsettled because it is hilly, irregular terrain. A parking lot led under some power lines to a nice-looking suspension bridge and a trail loop which ran by a stream. Nothing earth-shattering there, but a nice short workout in an urban area. read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Hidden in plain sight? I never knew Morningside Nature Preserve existed until recently but I'm glad I was able to explore this woodsy space earlier this month. Morningside Nature Preserve has about 2 miles of trails, and the South Fork Peachtree Creek runs through its 33.1 acres. The Preserve used to be known as Wildwood Urban Forest. There's a parking lot on the smaller side off of Lenox Road, and you can also access the preserve from Wellbourne Drive; I spotted some cars parked on the street. Didn't look like any public restrooms were available. Some sandy beachy areas are located alongside the creek, and there's even a wooden suspension bridge. There's basically no trail signage with a plethora of spur trails branching off the main one. Luckily Morningside Nature Preserve isn't so large that getting lost would be an issue but there were several times that I thought I was wandering onto private property. And there were parts of the boardwalk that needed repair. In addition to humans, there were a bunch of doggos here also enjoying the urban outdoors. But you need to look where you step to prevent unpleasant poop encounters. Bad dog owners, bad! read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - What's the story, Morningside Nature Preserve morning glory? - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Not a bad place to walk but the trail isn't fully paved/ boarded or marked out. It can be dangerous as there are trees blacking your view l. Be carduel not to wonder I to someone's backyard as well or drift to far off from the path. Not much to see to go through the trouble of trying to find the "lake" which seems more like runoff. It looks a lot better in the pictures & nothing worth exploring if you don't live less that 10 minutes away. read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I like this trail a lot, it's a decent length and since Covid people just simply haven't been getting out much, or maybe hiking isn't as popular of an interest anymore. However, the branch / smaller trails aren't clearly marked if at all and it can be confusing. They all loop back eventually so you won't get lost entirely, but it could definitely use some marking. read more

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A nice hike in the city away from the city. Whoever thought this hiking destination would be here. Parking lot is small. Come early Overall, an easy hike with suspension bridge. Very dog friendly. Boardwalk needs repair but holds well. The trails and even bidge is narrow looking one person at a time. Trails not marked very well. Many paths leading to another. Lots of fallen trees in the trail path. Hike under 2 miles but if you get lost like we did, definitely over 2 miles. 108/2020 read more

Awesome trail for a general hike and light jogging. Very muddy after the rain. Wear appreciate shoes. Awesome spot for dogs. Great dog beach. There's definitely some things that need to be repaired on the trail. Many wooden planks & boards are broken, missing, or half repaired. Still worth going. Just watch where you walk. read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Creek - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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This place was a little disappointing. There is no parking and the trail is blocked by a very massive fallen tree. In addition, the ground was super muddy so I don't recommend hiking here. Still, it was fun to find this place in suburbia. read more

We explored the Preserve as part of a larger neighborhood walk. We entered at the Lenox Road side, where they appear to have some parking available. From that point, you ascend a steep hill adjacent to the cleared area for the large power lines that pass through. The trails are dirt, but they do have some embedded plastic traction mats to assist versus mud. At the top of the hill you cross under the power lines and descend an even steeper hill, this time with a stairway. This bottoms out in a boardwalk over a creek / swamp. When we visited, something had smashed at least one area of the boardwalk, so it was a bit challenging to navigate. After that, the park expands somewhat. We next crossed a large creek via a bridge. This spot had a wide sandy beach which appeared popular with dog-owners. From that point, the trail branches but is not marked. We ended up taking a different route than planned and were a bit confused once we exited back onto a residential street. We were able to get our bearings from map apps, though. Depending on what you are looking for, this area can provide a nice woodsy respite from the city. However, aside from the occasional bridge or boardwalk it is mostly in its natural state. It is also fairly hilly. Other than the site where we entered, the other access points appeared to just have street parking. read more

