Walking

Atlanta offers many wonderful places for quiet nature walks and easy day hikes. Below are just a few of the options.

The Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Rd. (tel. 404/814-4000) stands on 32 woodland acres and offers self-guided walking trails and five gardens. You'll discover many plants native to the region along the forested mile-long Swan Woods Trail.

The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is a series of parklands that punctuate the 48 miles along the Chattahoochee River -- from Buford Dam at Lake Lanier, north of the city, to Paces Mill at Vinings, just outside Atlanta's northwestern limits. Along the way, trails range from flat, easy walks to more strenuous ridge and valley hikes. Lace up your sneakers to enjoy some of the unspoiled parts of the scenic Chattahoochee River. Admission is free, but there is a $3 parking fee. For maps and more information, contact the National Park Service (tel. 678/538-1200; www.nps.gov/chat).

Stone Mountain Park, 16 miles east of downtown on U.S. 78, offers thousands of acres of beautiful wooded parkland and lakes. There's a walking trail that goes up and down the moss-covered slopes of the mountain; you'll be delighted by the wildflowers that bloom here each spring. Twenty acres of wildlife trails crisscross the park, passing through natural animal habitats and a petting zoo. Hard-core hikers will enjoy the challenging hiking trails.

Sixteen miles of extensive hiking trails meander through the beautiful scenery at Kennesaw Mountain/National Battlefield Park, Old Highway 41 and Stilesboro Road, Kennesaw (tel. 770/427-4686). Trail maps are available at the visitor center.

Piedmont Park, centrally located with its main entrance on Piedmont Avenue at 14th Street, offers a glorious setting for strolls, jogs, and bike rides. The wonderful Atlanta Botanical Garden is next door.

Château Élan, 30 miles north of Atlanta at Exit 126 off I-85 in Braselton (tel. 678/425-0900), has nature trails along St. Emilion Creek (forested with tulip poplar, oak, hickory, and beech trees) and by Romanée-Conti Pond. There are picnic areas on the lovely grounds, and custom picnics can be purchased at Café Élan.

The Fernbank Science Center, 156 Heaton Park Dr. NE (tel. 678/874-7102), has 1.5 miles of paved trails with trees, wildflowers, and plants labeled for identification. This unspoiled natural environment is home to many animals and birds; in addition, a small pond teems with aquatic life.

The nonprofit PATH Foundation (tel. 404/355-6438) is dedicated to creating and maintaining a network of walking and biking trails in metropolitan Atlanta. So far, the organization has completed 18 miles of greenway trails. The most accessible is around Chastain Park in the northern part of the city; it's an easy, paved 2.6-mile trail looping around the rolling hills of the park and golf course. The Atlanta-Stone Mountain Trail, which goes from the Carter Center to Stone Mountain Park, is another popular trek. Maps are available at most biking and sporting-goods stores. Call the above phone number for more information and advice about where to begin your journey.