Blue Heron Nature Preserve

Really unique and quiet spot in the heart of Atlanta. My dogs enjoyed the water and edge that almost felt like a beach! Lots of artwork and picnic tables, a perfect little getaway that’s not far from downtown. I went around 7am on a Saturday and was the only person.

Great place to stroll with your pet and enjoy the peaceful environment. Nice trails and gardens with beautiful flower plantings. Exhibits displayed in the center of the park.

It is an excellent place to visit within the city limits. There are plenty of park benches for you to sit alongside the trails. The best time to visit this place is in Late Spring and early summer. There is not much to see during the wintertime except for deer. The sounds of the water flowing make up the difference. The parking lot wasn’t that full. I will return in the Spring to see this place come to life.

Great natural area that’s easy to access. Easy <2 mile path along marsh areas with lots of raised boardwalks and bridges along a tributary to Nancy Creek. Wasn’t too busy even on a sunny Saturday. The rock stair may be difficult for those with mobility issues but the rest of the paths were wide and flat.

This is a surprising nature space in the heart of Atlanta. I was fortunate to visit early on a weekday, and was pleased that it was not overly crowded. The trail signs could use some improvement (I guess most visitors are regulars so it doesn't matter), but the habitat around the trail is diverse and there is plenty to see.

Free parking. No restrooms. About 40 minutes/2 miles trail but it's very hard to follow the path without the map. So please have the trail map ready. Also, so many mosquitos, please bring the spray.

Love this trail and beautiful scenery in the middle of the city. It's an easy trek for my little dog too.

Visiting Atlanta, we ran across this small preserve while dodging rain showers over Labor Day Weekend. The paths were pulverized gravel so easy on the feet but would not recommend strollers or anything of the sort. This is a simple stroll to one end and back. We stayed roughly 45 minutes walking 3 of the trails and taking pics. Butterfly garden was pretty much gone for the season but the little sign was cute. Worth a quick stretch of the legs. Also the only wildlife we saw during our afternoon visit were a few turtles but there were deer and raccoon tracks in the mud along the creek bed. Side note - the trails are just off of a residential road down the side of the preserve, so no way to get “lost” in the woods.

Discovered a small (3mi) trail this weekend. Outside of being beautiful... *beginner level -mostly flat, unless you want to veer off down by the water (which we did ) *plenty of paved parking *restrooms and educational center *30acres of woodlands, wetlands, meadows and riparian *surprisingly quiet and peaceful even though it's in the the city

Had a wonderful new discovery at Emma Ln Trail yesterday. Discovered a few new habitats in the area and a few new trails. All part of Blue Heron.

Probably one of my favorite parks in Atlanta. There's essentially two parts to it, one half is pretty bright and open, with a river splitting it. This part you'll access right next to the parking lot and main building. On the other side of the parking lot is a small wetlands trail and viewing area. There's some cool little things along the way: a bee colony, a community garden, and a few other little secrets. The second half of it is across the street from the Wetlands; it's long and shaded and has a wooden underfoot trail to walk on for part of it. There's also a research center along this part of the trail, with huge plastic drums for breeding endangered amphibians. There's also some cool lanterns and "the heart of the forest" along this trail.

We came out in a beautiful Mother's Day to take a leisurely stroll on one of their trails... the grounds are well maintained, a lot of the trails are elevated of the brackish swampy areas. Beautiful shared garden areas and lots of green foliage...all of the trails are easily marked and it's hard to believe this reserve is in the middle of a big suburban area!!

This is a beautiful, serene gem in the heart of buckhead. So worth a visit, tourist and locals alike.

What a lovely little hidden treasure! Simple. Quiet. Beautiful. Would I go here for an intense hike? No, it's not that kind of place. It is a perfect city get away, though- hidden nature in Atlanta. We need more of those places! The people at BHNP are taking some beautiful woods and water and keeping them safe and available for the public. How amazing. I just love that it's basically in Buckhead, 10 minutes from my Ashford Dunwoody apt. Great location- quick drive. I plan on coming here to read, walk and picnic! Xo Seems like these folks are only expanding. Lots of plans to do great things. Would be an awesome place to get involved especially with kiddos.

