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out &zabout
No need to ‘leaf’ town - there’s plenty of local color around
Come fall, communities in the Georgia mountains justly are celebrated for
their seasonal shows of colorful leaves. But you don’t have to drive very far
to find places where Georgia hardwoods are putting on autumn airs.
Here are a half dozen spots in Reporter Newspapers com
munities where we’ve found you can take in fall’s colorful dis
plays much closer to home.
Morgan Falls Overlook Park
This small park built by the city of Sandy
Springs offers a leaf-lover’s delight from its van
tage point above a broad, tree-lined bend in the
Chattahoochee River. The park provides pic
nic pavilions, a children’s playground, a hik
ing trail, a fire pit and restrooms, but for fans of
fall color, the real draw may be porch swings set
up to provide comfy places to view the scenery.
Location: 200 Morgan Falls Road,
Sandy Springs, 30350
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Cost: Free
For more information: www.sandyspringsgBafl
org/City-Departments/Recreation-and-Parks/
Parks-and-Facilities/Morgan-Falls-Overlook-Park
Island Ford unit of the Chattahoochee
River National Recreation Area
The Chattahoochee River National Recreation
Area, operated by the National Park Service, is com
posed of 15 land units scattered along 48 miles of
the Chattahoochee River as it winds through north
metro Atlanta. The park headquarters and visitors’
center is located at Island Ford, a 319-acre unit that
provides both access to the river and about 5.5 miles
of trails along the water and through the woods.
Location: 1978 Island Ford Parkway, Sandy
Sp r^^^3035^^^^
Hours: Dawn to dusk; visitors’ center: 9 a.m.to 5
.m. daily, except Dec. 25
st: $3 for a one-day pass; $25 for a season pass
For more information: www.nps.gov/chat
Note: This park closed Oct. 1 for an indeterminent
period as part of the shutdown of the federal gov
ernment.
9 Dunwoody Nature Center
The non-profit nature center offers a mile-and-a-half walk
through an old hardwood forest. During the day, the cen
ter offers some of the bBKJeaf-peeping in Dunwoody, ex
ecutive director Alan Mothner says. Trails around the cen
ter take walkers through wetlands, meadow and forest. On
Oct. 11 and 25,'^fcftenter plans free nighttime hikes so hik
ers can experience the forest after dark.
Location: 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody, 30338
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Cost: Free
For more information: www.dunwoodynature.org
Powers Island and
Cochran Shoals units of
the Chattahoochee River
National Recreation
These cross-river units near the south
ern end of the Chattahoochee River
National Recreation Area offer
of its best places to check out leaves. „
Trails through the Powers Island unit & n
Sandy Springs take hikers through the
woods and along the river just upstream
of 1-285. On the other side of the river,
the Cochran Shoals unit provides bik
ing trails as well as hiking trails.
Location: 1650 Riveredge Parkway,
Sandy Springs, 30328
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Cost: $3 for a one-day pass; $25 for a
season pass
For more information: www.nps.gov/
chat
Note: These parks closed Oct. 1 for
an indeterminent period as part of the
shutdown of the federal government.
Murphey Candler Park
The trail through Murphey Candler Park takes visitors for a walk along tree-
lined Murphey Candler Lake. A seat in a picnic shelter or a bench alongside the
lake should provide hikers a place to relax while admiring the fall leaves, their
reflection in the lake, and the odd duck or goose that drifts past.
Location: 1551 W. Nancy Creek Drive, Brookhaven, 30319
Hours: 7 a.m. to sunset
Cost: Free
For more information: www.murpheycandlerpark.org
Tanyard Creek Park
Tanyard Creek Park should appeal to both nature and history buffs as its tree-lined trails cross
Civil War battlegrounds. The park features markers describing the Battle of Peachtree Creek,
fought July 20, 1864, at this spot, now in the center of a Buckhead neighborhood. Visitors can
walk along the creek on the city’s new BeltLine trail and relax on a large, grassy lawn surround
ed by trees.
Location: Collier Road at Walthall Drive, 30309, Atlanta
Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Free
For more information: www.buckhead.net/parks/tanyard-creek
www.ReporterNewspapers.netl OCT.4 — OCT. 17, 2013 | 11
