Legacy Park
Managed by City of Decatur
80 acres4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Lincolnh · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Decatur
6% of Decatur’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 10 miles of mapped trail cross Decatur, 2.3 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Legacy Park (4 mi), Hidden Cove Park (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #11 of 264 in Georgia. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
166 acres · of 4.6 sq mi of land
Trails
10 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
207 ac
8.4 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.2 mi
1.6 mi lanes · 7.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Decatur?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Decatur have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Decatur is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #11 of 264 in Georgia. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Decatur’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical GA town 2% · U.S. 4%BTrails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (10 mi) · GA 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land8.4 acres of park per 1,000 residents (207 acres) · GA 9 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · GA 56% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 85%
LessMore
Georgia towns of 2,500+ (264)Ahead of 96%
Few Georgia towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Decatur’s 6% is ahead of 84% of Georgia towns, while its trails per square mile lead 98% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Legacy Park, with 4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hidden Cove Park
Managed by City of Decatur
10 acres0.5 mi of trail
Wildcat Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Dearborn Park
Managed by Dekalb County
7 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Parkwood Park
Managed by Parkwood Garden Club
4 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Glenn Creek Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
2 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 19 parks & preserves
Legacy Park80 acres · 4 mi of trail · City of Decatur
DirectionsHidden Cove Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Decatur
Dearborn Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Dekalb County
Woodlands Garden7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsParkwood Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Parkwood Garden Club
East Decatur Greenway2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGlenn Creek Nature Preserve2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
McKoy Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Decatur
Scott Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGlenlake Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAdair Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSugar Creek Garden6 acres
Ebster Park5 acres
DirectionsWinnona Park5 acres
Sycamore Park3 acres
DirectionsParkside Circle Park3 acres
Roy Moss Garden2 acres
Waddell Park1 acres
Harmony Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
166 conserved acres
6% of Decatur’s land. Who manages Decatur’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city140 ac
County21 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government9 ac
Local Recreation Area · 60 acLocal Other or Unknown · 43 acLocal Park · 42 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 24 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 25 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Cemetery Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Agnes Scott College Private Recreation or Education | Town or city | 22 | Unknown |
| McKoy Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Oakhurst Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Glenlake Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Ebster Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Dearborn Park Local Park | County | 8 | Open |
| Hidden Cove Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Woodlands Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 6 | Open |
| Greenspace Program Acquisition Local Recreation Area | County | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
44 places to go in Decatur
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Decatur
Ebster PoolIn Ebster Park
DirectionsGlen Lake PoolIn Glenlake Park
DirectionsPlace on Ponce Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Decatur
25 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Decatur
Adair Dog ParkIn Adair Park
DirectionsOakhurst Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Decatur
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Decatur
7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.8 mi
Waldorf0.3 mi
Wildcat Trail0.3 mi
Cemetery connector0.1 mi
back gnard0.1 mi
Decatur Cemetery spur0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
9.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
7.1 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
10Tennis
7Basketball
4Soccer
4Baseball
1Skate park
1Lacrosse
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →19 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Old DeKalb County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itMary Gay HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itSwanton HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itScottish Rite Hospital for Crippled ChildrenBuilding · listed 1982
About itPythagoras Lodge No. 41, Free and Accepted MasonsBuilding · listed 1982
About itLee, Agnes, Chapter House of the United Daughters of the ConfederacyBuilding · listed 1985
About itHampton, Cora Beck, Schoolhouse and HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itSouth Candler Street-Agnes Scott College Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1994
About itFarmer, Neville and Helen, Lustron HouseBuilding · listed 1996
About itDecatur CemeteryDistrict · listed 1997
About itUnited States Post Office-Decatur, GeorgiaBuilding · listed 2000
About itWinnona Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2002
About it7 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Decatur: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 53 | 57 | 65 | 73 | 80 | 86 | 89 | 88 | 83 | 73 | 63 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
October is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 4.9 inches fall in March, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Decatur →
Next door
Decatur and its neighbors
Decatur has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Atlanta104 miDecatur10 miNorth Decatur9.5 miDruid Hills4.1 miAvondale Estates1.0 miBelvedere Park0.3 miScottdale0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | 6% | 2.3 | 8 | 99%+ | A− |
| North Decatur | 4% | 1.9 | 11 | 87% | A− |
| Belvedere Park | 2% | 0.1 | 5 | 78% | C |
| Druid Hills | 8% | 1.4 | 20 | 99% | A |
| Atlanta | 6% | 0.8 | 10 | 94% | A− |
| Scottdale | 3% | 0.1 | 7 | 88% | C+ |
| Avondale Estates | 3% | 0.8 | 10 | 99%+ | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Decatur
Where can I hike in Decatur?
The longest trail networks: Legacy Park, 4 miles; Hidden Cove Park, 0.5 miles; Dearborn Park, 0.4 miles; Woodlands Garden, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Decatur is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Georgia town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Decatur’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at East Decatur Greenway (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Decatur?
9.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.6 of painted or protected lanes, 7.1 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Decatur?
12,791 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Decatur or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 207 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Decatur have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #11 of 264 in Georgia. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Decatur neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →