Explore the wondrous, growing South Peachtree Creek Trail, a ‘connective tissue’ for Emory and beyond

On a recent weekday afternoon, I pedaled my Trek through the intersection of North Decatur and Clifton roads, where 10 traffic-snarled lanes meet. I traveled green-painted bike lanes into the heart of Emory University and weaved through campus, as students hustled between buildings and stressed finals week. A few moments later, the city pressures quickly faded, and I pedaled onto an elevated boardwalk high above the floor of a dense eastside forest, the realm of white-tailed deer, bullfrogs, turtles, rabbits, and one stoic great blue heron. My 8-year-old daughter, seated on the attached trailer bike, calmly observed: “This doesn’t feel like Atlanta anymore.”

Mission accomplished.

We’d returned to the South Peachtree Creek Trail, a Y-shaped system spanning about three and a half miles of remarkably diverse terrain, from creekside cliffs and leafy woods to wetlands with a boardwalk that—for bicyclists—lends the feeling of flying over a swamp. More than 20 years in the making, the PATH Foundation project garnered headlines in late 2018 when, at last, a final section under Clairmont Road linked it to the easternmost fringes of Emory’s Clairmont Campus. It’s only about two miles from downtown Decatur, due east of Midtown. Nonetheless, PATH’s executive director Ed McBrayer calls the network a “hidden treasure” that’s remained under the radar for Atlantans at large.

“I live in downtown Decatur, so I get over there quite often,” said McBrayer. “It’s certainly one of those trails that I enjoy myself.”

Beyond its value for back-to-nature recharging, the trail system has been lauded as a “connective tissue” that reduces the need for parking infrastructure, while also providing an alternate to vehicle transportation between nearby neighborhoods and Emory classrooms, as well as thousands of jobs at the university, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other employers. Nobody’s counting the number of trail patrons or commuters, but Adele Clements, Emory’s senior director of transportation and parking services, said via email, “Anecdotally, we have seen an increase in the number of cyclists and pedestrians utilizing the new PATH.”

And as of last week, the trail system is getting longer, weaving further through Emory.

It’s another notch in PATH Foundation’s green belt, which includes the installation of more than 250 miles of trails since McBrayer helped cofound the organization in the early 1990s. Other recent PATH additions include the Proctor Creek Greenway in Maddox Park, the Northwest Atlanta Beltline Connector loop, and the PATH Parkway near Georgia Tech, named the nation’s best new bikeway in 2017.

But given its ecological diversity and extensive boardwalks, the South Peachtree Creek Trail could be the most wondrous among those options for ITP outdoor recreation.

Let this installment of the Visual Journeys series serve as a primer for those who haven’t been—or a pleasant reminder for those who have.

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The trail system, in photos

As represented on the map below, we’ll be starting at Medlock Park, the point at right; forking up to the north (at top); and then trickling back to Emory’s Clairmont Campus near Lullwater Preserve.

The starting point is about two miles north of downtown Decatur.

Courtesy of PATH Foundation

One official starting point is found inside Medlock Park, in North Decatur. Signs warn of the first of many boardwalks ahead as we pass the park’s baseball fields.

The boardwalk then meanders through trees near Willivee Drive.

Next we encounter a bridge over South Peachtree Creek. DeKalb County initially employed PATH to create a trail masterplan for this area in the 1990s, but it didn’t break ground until 2007, eventually connecting two public parks and providing the first link toward Emory. McBrayer remembers the process as being hotly contested.

“Probably the most resistance I’ve ever gotten for trying to put a [PATH] trail in,” said McBrayer. “Some of the adjacent neighbors were adamant that we weren’t going to put pavement in the forest back there. That was a tough trail to get in; once we got it in, of course, everybody loved it.”

Periodically, sections of the trail allow for access to more primitive spurs closer to creek banks. Here, the creek flows beneath a railroad trestle.

Moving on, a runner and walkers makes their way over a stone bridge that crosses the creek.

After the stone bridge, the trail becomes concrete as it inclines and winds through the trees. In the distance, a steel caged bridge rises into the treeline to allow pedestrians to cross very active railroad tracks.