Hidden gem, pretty short hike and very dog friendly. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, trail is pretty uneven. read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Right around the corner from the house is this relatively undiscovered path that takes you through woods, forest and a river bank. We tried to trek through this area over the summer but both the heat and the likelihood of getting ticks was just too great so we skipped out until just recently. Now in the middle of winter on a 60 degree day, we braved it again and found this to be a beautiful serene place where it's great to walk your dogs. There's a small area to park your car and busy days there is no parking. It's better to park on one of the residential streets and then walk over. There are multiple paths to take but rest assured that each generally leads to the same location. If you keep walking, you'll come up on a river bank. Unfortunately this river is likely very unclean and I certainly would never let my dogs tramp through there. There are a surprising number of people who walk their dogs off leash. It's one thing if they are well behaved but I found it challenging at times to have them run up and get in the face of our dogs. Not cool. Also, people should really pick up after their dogs! How is there poop all over the place? Despite these limitations, however, the Morningside Nature Preserve continues to be a lovely place to just get away from it all. If you haven't been, I suggest you give this place a try! read more

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Crikey. For the second week in a row, I find myself bushwacking through thick, tangled Georgia brush trying to get back to a recognizable trail. Going off-trail - even in these small, neighborhood parks - can be challenging. Morningside Nature Preserve comprises two sections separated by a nice suspension bridge over South Fork Peachtree Creek. I love the bridges you find in our local parks. Anyway, on the northeastern side, you'll find a small but adequate parking lot located off Lenox Rd. It's right next to a Georgia Power substation. There's really only one proper trail that I know of and that one leads south- southwest along the creek, after first ascending a hill via a trail and descending via some rather impressive stairs and a longish boardwalk. It was at the end of the boardwalk where my (mis)adventures began. As you'll find all along the creekside trail on both sides, there are short spurs leading to creek's edge. Take them - the creek is the coolest part of this park. But do return to the main trail using one of the spurs, unless you don't mind getting kind of muddy and don't mind dying the death of a thousand thorn pricks. I chose the latter here. After walking as far as I could through the sands and mud of the creek bank, I made my own way back to the trail. But seriously, it's all good fun. It's not like you can get lost in a park this small. Muddy shoes and thorn wounds are transient events in life's short progression. The other side, gained after crossing said nice bridge, resembles more what you expect in our local parks - trails leading off in different directions, one along the creekside, one or two (or three, I don't know) leading up another hill, and one leading out along the power line right-of-way. It's on this side where you'll find the majority of the trails, including most of the short spurs to the creek bank. One trail eventually leads to a marked entrance on Welbourne Dr. There's no parking lot on this side, but plenty of neighborhood street parking. I've only been here three times, so I by no means have explored all the trails. read more

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This is one of my most favorite parks to visit. When we dogsit, we find any excuse to bring the dogs here. You approach a bridge right over a really cool beach after about a half mile of walking. There are two entrances to get to the actual beach. One near Lenox and the other off of Cheshire Bridge Rd. We've met a lot of friendly people, and the dogs are always all friendly, off leash and playing in the water. Definitely a nice place to chill with your fur babies and get your feet wet! read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Great in town park! Came for the first time yesterday to enjoy amazing high 60 degree weather (in January! Gotta love the south!). I heard it was fairly small and a short hike but I was pleasantly surprised. It's not a hard hike but it was definitely muddy. Come wearing appropriate shoes and be careful on the downhill muddy slopes. Neither bae or I fell into the mud, but there were a few close calls! OVERALL: Great park considering the in-town location, but not a particularly long or difficult hike. Good for kids and dogs! Doggos will love to jump in the water. TIPS: There is free parking but it is limited. read more

