Although it’s not yet officially summer in Atlanta, you may be ready to discover a place different from your usual haunts for picnics or walks. The South Fork Conservancy has a few suggestions that may be just what you’re looking for. This month we visited two metro area greenspaces that border the South Fork of Peachtree Creek where you can get away for part of your day or weekend.
Friendship Forest Wildlife Sanctuary
4380 E. Ponce de Leon, Clarkston
Open daily, sunrise to sunset
Click here for more info
Designated a greenspace by Clarkston’s City Council, this 18.5 acre parkland is an established bird sanctuary. A wide asphalt trail lined with pines and hardwoods opens to a wetland that, at the time of our visit, boasted pickerel weed, its purple spires brightening a cloudy Sunday afternoon and daring the sun to come out. (Eventually it did!)
At the entrance just off East Ponce, there’s a parking lot with space for 19 vehicles, including 2 for people with disabilities; restrooms; and a few picnic tables. The asphalt trail is lined with well-spaced, motion-sensor lighting. It gives way to a soft trail at the wetland where we walked past oaks, tulip poplars, tupelos, and pines and noticed a family walking along the creek. We also sauntered across the boardwalk over the wetland and made our way to a small amphitheater with more restrooms. The tranquil forest offers an enjoyable way to spend a few hours seeing nature from yet another perspective. We hope you’ll check it out.
Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve
2580 Pine Bluff Drive, Decatur
Located in Medlock Park neighborhood. Parking on street
Open daily, sunrise to sunset
Click here for more info
This lovely, 28-acre preserve is privately owned and supported by volunteers. A pavilion at the entrance contains a picnic table. A map and park rules are posted there as well. Pine needles cover the soft trail, enhancing the quiet and peace we felt as we walked along the gentle slope, lined in some sections with ferns. A boardwalk spans sensitive areas, and some areas are for wildlife only. The preserve contains amphibian and beaver ponds. Signs at various points indicate the length of a trail, the location of observation areas, and the types of wildlife that make their homes here. Birds were everywhere, including what we believe were two pileated woodpeckers that zoomed across the landscape and landed some distance from us on the broad trunk of a pine. The forest included beeches, oaks, tulip poplars, and other trees we didn’t know the names of. Along the way, we spotted orange jewelweed that enlivened the forest floor. Magical!
The only person we saw the entire time was a woman walking her dogs. We hated to leave, but we intend to return for a closer look, perhaps during a bird-watching walk or maybe just to walk in silence and beauty.
Note: As with any greenspace, walk respectfully on the land. Follow the rules to protect wildlife and others. Carry out your trash or dispose of it in designated receptacles. Thanks!