While Atlanta has heavily trafficked highways, plenty of tall buildings, and sprawling business development, it shares its real estate with canopies of grand trees, parks, and abundant wildlife, giving the city an urban forest feel.

With all this greenspace and forest land comes many running trail options. Whether you prefer a paved path through the heart of the city or a dirt path carved out of a heavily wooded area, there are a variety of settings for Atlanta runners to enjoy.

Piedmont Park - Midtown

A gazebo on a trail in Piedmont Park in Atlanta Georgia
Piedmont Park has wide trails that wind around lush scenery.

Piedmont Park offers a green retreat framed by the skyscrapers of bustling Midtown. It has playgrounds for kids, dog parks, fields and courts for various sports activities, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and plenty of spots to hang out.

The Piedmont Park running trail is a moderate path that starts out paved, continuing along the appropriately named Active Oval where people congregate for games and practices—past a King of Pops stand for a popsicle refreshment—then turns onto the unpaved Wetlands Trail, looping around Lake Clara Meer, and ending after passing a meadow. 

Eastside BeltLine Trail - Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park

Two people biking on the Atlanta BeltLine.
There's tons of places to stop along the Eastside BeltLine Trail.

If you prefer a cityscape setting for your run, the fully paved Eastside BeltLine Trail is for you. This stretch of the citywide Atlanta BeltLine project, still in development, is a popular destination not only for joggers but also for dog-walkers, cyclists, and people just out for a leisurely stroll. The trail passes Ponce City Market, restaurants and bars along the BeltLine, and some of the vibrant street art Atlanta is known for. Be ready to share the path with others, especially on the weekends. 

The Eastside Trail runs through the hip and happening intown Atlanta neighborhoods of Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park that both have great dining, activities, and cultural attractions.

Murphy Candler Park Trail - Brookhaven

The Murphy Candler Park Trail provides a backdrop for a beautiful, scenic run, located in the affluent Brookhaven suburb just north of Atlanta. In addition to its running trail, the park has playgrounds, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a lake for fishing within its 135 acres. 

This trail makes for an easy, two-mile run along the lake where geese, other birds, and beavers congregate. Further along, the trail continues over a wooden bridge to marshland and picnic areas.

Morningside Nature Preserve - Morningside-Lenox Park

A wooden bridge trail in Morningside Nature Preserve in Atlanta Georgia
The Morningside Nature Preserve Trail allows you to get closer to wildlife.

The Morningside Nature Preserve is a true gem tucked away in Morningside-Lenox Park, known for its impressive homes and manicured landscaping. The Morningside Nature Preserve, open to all, offers 33 acres of forest and wildlife habitat where visitors can enjoy miles of hiking and running trails as well as the popular creek underneath a wooden footbridge, known to locals as the dog beach. This nature preserve offers residents of the surrounding neighborhoods the chance to explore the depths of this natural hideaway within minutes of a walking or driving commute.

East Palisades Trail - Sandy Springs

Atlanta residents are blessed with an amazing natural resource that runs right through the city: The Chattahoochee River flows down from the Appalachian Trail. The Chattahoochee provides a way for locals to fish, swim, tube, and hike in and around it. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Sweetwater Creek State Park are two of the destinations to seek out hiking and running trails along the river.

One of those trails is the East Palisades Trail in the largely residential Atlanta suburb, Sandy Springs. This trail offers lots of variety, including spots to hang out and sit on rocks by the river to watch its class 1 and 2 rapids, steep climbs, and a captivating bamboo forest. The trail itself, great for hiking or running, is four miles round-trip.

Lullwater Preserve - Decatur

The iron-gated entrance to Lullwater Preserve in Decatur Georgia
Lullwater Preserve offers beautiful views of Candler Lake.

Lullwater Park is another great place to soak up some aquatic therapy on an Atlanta run. The trails in this park, located on Emory University’s North Decatur campus, follow along the banks of Candler Lake, passing waterfalls and beautiful views. Within the park is the historic Lullwater House, a Tudor mansion built in 1926 for Walter Candler, the son of the Coca-Cola founder. Adding to the sight-seeing appeal of this outdoor adventure is the remains of an old, two-story, octagonally shaped powerhouse.

One big caveat to the Lullwater Preserve is its limited access to Emory University staff, students, and faculty—a big perk of being part of the Emory University community.