"Hey God, are you there? It's ya boi, Richard." After a few shitty weeks of self-loathing, and an understanding of how misplaced I was in this godforsaken world, I decided it was time to leave my room for a couple of hours.[1] "I just want to talk." After a few years of getting bop'd in the face by life, I decided to swing back. The rampant-tender-caress-of-a-disconnect I couldn't figure out for years. "Why did you rip me from the void, and imprison me in this fleshy rotting corpse of a body." I've picked up smoking because life has gotten a bit stressful over the past couple of weeks, the plague has ravaged this country with no end in sight, the looming new year, possibly more isolation, and gloomy evenings on the horizon. I decided to blow off some steam by stomping around in the cold rainy day alone looking for rocks. "What did I do to you in my past life to piss you off so much. You just take and take, and I never see anything in return?" I take a deep breath and look up at the sky. "I'm not blind anymore, I'm tired of this bullshit, what do you want from me?" I didn't have a contingency plan for the harshest winter on record in my life. "You weight my heart every year and let me live. Am I a sucker for trying to walk a path of enlightenment despite these darkest days I've traveled through? You still let me live. And every year I ask, why?"[2] "These rocks are mine! I don't care what you think!" Hopefully, I can get some good brain chemicals from these new decorations for my cave. I've been trying to keep the vibe positive for this upcoming cold season, I know I will make it though because that's the only path I have. ---------- [1] "first time I saw a homeless man, he was holding up a sing that says 'homeless'. All I could think was that's a weird last name." [2] Why?PastorMeme.Mov read more

I've been exploring Georgia trails for a little over a year now since I recently moved to the ATL area. Morningside Nature Preserve is one of my favorite places to hike and enjoy nature. I will definitely return again to this beautiful setting before the year is up to see how the foliage has changed with the seasons. read more

Would I suggest to a visitor or Atlantan (who lived far from the Morningside 'hood) to go out of his or her way to visit this nature preserve? No. But if you do live a mile or two near here, it's a fine place for a nice, several-mile stroll. Things to know: ***** I. LOCATION & PARKING: Using Google Maps? Then you should have no problem. There's a small parking lot, and it may be a little tight finding a spot. We didn't have any issues, though. II. LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: It's an easy trail, so anyone of any physical condition could probably walk it. Since the park and its trails are relatively small and short (that's what she said), it's, simply put, not that serious. III. GEAR: I would suggest bringing only a bottle of water. IV. TRAILS: There's a trail that wraps around the perimeter of the park and a few cut through its center, but all of them eventually converge to a suspension bridge with a nice little stream, and the accompanying beaches, running underneath it. Dogs go ape-s*** underneath the bridge, and it's probably the best part of the nature preserve. My biggest gripes are that the trails aren't clearly labeled and a couple directly end at outlets leading to different streets. A few signs would definitely help. V. SCENES: There's nothing mind-blowing about this nature preserve, honestly. But it's nice to get-away from the hustle and bustle of the city. VI. OVERALL: Again, it's a great place for in-town folk who want to feel connected to nature and not drive longer than thirty minutes. However, I wouldn't call this a destination of any sort. read more

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What a hidden gem in the Morningside neighborhood. After reading the great Yelp reviews, visiting has been on my to do list for awhile and I'm so glad I finally made it! I parked at the Lenox Rd entrance. If you are heading from Johnson Rd toward Chesire Bridge Rd it is on the left right before you cross the train tracks. There is a large sign and a gravel parking lot. This is a great place for trail running and also for bringing dogs. There is a river in the middle with sandy beaches and lots of happy dogs off their leashes frolicking about. The trails are well maintained with patches of wooden walkways. Watch out it gets muddy in here! Definitely wear your old shoes! There isn't a map at the entrance, but don't be scared. The trails are well-marked and loop back around on each other - it would be hard to get lost in here. read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Sign at Lenox Rd entrance - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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If you follow the trail back there is an awesome "dog beach". You will have to do a small hike up and down both ways to get there but part of it has built in stairs and railings. It is a good size stream but not deep. The dogs can run around and play. There isn't any dog pick up up stations or seats so keep that in mind on your visit! read more

