Morningside Nature Preserve

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.

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.

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.

Awesome place to take the dog. Nice little dog beach right by the bridge. SO many nice people and other dogs to play with. Defiantly worth the drive as I live in sandy springs. My dog loves it, it’s a fun little trail and the perfect dog beach! I highly recommend it.

What a hidden gem in the Morningside neighborhood. After reading the great Unilocal 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.

I love Morningside Nature Preserve. It is a fabulous place to bike and bird-​watch. Amazingly, it is located in the middle of the densely-​populated Morningside neighborhood. The most recent time that I visited I spotted a red fox, and I have heard and seen owls, hawks, pileated woodpeckers, squirrels, chipmunks, and herons. Every time that I have visited I have only seen a few people, and the suspension bridge that connects the trails on both sides of the creek is a great addition. Great place to get away from the urban metropolis that is Atlanta!

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).