This was part of phase two, finished about a decade ago, which brought the trail up steep inclines to Mason Mill Park.

We pass by some graffiti (since covered) by an artist with a sense of humor, as the trail heads to a switchback.

The treetop boardwalk makes a 180-degree turn. This is a dismount zone for cyclists.

Looking down from the top of the switchback, leading to the bridge.

At the steel bridge, trail patrons have begun fastening locks, reminiscent of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy. Or Interstate 20 in Grant Park.

Next, this roundabout signals the trail’s split. Going straight leads to North Druid Hills Road. Cut back and turn right, underneath the bridge, to access Emory.

Heading north, the trail enters Mason Mill Park, showing off a view of the Dekalb Tennis Center. This park complex includes a multi-slide playground for the kiddos.

The boardwalk picks up again shortly after entering Mason Mill Park, then angles steeply downward as it nears an elevated, curvy section of trail.

A warning to cyclists that their path turns right. This is a dismount zone. And it’s gorgeous.

The boardwalk snakes around mature trees, allowing glimpses of blue sky in summer, and long views across wetlands in winter. (Pro tip: This all gets very slick when wet.)

Here we enter the wetlands of Burnt Fort Creek, a large boggy area. The boardwalk, McBrayer noted, utilized “top-down construction,” meaning it was built from the extended walkway itself, eliminating the need for heavy equipment and minimizing wetlands disruption.

At roughly $3 million, the boardwalk was the trail’s costliest component to date. The trail’s $6 million overall cost was split about evenly between DeKalb County contributions (boosted by a federal allocation) and PATH monies, which are privately raised.

Deeper into the wetlands, a bumpout at this point allows patrons to take in the view at a more leisurely pace.

A bright yellow sign warns cyclists as the trail approaches North Druid Hills Road. The trees are particularly majestic here.

The second prong of the trail ends at North Druid Hills, as traffic speeds down the street.

Approaching the boardwalk elevations from the opposite direction, headed south toward Emory.

The trail skirts a lake at Clairmont Reserve, which is fenced and private but still an option for spotting impressive wildlife, such as great blue heron.

Or a (nonvenomous) snake.

Looking back toward Clairmont Place, a retirement community. As the fresher pavement might suggest, this section was just finished last autumn.

Next, the creek flows underneath Clairmont Road, as the trail enters an underpass.

The telltale sign of Emory’s nearing campus is bright blue emergency posts. The trail follows Clairmont Road for a short stretch before entering Emory’s grounds.

Here, we near the end of the newest, third prong, which leads into the Emory Clairmont Campus—where it stops for now.

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Coming soon: Enhanced connectivity

PATH partnered with Emory officials to bring the trail under Clairmont Road and install infrastructure such as a large stone wall.

The work left an impression, McBrayer said, and PATH was asked by Emory to compile a masterplan to bring enhanced trail connectivity across campus, up to the busy Clifton Road corridor and eventually beyond.

“They liked that [masterplan] so much, they asked, ‘Can you get it all done while students are away this summer?’” McBrayer said. “It’ll be substantially completed by September.”

That work entails two major sections—PATH and Emory are splitting the estimated $1.4 million cost—that will create another Y within the campus.

Once finished, the sections will offer two access points along Clifton Road (at Haygood Drive, and at North Decatur Road) to the existing trail. Or access for anyone traveling from the north to the heart of campus.

Emory plans to complete the PATH masterplan across campus within the next couple of years. Planning is underway, but timelines aren’t available, per Emory officials.

PATH’s vision has long called for linking the South Peachtree Creek Trail system to the Freedom Park PATH Trail, and then on to the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail.

Neighborhood pushback, however, between Emory and the Ponce de Leon Avenue corridor could thwart those plans, resulting in a gap between trail networks.

Having exited the woods, pedaled beneath Clairmont Road, and recrossed campus, my copilot and I found ourselves stopped at the intersection of North Decatur and Clifton roads, at rush hour, for what seemed like 10 minutes. Awaiting a green light on sunbaked concrete, listening to honks from antsy drivers, we inhaled fumes from a mini Emory transport bus. It felt like Atlanta again.