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This was a nice hiking trail with a dog beach. I didn't hike the trail much because I was afraid of getting lost since there wasn't visible marking of what was apart of the trail. I spent most of my time at the dog beach which I enjoyed. My only con would be it need better marking so that you don't get lost if you're not from the area. read more

I can't believe I am the first to review this place. My husband and I have taken to urban hikes to full up our weekends. We were looking for someplace new when I found a few references to this park on a mountain bike website. The best entrance to the park is from Wellbourne Dr and is marked with a large brick marker and other signs. The trails are pretty extensive for being in a pretty dense neighborhood. There are a few steep but well cut single tracks, many tracks going through a valley area around the creek and several trails that are not really marked but can take you to the rail road tracks, through neighborhoods and all kinds of other areas. Our favorite find was a big new suspension bridge. It looks totally out of place- like an adult jungle gym or something. There appears to be a lot of wildlife in the area (as the name suggests). We spotted a really impressive red-tailed hawk, some owl nests and some deer tracks. There is very little trash in the park and in the river so the water and the grounds are nice and pristine (well, as good as you can get for an inner city park). read more

Hidden ATL gem! Seriously this place is a wonderful place to retreat from the city while being in the city. read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Imagine just looking around Google Maps and finding this place, and finding that you are close enough to just walk to it and enjoy it. I love coming here. I'm not sure if it gets busier as the weather warms back up, but I've been several times this year from 28 degree days to 80 degree days and very few other people are around. My favorite part is definitely the suspension bridge. It's actually really impressive. I know the whole point is NATURE but it's just kind of like you can't ignore this thing is pretty cool. I have really no idea how to go about in here, I always end up out on Wellbourne Dr and end up just walking back up Cheshire Bridge to go home. I assume it loops. Or I could walk back to Lenox but it's kind of funny to go from what doesn't feel like in the midst of a city at all onto Cheshire Bridge. But I'm not concerned, it's kind of fun to have no idea where I'm going to end up and just pick random forks off the trail. One day maybe I'll get it. Haven't seen much in the way of animals other than people's dogs, who seem to ALL love this place so much, although I always wonder if it's actually okay for them to get taken off their leashes...seems like a poor idea. The only time I avoid this place is after a really hard rain. It gets very muddy and takes awhile to dry out. When I need to relax and take a walk I always come here. It just doesn't feel like I'm right near home. read more

Beautiful preserve. My dog's ultimate favorite place. It's a great place to take some quite time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, traffic, and noise. There's a creek that runs through and dogs love to run and play in the water. There aren't many trash cans, so I generally try to remember to bring a small bag with me for trash. During the summer we take out dog there almost once every weekend. My favorite little escape. read more

Peaceful spot in the heart of the city! There are steep parts on the trail, so you'll get a nice workout even just walking at a normal pace. We walked until we got to the end at Welbourne (off Cheshire Bridge) and then looped back to to entrance. Several people were walking dogs & jogging too! read more

Morningside Nature Preserve - Wildflower on the trail - Parks Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I had never been to this park but today I wanted to hike, so my husband, dog, and I invited a friend and his dog to join us. Wow. Our dogs are exhausted and happy after tearing around at dog beach with other dogs and splashing in the creek. Very cool suspension bridge. Nice wildflowers everywhere. It really wasn't in bad shape even though Hurricane Irma came through less than two weeks ago. Unfortunately, like most parks in metro Atlanta, there are a lot of invasives such as privet, English ivy, and kudzu, but Trees Atlanta has signs that they are going to work on that. I did manage to face plant from tripping on a rock that was sticking up, but that's certainly not the nature preserve's fault! read more

Nice little walk in an urban area. The little beach area is great for dogs but it gets blistering hot down there. It was a bit overgrown and some oath become quite narrow due to the vegetation. read more

Great park for dogs! The trails are quiet since it isn't a busy park. read more

Nice park hidden in Atlanta. I thought that the main path that we took would be a loop, but it was not. In some places the path is pretty narrow and pass people going in the opposite direction. Definitely a good place to take dogs while you're in the city. read more