Cute little park with paved trails along the river with a small community garden. Plenty of parking and street parking available.

Blue Heron is a very small nature preserve on Roswell Road east of Chastain Park and west of Brookhaven with essentially one path that loops up and back on either side of Nancy Creek. You can also walk around the little pond but I didn't do that. Good for people living in the neighborhood to have a casual stroll or play with the dog. Not a destination hiking spot by any stretch of the imagination. The website trail map mentions plans to develop a trail linking Blue Heron preserve with green spaces to the south and possibly the beltline There's a moderate-sized parking area off Roswell Rd shared with Little Da Vinci school. The start of the path is from the northeast corner of the parking lot. The path is nice but unremarkable. Except for the occasional alien monsters you might come across (refer to my photos of the creative sculpture (artist is Pam Longobardi) located at the north portal off Rickenbacker Drive). The preserve boasts a large community garden, perhaps the largest active one I've seen in Atlanta. There's a short boardwalk running to the garden from the interior path, or you can access it directly from Roswell Road. A bee apiary! With actual bees! They're not all disappeared! According to the website, the preserve also actively plants to attract butterflies, with the support of Georgia Power.

Went here for a walk on a mid morning Saturday. Very pleasant and calm. Lots of greenery and trees next to a babbling brook. Trail was well kept for the most part, though not in all areas, and it was pretty confusing to figure out where to go. There is a porta potty if you need it alongside the trail. Bring water as it can get real humid real fast especially in summer. That said there is quite of bit of shade from the trees. You can be in and out of here in an hour. Very easy walk, not strenuous. Muddy in spots. Dogs allowed.

I ventured through their little trail before sun rise and that is not a good idea. Well, it wasn't my idea at all but the hubsters. So, we could not see anything, it was so dark. The trail is very small and seemed to take us 15 minutes to finish unless there was more to it that we didn't see.

Our secret spot. Heavily wooded area so it stays cool even on warmer days. Our dog loves going on walks here. Trail takes about 30-45 minutes all the way around; kind of split into two parts. Rarely see more than a few people there which is also nice. You would never know you're in the middle of a city!

I found this place on my way from Georgia to Ontario after going to a coffee shop. It was a great place to exercise my dog and me and see some wildlife.

I have the pleasure of living close by to this gem. There are multiple walking trails that go alongside the creek, and the wildlife viewing is fantastic - I've seen multiple turtles, ducks, birds and even a beaver. Blue Heron is dog-friendly and ample parking is available, directly off Roswell Road. There's interesting artwork located on parts of the trail and if you want to get involved, the nature preserve holds multiple events each month, including a trail cleanup day and kid's events. This is a great little park in the city that's great for an early evening stroll.

I live right by the nature preserve, I love it but I do wish they would connect their paths.

I love this place. I live across the road, so it is virtually my front yard. Yes, as the douche bag C.D mentions in their lame ass review there are dogs running around. But who the hell cares, it's nature, dogs are natures creation. It's fun for them. There is a creak they can run and swim in, so for sure, why would you have a dog on a leash in a creak? Do it! And there are no tress that are falling, the place is well kept.

Blue Heron Nature Preserve is a little oasis off Roswell Road in Buckhead. There is one main loop trail which is flat, mostly dirt and wood chips, with a couple of bridges and a couple of breaks where you need to walk on surface streets. We saw plenty of wildlife, including turtles. It was peaceful, clean, and pretty deserted. There's also a sandbar along Nancy Creek, the turtle pond, and a bee house. And it's free. Enjoy!

Too many people walking their dogs at Blue Heron Nature Reserve, and that was the only 'wildlife' we saw. And the walking trail is dangerous, because there are many trees that have fallen or are getting ready to fall and need to be cleared off the premises. So if you want an adventurous walk and don't mind people bringing their dogs over to walk them or to let their dogs roam free without their leash, then you'll probably love this place.