Off the Beaten Path

WRITTEN BY ANYA HABER AND PAULOMI MUKHERJEE

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERICK SALATI

Tanyard Creek Park: This park has everything: running paths, a flowing stream, a playground and large open grassy areas for picnics, playing fetch with your dog or just relaxing with a good book. A highlight of the park is the train that runs above the stream and the wooden tunnel.

Cascade Nature Reserve: The Cascade Nature Reserve, hidden in the woods of South Atlanta, is home to lush greenery, moss-covered rocks and babbling brooks that drift over from the Chattahoochee river. This park is the perfect place for an afternoon stroll past several wooden bridges and beautiful cascades, as the name suggests.

Loring Heights Park: Less than one mile from SCAD Atlanta, Loring Heights Park holds a picturesque pond complete with a dozen turtles sunbathing at any given moment, wooden swing benches intertwined with ivy and abundance of flowers.

Morningside Nature Preserve: This park is perfect for adventure seekers. Though entering the park is a bit tricky, follow the path and you’ll soon be surrounded by overgrown plants that make you feel like you’re in the jungle. Keep walking to get to the breathtaking bridge that crosses a river complete with sandy banks for relaxing.

Historic Fourth Ward Park: South of Ponce City Market at the edge of the East Atlanta Beltline lies the Historic Fourth Ward Park. A radiant oasis, the park is brought together by a two-acre lake and 17 acres of gorgeous green-space.