This column was originally published on SaportaReport.
Welcome to Park Pride’s Park Picks: 2025 Fall Edition! Our City in the Forest shines in the fall, boasting an array of vibrant, earthy colors that make our parks, greenspaces and trails really pop!
If you’re wondering which parks you should check out this autumn, Park Pride’s team of staff and Board of Directors has curated a list just for you! Continue reading for Park Pride’s Park Picks.
Ashford Forest Preserve: Hannah Jones’ Pick (Marketing & Communications Manager)
Ashford Forest Preserve is a 33-acre greenspace nestled in the City of Brookhaven. The land, previously designated as a crash zone for the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport runway, is relatively untouched — featuring old-growth forest, a meadow, several springs and a wetland area. The forest is also home to a variety of native wildlife and plants. With all those trees, Ashford Forest is sure to be an ideal place to take in the fall colors!
Tip: This is a great place to take a stroll! Park Pride even hosted one of our monthly Second Friday Walks in the Park here. The main trailhead is located at 3890 Clairmont Rd and offers public parking. There are also alternate trailheads along neighboring streets (Skyland Dr NE and Park Ln). Click here for a trail map.
Beecher Park: Eli Dickerson’s Pick (Director of Education)
Beecher Park is like a park within a park, as it’s contiguous with Lionel Hampton Nature Preserve. This five-acre greenspace is spectacular in its own right — boasting an extremely tall tree canopy! In fact, Atlanta’s tallest umbrella magnolia (77 feet), post oak (113 feet), hickory (150 feet), and tulip tree (165 feet) all thrive in this topographically diverse park! Not to mention, the pop of bright yellow from the hickories and tulip trees will be stunning by mid-fall. The Friends group received a Park Pride grant in 2019 and completed a Vision Plan in 2006.
Tip: To access the (faintly visible) trailhead, park curbside along Edgewater Dr SW near the intersection with Beecher Rd. From there, walk northwest to the edge of the woods and look for a trail. This trail follows the contour of the slope into the forest and downstream of a little creek. The trail is short, but Eli recommends taking your time and soaking up the goodness of the forest.
Constellation of Southeast Atlanta parks: Michael Halicki’s Pick (President & CEO)
In Southeast Atlanta, there’s a series of parks that neighbor one another, but each provides different ways to experience fall color in immersive experiences in nature — Grant Park and Lake Charlotte Nature Preserve in Atlanta, and Constitution Lakes and Glen Emerald Park in DeKalb County.
Constitution Lakes’ Doll’s Head Trail is a great place to get into a spooky Halloween state of mind. If that isn’t your thing, check out the amazing boardwalk that literally goes over the lake. Lake Charlotte provides the best deep forest experience. Grant Park has iconic fountains, Lion’s Bridge, and a little something for everyone, including a playground and a variety of ball fields/courts. The new Loomis Plaza, which revamped the entrance by Sydney Street and Loomis Avenue, was funded in part by a Park Pride grant. Glen Emerald was recently renovated and boasts an oval walking track around a large pond. Luis Indacochea with the Friends of Glen Emerald Park graduated from the inaugural class of Park Pride’s Park Stewardship Academy in 2023.
Tip: If you are feeling extra adventurous, venture to a little-known neighborhood greenspace off Key Road, located at 1237 Key Road. This newly opened greenspace features an ADA accessible overlook with benches that overlook one of the two ponds. It’s a great place to experience nature for those who are mobility impaired and a nice space to walk your dog.
Freedom Park: Andrew White’s Pick (Director of Grantmaking & Implementation)
Explore Atlanta’s official art park — Freedom Park! This 130-plus-acre linear park is ripe with a diversity of activity and a parade of park users. It’s a fun place to people-watch and check out the public art while moving through the neighborhoods that the path connects.
Andrew’s favorite art piece in the park is 54 Columns by Sol LeWitt. It’s a great spot to pause, walk among the columns, and learn more about this piece by one of America’s most celebrated conceptual artists.
Tip: If you have a furry friend, Freedom Barkway (supported in part by a Park Pride grant) is an impressive public dog park to let your pooch run off leash and to meet other dog lovers!
Lower Paul Park: Alex Dileo’s Pick (Board Member)
If you’re in need of some forest bathing, Lower Paul Park is the place to do it! With the peace of the forest, the rush of the Chattahoochee River and the plethora of native plants, Lower Paul offers a place to escape from the bustle of the city when you need it most.
The park is the embodiment of a community’s persistence to restore and safeguard greenspace in their neighborhood. After decades of advocacy from neighbors, the City of Atlanta acquired nine acres bordering the Chattahoochee River in Riverside, now known as Lower Paul Park. This park is part of Chattahoochee Riverlands, a regional effort spearheaded by The Trust for Public Land to create 100 miles of uninterrupted trails, parks and greenspaces from the Buford Dam to the Chattahoochee Bend State Park. Riverwalk Atlanta worked with Park Pride to complete a Vision Plan for the park in 2022.
Tip: If you’re looking for a meaningful volunteer project, neighbors Michael Hudgins and Keith Sharp lead invasive removal along the Chattahoochee on the first Saturday morning of every month. Details on Instagram @riverwalkatl.
Ormewood Forest: Shannon Roudebush’s Pick (Sponsorship & Annual Fund Manager)
Have you been to Ormewood Forest, one of East Atlanta’s newest greenspaces? Shannon explored it for the first time recently and instantly fell in love! Ormewood Forest is a densely wooded nature preserve that is home to the headwaters of Intrenchment Creek and many local flora and fauna.
After over a decade of grassroots efforts from the community, in 2023, the City of Atlanta purchased three acres of forest known as the Ormewood Forest. Since then, community members and park leaders have been working to nurture the space. Bill Gould with the Friends of Ormewood Forest is currently part of the 2025 Class of the Park Stewardship Academy. Park Pride also recently hosted the first volunteer project since the park opened to the public.
Tip: If you see a sign from the street that says “Save(d) Ormewood Forest,” you’re in the right place!
South Peachtree Creek Trail: Christina Rios’ Pick (Board Member)
Looking to visit more than one park and get your steps in while doing it? Check out the South Peachtree Creek Trail! This two-mile trail connects Medlock Park to Mason Mill Park and is near Emory University’s Lullwater Preserve. In the fall, the trees look beautiful throughout the scenic boardwalk sections of the trail. Bonus points for accessibility — Christina has a newborn, and the whole path is stroller-friendly! The trail was created and is managed by the PATH Foundation, a partner of Park Pride.
Tip: Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife! Christina has seen herons, cranes, turtles, hawks, geese, rabbits, and owls. Also, for those looking for more adventure, there are several dirt trails that split off the main path.
Looking for a park buddy? Join us for our next Second Friday Walk in the Park on Friday, October 10, at 9 am at Bagley Park! Bagley Park (formerly Frankie Allen Park) is a 21-acre greenspace nestled in Buckhead’s Garden Hills near Buckhead Village. Click here for more information. Happy fall, y’all!