Great place to take the pups! It's a quick walk in, definitely not a true "hike". The unpaved path and forestry makes you feel like you're not in the middle of Atlanta. The best part of the trail is the beach, there are usually other dogs running around and mine love splashing in the water. read more

True nature trail including lots of mud. Great for dogs that love to romp on the dog beach and play with lots of other dogs. Many trails to meander along. Limited parking. read more

Just went for a Sunday hike. I was expecting good things from this park however it didn't quite meet up to the expectations. There were a few areas where they did good with trail management but one stretch was almost completely overgrown. My wife saw a used needle towards the beginning of the trail. It seems like a cool intown preserve but there are quite a few other great trail systems near town like the Chattahoochee or Sweetwater creek. read more

The MNP is a fantastic asset to our city. Unfortunately, many people think it is ok to let their dogs off leash. THIS IS ILLEGAL IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA. If we are to truly preserve the nature in our park, then dogs need to remain restrained so as not to harm vegetation, leave their scent when going off the trails scaring/impacting the wild animals, intruding on adjacent private properties, or harming other dogs and humans. PLEASE come visit our great nature preserve and PLEASE observe the leash law! read more

The Morningside nature preserve is definitely a nice getaway located inside the city. It makes you feel as if you're far away from Atlanta even though you're not. I love the sand and little pond they have. Really relaxing for a picnic. Really gorgeous nature preserve complete with bridges, stairways and more. read more

My fur baby loved the dog beach and water play so much! But her poor paws got some sort of irritation(which showed up within a few hours or less) and all four were red and inflamed had to get vet prescribed meds for her. Also as soon as we left we went to the dog bathing station at apt. and she takes her monthly flea and tick meds but she had a tick on her chest, thankfully she has short hair and it was on her white fur. I want to take her back but fear it happening again Has anyone else had this issue? read more

This was a great find that was recommended from a friend. It's a fantastic hiking area for someone who doesn't want to to climb a mountain and great to bring the dogs to. There is a nice little creek /beach area where the dogs can frolic in the water. My only advice is to leave the same way you came. We attempted to be adventurous and got lost on the other side in which it took us 40 minutes to get back to our car. Enjoy ! read more

Love love love. I had no idea this was here. There are a bunch of trails. I only spent about 30 minutes running through here, but there was a lot that I didn't get to explore yet. There were suspension bridges, a little beach, and simply great trails. I am excited to come here during the summer!!! read more

Great place to come and hike with your dog. I hear on weekends it's pretty packed. I encountered something strange on my first trip to this park. It was Wednesday at around 1pm and the parking lot off of Lenox was empty. I hike all the time alone in Los Angeles and I've never felt frightened. I was walking alone with my dog from the north side of the park. It's pretty desolate considering it's nestled in the middle of a neighborhood. A man in flip flops jeans and a hoodie (not dressed for a workout) followed me to the creek and was asking personally questions. He wouldn't leave me alone and I didn't feel safe. Thankfully I ran into another woman with her dog and sensing that I was uncomfortable offered to hike with me on the loop. Our dogs ended up having a great time, but I would advise going with a friend during off peak hours. The hike in total was just under 2 miles. read more

A quiet, tranquil spot for you and the doggies! Nice trail(s) and tons of "beaches" to let your dogs roam and play freely! Quite the hidden gem. read more

If you like to walk your dog without having to clean up poop, this is the place for you! If not, be advised that the entire trail is littered with dog poop and bags of dog poop and reeks of poop. It's also a nice walk along huge power lines. The little beach under the Boardwalk is a popular place to let big dogs run free. Leash laws are just disregarded here. And the forest areas are thick with privet and ragweed. read more

The hike is nice. The beach is great for dogs. There were a few other friendly people there. My only issue is getting there is kind of confusing. My GPS led me to the entrance in what others called a richer neighborhood of atlanta between a couple of houses. I didn't really trust leaving my car on the street so I did some digging and found the small parking lot like 3 minutes away. read more