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If you love outdoor exercise you may have noticed that the north Atlanta suburbs are lacking in flat places. Luckily the Alpharetta Greenway offers a 12 foot wide path, that is mostly flat, short of a few bridge crossing. It has over 8 miles of paved trail that winds through the trees along the Big Creek.
The trail is multi-use. You are free to bike, walk, run, or even rollerblade. If you are walking, stick to the right hand side of the path. Bikers and joggers will pass on the left.
The Greenway goes by a lot of names. Some people call it the Alpharetta Greenway. I have heard others call it the Big Creek Greenway or the Greenway Roswell. The naming comes from the location of each section of the trail.
There are multiple cities working together to create the master plan for the Greenway. Forsyth too, have sections started that hopefully connect to it.
What is a Greenway?
If you haven’t been to a greenway before, you might just be thinking, what is it?
Think of it as a very long, skinny park.
The Alpharetta Big Creek Greenway is paved, with a trail that is ideal for multiple uses. You can ride bikes, scooters, hoverboards or even roller blades.
Many people use it for walking or jogging, with or without a four legged friend.
The Greenway is also very stroller friendly, with plenty of spots for the kids to get out and see the nature.
Alpharetta Greenway Map
The Big Creek Greenway has been consistently expanding over the years, with the most recent expansion from Marconi Drive to Union Hill Park. There is discussion to connect the Alpharetta Greenway to the sections in Forsyth county.
As of the time or writing this, the Greenway starts in Roswell at Big Creek Park, and for now, ends in Alpharetta at Union Hill Park.
Parking Information
There is parking available starting in Roswell and Alpharetta at:
- Big Creek Park – 2MJQ+4P Greenway trailhead, Roswell, GA 30076
- North Point Park – 6698 North Point Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30022
- Haynes Bridge – 10803 Haynes Bridge Rd, Alpharetta, GA 30022
- Rock Mill Park – 3100 Kimball Bridge Rd, Alpharetta, GA 30005
- Preston Ridge Park – 11 -0010-0045-023-4, Alpharetta, GA 30022 (at the North Point YMCA)
- Marconi Drive – Marconi Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30005
- Union Hill Park – 1590 Little Pine Trail, Alpharetta, GA 30005
Why Is The Alpharetta Greenway Amazing?
Besides the many people walking the dog, jogging or biking, what else makes the Alpharetta Greenway great?
- The vast majority of the trail is shade covered. We all know that Atlanta can get very hot in the summer. Having a nice, shady place to get outdoors is welcomed by all.
- Its flat, mostly! Most of the trails in Northern Atlanta are very hilly. Having a nice flat spot to run or bike is a nice option.
- Lots of views and bridge crossing over the Big Creek
- The ability to get off the paved trial. There are two locations for great mountain bike trails near Atlanta. One at Big Creek Park and the Mt. Adams is just north of the Preston Ridge/YMCA Parking lot. The trial is on your right hand side.
- Plenty of benches to stop and take a break.
Roswell Greenway
The Roswell section of the Greenway is a short section that runs from Big Creek Park to North Point Park. This is just past Mansell Road.
While it is a short section of the trail, it has plenty to see and do.
The Roswell Greenway has access to Big Creek Park mountain bike trails.
It also features many small loops and, in my opinion, is one of the prettiest sections of the trail. You will encounter multiple small loops and a large section of wood and composite decking. It looks like they are transitioning to composite, for durability.
Alpharetta Greenway
The majority of the Greenway is in Alpharetta. The Alpharetta section of the trail extends from North Point Park to Union Hill Park.
This section of the trail is very flat until you cross under the tunnel at Webb bridge road. From Webb Bridge to Marconi you will get a few slight elevation changes.
There are many bridges that cross over Big Creek. But for the most part, it is a very flat trail.
If there is a lot of rain, there are sections of the trail that are prone to flooding, particularly between the Preston Ridge and Rock Mill Park access points. Usually you can walk or bike around it, but on the rare occasion, I just turned back the other way.
Whatever you choose to call your favorite section of the Greenway, it is a pleasurable experience to get out into nature and ride, walk or jog through the woods.