5 beautiful Atlanta parks for a picnic

Atlanta, Georgia has a surprising amount of green space for a city of its size. This "city in a forest" has plenty of parks that provide an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city. Get out and enjoy a walk in the park, a picnic, and some good old-fashioned fun in these beautiful Atlanta parks.

Piedmont Park

The 189 acre Piedmont Park is one of Atlanta’s favorite parks. Located in Midtown Atlanta, Piedmont Park features covered picnic areas, tennis courts, a lake with a dock for fishing, two playgrounds, several miles of walking and running paths, soccer fields, softball fields, volleyball courts, and a swimming center.

Piedmont Park plays host to several of the city’s hottest events. Throughout the year, you can attend large events and festivals like the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Music Midtown, the Atlanta Pride Festival, and more. In the summer, the park airs a series of classic films during their Screen on the Green event.

Photo by Inera Isovic on Unsplash

Centennial Olympic Park

Located in Downtown Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park is a wonderful oasis in the middle of the city. The 22 acre park was created for the 1996 Summer Olympics and contains plenty of green space and an interactive fountain, the Fountain of Rings. This fountain, which has 251 jets that shoot into the air and can be synchronized to a light and music display, is perfect for children to play in on a hot summer day.

Many of Downtown Atlanta’s top attractions surround Centennial Olympic Park, including the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.

Grant Park

Grant Park is the oldest surviving city park in Atlanta. It was a gift to the city of Atlanta in 1883 and today encompasses more than 131 acres. Grant Park’s popularity grew thanks to the addition of a zoo, now Zoo Atlanta, and the Cyclorama circular painting of the Battle of Atlanta, which has since been moved.

The park hosts several events throughout the year, including the Summer Shade Festival and the weekly Grant Park Farmers Market from spring to winter.

Photo by Eric Deeran on Unsplash

Historic Fourth Ward Park

The Historic Fourth Ward Park in Old Fourth Ward was built on the site of the old Ponce de Leon amusement park. The park encompasses 17 acres in two sections. Historic Fourth Ward Park features a pond, an amphitheater, landscaped walkways, bridges, observation points, grassy fields, a shaded playground, a splash pad, and a skate park funded by Tony Hawk.

This park is made even more popular by its location to the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail. The Atlanta Beltline is a greenway of trails that connect Atlanta’s neighborhoods, making it easy to walk or bike from one hotspot to another. Historic Fourth Ward Park is one of the few parks to be directly adjacent to the Beltline, providing easy access to the park.

Woodruff Park

Woodruff Park in Downtown Atlanta is 6 acres of green space among the skyscrapers. The park is named for the former president of The Coca-Cola Company, Robert W. Woodruff. The park contains a fun playground that spells out ATL, a beautiful International Peace Fountain, a gazebo, several monuments, and several pieces of public art and sculptures, including the famed “Phoenix Rising from the Ashes” sculpture that represents Atlanta’s rebirth after the Civil War.

The park also hosts a number of signature festivals, events, performances, and free community programs each year. These events include Civil Rights Movement tours, Downtown History tours, and community outreach. Woodruff Park has even ushered in a new era of revitalization by adding Wi-Fi, a Game Cart with free games you can check out, and a social worker dedicated to serving those in need in the park.

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