8 metro Atlanta hiking routes less taken but perfect for viewing fall foliage

Atlanta is a fantastic city for hiking, but you probably haven’t heard of some of the best trails.

While writing “Hiking Intown Atlanta’s Hidden Forests” and “Hiking Metro Atlanta’s Hidden Forests,” I walked just about every trail inside and outside the Perimeter. There are more than 125 great hikes to explore in the metro area, but we Atlantans seem to choose the same trails over and over again.

This article challenges you to visit a new part of town and hike a new trail this fall.

Fall weather is perfect for hiking, and the colors of autumn foliage make our forests especially beautiful. So before you drive two hours to Amicalola Falls State Park, pay the entrance fee for Stone Mountain Park, search for parking at Sweetwater Creek State Park or join thousands of other people for a Saturday hike up Kennesaw Mountain, I invite you to explore eight new places to soak in the fall colors.

Each suggested trail is less than an hour drive (barring traffic) from downtown. How many of these trails do you already know?

Briarlake Forest Park

This park is a nature gem tucked into “inside the Perimeter” DeKalb County. Loving care by neighbors has transformed this family homestead into a peaceful oasis that was recently named part of the Old-Growth Forest Network. Don’t miss walking beneath the park’s biggest trees in an area called the “Avenue of the Giants.” As the canopy of massive oak, hickory and beech trees change color, the park becomes a riot of fall hues. Though the main loop is only a mile long, many hikers walk the loop twice — clockwise and counterclockwise — to view this forest from both angles.

No fees. Leashed dogs are welcome. Small gravel parking area at 3330 Briarlake Road, Atlanta. briarlakeforestpark.com.

Reynolds Nature Preserve

This 150-acre preserve in Clayton County is down the street from a Walmart and around the corner from a Hindu temple, but the trails transport you to a natural wonderland. Watch fallen leaves glisten in woodland creeks and dapple the surface of the park’s several ponds. Hike the upland trails through ancient trees and along scenic ravines. You’ll want to come back again and again.

No fees. Leashed dogs are welcome. Paved parking at 5665 Reynolds Road, Morrow. claytonparks.com.

Etowah Trails at Boling Park

Hidden behind Cherokee High School is the entrance to a 14-mile network of hiking trails along the Etowah River, including the historic Sutallee Trace. You can spend a whole day hiking here, but don’t forget to pause and admire the reflection of orange, yellow and red leaves on the blue surface of the Etowah River.

No fees. Dogs not allowed in Boling Park. Large paved parking lot at Boling Park behind Cherokee High School, 1200 Marietta Highway, Canton. cantonga.gov

Johns Homestead Park

Once you step onto the trails of this forested Tucker park, you immediately forget its proximity to I-285. Walk through a peaceful forest, along the edge of a beaver wetland and then circle the picturesque Twin Lakes. Each ecosystem gives you a new backdrop for the fall colors. This park is also home to one of the oldest standing buildings in DeKalb County, the John B. Johns Homestead, a pre-Civil War farmhouse built between 1829 and 1833.

No fees. Leashed dogs are welcome. Small paved parking area at 3117 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker. tuckerga.gov.

Medlock Bridge Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

If you’ve hiked in Atlanta, you’ve probably spent time in the East Palisades, Island Ford or Cochran Shoals unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. All these are beautiful, but Medlock Bridge is a hidden gem. Situated along the river at a spot where the channel makes a hairpin turn north, this trail features views of fall leaves reflecting off the river’s calm water. You’ll walk along the water’s edge and also traverse an interesting rocky ridge in the park’s interior.

$5 parking fee. Leashed dogs are welcome. Entrance to gravel parking area 0.3 miles north of the intersection of Medlock Bridge Road and Ridgegate Drive in Peachtree Corners. chattahoocheeparks.org.

Big Haynes Creek Nature Center

This hiking destination should be way more popular than it is. Though there is no “Nature Center” building, you can spend all day exploring this 173-acre preserve. You’ll walk though peaceful forests, blooming meadows and past a granite outcrop, but the crowning glory of Big Haynes is the lake and wetlands, which are spectacular in any season, especially fall. Don’t miss out on this special place.

No fees. Leashed dogs are welcome. Large gravel parking lot at 855 Costley Mill Road NE, Conyers. georgiahorsepark.com.

Line Creek Nature Area