Atlanta’s largest and proudest city park is Piedmont Park, north of Midtown and just a coupl of blocks east of Peachtree Street. It occupies about 190 acres, quite tiny compared with the city parks of New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, but attracting 2.5 million visitors annually nevertheless.

This land, originally farmland, was part of the site of the 1864 Battle at Peachtree Creek. A Confederate division dug in along its northern edge to repel the approach of the Union army under General Sherman. The land was then purhased in 1887 to build a horseracing track. It was later purchased by the city in 1904 for parkland purposes.

Getting to Piedmont Park

Follow 10th Street eastward from Peachtree and 10th. Walk two blocks to Piedmont Avenue, turn left, and enter Piedmont Park via the gate at 12th Street.  You come to the park’s Visitor Center-it has restrooms and a custodian, but not much in the way of information or even a map. 

Exploring the Park

In going around the lakes, the most scenic walking view is at the top end of the northern lake, where you are treated to a view of the lakes, the gazebo at their middle point, and Midtown high-rises in the background. After completely circumnavigating the lakes, you are back near the VIsitor Center.

While Piedmont Pakr is very pleasant, it does not offer a very long on-foot route, so you may want to tack on some more interesting additions that include a mix of nearby residential areas and suburban parks.