The PATH Foundation has completed construction on the Northside Spur Trail, an extension that splits off from the Atlanta BeltLine Northside Trail just north of Collier Road. The extension adds a third of a mile long spur to the Northside Trail, connecting it to the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center and Northside Drive.
This spur trail is Phase I of a longer connector trail that will link Peachtree Battle Road to the Northside Trail. Phase II will run parallel to Northside Drive, and Phase III, over Peachtree Creek, will be incorporated into the new Northside Drive bridge being planned by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The Northside Trail, also built by PATH, was the second Atlanta BeltLine trail to open and winds through Tanyard Creek Park to Ardmore Park. The trail, which runs under Collier Road near Piedmont Hospital, connects Collier Hills with Bobby Jones Golf Course and the Colonial Homes area by way of Louise G. Howard Park, a former residential lot purchased from the Howard family by the Trust for Public Land. A central feature of the Northside Trail is the railroad trestle it passes beneath, part of the currently-active CSX rail line that is considered the northwest Atlanta BeltLine transit corridor.
Tanyard Creek Park has some neat features of its own. Two playgrounds and acres of greenspace give the surrounding neighborhoods access to both active and passive amenities, with the brand new spur opening up the tennis center to more residents. The Atlanta BeltLine Run.Walk.GO! Race Series hosts an annual Northside 5k through the park, using the Northside Trail for part of the route. A mural painted by Peter Ferrari was painted in 2013 on the bridge under Collier Road.
The spur is just one more reason to explore what’s in your backyard. Visit the other Atlanta BeltLine trails, and check out the PATH Foundation’s website for more news about this and other PATH-managed projects. More photos of the Northside Trail are available in our gallery.
Will the Bitsy Grant section connect to the new Northside Dr section that just opened? There’s a very small disconnect where the Bitsy Grant driveway connects to Northside Dr. The two trails have a gap of like 25 feet. What’s the plan? Thanks.