Big Creek Park

In LOVE with this trail. Perfect for biking or walking. The trees create a lot of shade — making this perfect for those hot days of summer. I love that it isn’t overcrowded like most good things in this world! You can actually enjoy the surroundings, nature and the experience without having to fight the crowds and have your space invaded. There are so many different ways you can go that no one place ever gets overpopulated. There are also call boxes for safety and benches for when you may want to rest, or just relax. 5 out of 5!

I love the county and city parks in the Atlanta metro area and usually rate them pretty highly. Here, I’m torn.
As a local hiking park, Big Creek suffers in comparison to some others, such as the Gwinnett county parks. There really is only one hiking trail and it’s an easy, not very interesting 1.4 mile loop that unfortunately spends too much time close to busy Old Alabama Rd. There are many more trails in the park dedicated to trail bikes and they seem much more interesting. but I really prefer not to hike on bike trails, both forms sake and for the bikers’.
That said, the northern section of Big Creek benefits enormously from the presence of the Big Creek Greenway. Ordinarily, I’d be dissing this too because it’s a concrete path and I like dirt. But it’s a great concrete path. Plus, there’s a good bit of wooden boardwalk that traverses the wetlands. It’s a nice walk.
Parking is not a problem during non-​peak times, with a lot on the south end and one further down the road towards the middle of the park. That middle lot also has restroom facilities.

The paved trail here is excellent for all levels of bikers. It runs between exits 7 and 11 off of highway 400. I believe going one way is 8 miles so a nice round trip of 16 miles makes for a not too strenuous but also not too easy ride.
Be sure to tread carefully over the wooden bridges when they are wet though! I saw many bikers crash and burn slipping out on the bridges.
The park has a clean restroom and is very biker/​people friendly. Saw many parents out walking with their kids. It’s a happy place :-)

It was a beautiful fall day in Atlanta. Instead of heading to a fluorescent light lit gym, I decided to catch some natural sun rays on the Greenway.
I don’t mind driving out into the burb’s on weekends as much as weekdays. No traffic!
There are so many trails along the Greenway in Big Creek Park to choose from, from beginner to intermediate, to the trails that aren’t for the faint of heart. Most of the trails are very biker friendly, so if you’ve got a road bike or a mountain bike, c’mon down.
There are two parking lots: if you’re planning on hiking/​walking on foot or taking a road bike, I advise you park in the second parking lot, which is closer to the Greenway entrance. You’ll pass the first one at the entrance of the park, but drive past to the second entrance on your right (once inside the park, that is)!
We did a forest trail (intermediate 1.4 miles) and we also walked along the Greenway. Both have great forest shrubbery and views. The maps seemed to have been stolen or taken down on the Greenway, so make sure to memorize the map at the entrance.
Overall I had a magnificent time strolling through Big Creek Park. Stumbled upon two curious deer on the Greenway, who didn’t seem startled by the sight of people. What a treat!

I love this part of the park. The hiking is great and you can often spot all types of wildlife from deer to hawks. I have also seen a few copperhead snakes so be careful when near the water and marshy areas. I’ve had many positive experiences at this park while riding my bike as well. Most of the sidewalks are pretty flat. If you want a more challenging workout head to the dirt parts. Highly recommended. It also connects into the greenway if you ride all the way over to the other side. Some maps are posted to give you a better idea.

I can’t believe I’ve worked so close to this park for so long and only recently actually visited it. They’ve recently paved the parking lot (it was previously gravel). There are a dozen or so spots right at the entrance, mainly for those using the nature trail/​mountain bike trail at the top. But if you continue on down the hill, there’s twice as much parking, bathrooms, and a large paved trail that connects to the Big Creek Greenway.
All along the trail there are benches, trash cans, even recycling receptacles. There are mileage markers, though I could never determine the zero point or the path taken that would actually yield the mileage advertised. After a mile or so around two large ponds, the boardwalk starts. There appear to be miles of boardwalk through this nationally certified wetfland, with some of it designated pedestrian only while bikes are allowed on the portion that most directly connects to the greenway. There are a few signs with maps and descriptions of the wetland along the way, so you can learn something while you enjoy the outdoors.