DeKalb County, Georgia · 2.25-Mile Extension

The trail stops at Clairmont Road. Let's finish it.

South Peachtree Creek Trail already carries walkers, runners, and bike commuters through some of DeKalb County's most beautiful woods. A feasibility study says extending it 2.25 miles west to Old Briarcliff Road is possible — now it needs public support to happen.

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The Problem

Central DeKalb has a missing link.

Between Emory University, the CDC, the VA Medical Center, and Atlanta's Midtown and Buckhead districts, there's no safe way to travel east-west without a car. The roads are high-traffic, the hills are steep, and thousands of students, patients, seniors, and commuters are left with no good option.

A DeKalb County sewer repair project along South Peachtree Creek in 2021–2022 cleared a 30–50 foot swath of land — and revealed an opportunity. A scoping study, authorized by DeKalb County Commissioners using 2006 Park Bond funds, found that a creekside extension is feasible, safe, and largely built on land that's already disturbed.

94%of the proposed route reuses already-disturbed land
2017the existing trail segment opened
South Peachtree Creek corridor
South Peachtree Creek corridor, near the proposed extension alignment
The Route

2.25 miles, Clairmont Road to Old Briarcliff Road

The recommended alignment follows the creek corridor, avoiding roads and staying largely flat — accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

MI 0.0 — EXISTING TRAILHEAD

Clairmont Road

Where the existing South Peachtree Creek Trail currently ends. Built in 2017, this segment already sees steady use from Emory-area residents and commuters — proof of demand for what comes next.

Existing South Peachtree Creek Trail
WESLEY WOODS — ELEVATED SECTION

Through the forest canopy

About 850 feet of the route crosses Wesley Woods on elevated structure, keeping the trail off sensitive forest floor. An arborist oversees design and construction here to protect mature specimen trees — only saplings, dead, or hazardous trees are removed.

Wesley Woods forest canopy
EMORY · CDC · VA MEDICAL CENTER

Through the heart of the corridor

The alignment threads past Emory University, the CDC, and the VA Medical Center, giving students, staff, patients, and visitors a car-free route — and giving DeKalb's Watershed Management crews reliable access to maintain two sewer lines along the way.

Creek corridor near Emory
MI 2.25 — WESTERN TERMINUS

Old Briarcliff Road

The proposed extension's western end, via the Houston Mill–to–Old Briarcliff corridor — closing the gap and linking the network toward the BeltLine, Midtown, and Buckhead.

Trail path toward Old Briarcliff Road
By the Numbers

What the scoping study found

2.25 miProposed extension, Clairmont Rd to Old Briarcliff Rd
94%Of the alignment reuses previously disturbed land
~20,000Residents & students within 1 mile biking distance
~6,000Residents & students within 1/3-mile walking distance
850 ftElevated structure through Wesley Woods
2017Year the existing trail segment was completed
Why It Matters

What the trail gives back

Stakeholders — Emory faculty and students, neighbors, senior living facilities, the VA Medical Center, and the CDC — identified these as the extension's primary benefits.

An east-west link

Connects Emory, the VA Medical Center, and the CDC to the BeltLine, Midtown, Buckhead, and central DeKalb retail and residential hubs.

Safe, flat, car-free

A route that largely avoids hills and completely avoids dangerous interactions with cars, trucks, and buses.

Barrier-free access

Direct, accessible connections for people of all ages and physical abilities to nearby medical, senior living, and rehabilitation centers.

Learning outdoors

Educational opportunities for nearby university, secondary, and primary students to study the creek's ecology and human history.

Health & wellbeing

The physical, social, and mental health benefits of commuting or recreating in a natural setting, close to home.

A healthier creek

Streambank restoration, expanded native habitat, and reduced invasive species along the corridor — plus reliable access for DeKalb Watershed Management to maintain two sewer lines.

Take Action

Help finish the trail

This extension isn't built yet — it's a feasible, studied plan that needs visible public support to move forward. Here's how to help.

Sign the Petition

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Add your name to show DeKalb County and Atlanta officials that this trail has real community demand.

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