This Under-the-radar Suburb in the U.S. South Has Over 950 Acres of Parkland and 22 Miles of Riverfront — Plus Some of the Area’s Best Restaurants
Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, is known for its green spaces and trails.
Courtesy of City of Sandy Springs
One of the best parts of visiting a city is getting out of it and finding pockets of nature among the skyscrapers and city streets. In Atlanta, you need only drive 10 miles (or around 20 minutes) to find true nature. Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, is known for its green spaces and trails. In fact, it has over 950 acres of parkland and over 22 miles of waterfront along the Chattahoochee River. It may be just outside Atlanta, but it feels like a different world.
In the heart of Sandy Springs is the John Ripley Forbes Big Trees Forest Preserve, a recognized old-growth forest protected within a 30-acre sanctuary. Inside the preserve, visitors can explore the trail system, which is made up of short loops and flat grades. Along the way, hikers can look over the cascading Powers Branch gorge and walk under canopies of middle-aged hardwood and softwood forests.
The nature aspect continues at the nearby Lost Corner Preserve, a private piece of land turned nature preserve where the native plants and animals of the area are protected and appreciated. The 24-acre tract of land is known for its tranquility, thanks to ample woodlands, trails, an apiary, and a community garden. The preserve often hosts children's programs, lectures, and guided nature walks.
Courtesy of City of Sandy Springs
Part of what feeds Sandy Springs’ ample greenspace is the Chattahoochee River, which provides the community with 22 miles of riverfront and offers year-round trout fishing.
Alongside the waterway is Island Ford, a beloved Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The area is split into two sections — Island Ford North and South — connected by hiking trails. Island Ford is known for its spring and summer wildflowers, vibrant fall foliage, and year-round local wildlife.
In addition to ample green space and recreational opportunities, Sandy Springs has a renowned food scene. Offerings include the beloved Persian restaurant, Rumi’s Kitchen, which has locations in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., and NoriFish, an omakase-style Japanese eatery that gets its fish directly from the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo. For Mexican food head to Casi CIelo, which claims to have the largest collection of mezcal outside Oaxaca, the mezcal capital of the world.
Sandy Springs is just over 20 minutes by car from downtown Atlanta or just under 30 minutes on the MARTA metro system.
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