The Morgan Falls Dog Park Is Also Sandy Springs' Trailhead Now

On September 24, crews stood on ladders above the dog park on the Chattahoochee, installing shade structures while the park was closed to the public. In six days, on Wednesday, October 14 at 2 p.m., the City of Sandy Springs will cut the ribbon on the renovated Morgan Falls Dog Park at 100 Morgan Falls Road. The city says the project finished ahead of schedule. Yeager, a Sandy Springs Police Department K-9, is on the guest list to give the place what the city's announcement calls the sniff test.

Most coverage will treat this as a dog park story. The address matters for more than dogs, though. When the city tells people where to park for the Springway trail along the river, it gives this same address. The renovation upgrades the front door to the city's newest trail. That front door is also at the center of the current argument over where the trail goes next.

What $1.04 million fixed

The dog park's biggest complaint was mud. In a 2024 community survey, one of the most common complaints was that the park along the river wasn't dry. Earthwork began in fall 2024. Crews channeled water away from the park, regraded the 3.4-acre site, and removed a few trees. The city describes the result as a graded drainage channel built "to ensure dogs and their owners have a dry place to play."

The rest of the work sits on top of that drainage. The park keeps its two fenced areas, one for small dogs and one for large dogs. It now adds:

• Shade structures, benches, and picnic tables
• Waste stations and a wash station
• Drinking fountains
• Boulders for dogs to climb and survey the yard from

The total budget is $1.04 million. The city's 2027 budget shows about $560,000 spent so far, with the rest expected to be spent this fiscal year. The land itself belongs to Georgia Power. Last October, the city updated its lease with the utility so its contractor could build the shade structures, wash station, agility equipment, ground cover, and drainage. As reported by Rough Draft Atlanta, the dog park sits right on the existing Springway segment that runs from Morgan Falls Overlook Park, across Orkin Lake, to Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway.

The address the city gives for the trail

That segment, known as Springway Segment 2A, opened with a ribbon cutting on May 2, 2025. It is 1.88 miles of paved multi-use path, 8 to 12 feet wide. Along the way it has a top-down boardwalk over Orkin Lake, pedestrian bridges, and trail signs. The city's Springway page sends drivers to the dog park lot at 100 Morgan Falls Road.

So the lot that serves the dog park also serves anyone walking the boardwalk, pushing a stroller to Roswell Road, or riding the river stretch. The places along this part of the river keep different hours:

Sandy Springs parks generally close at sunset. The city lists Morgan Falls Overlook Park as an exception with extended hours. On a short fall evening, the paved trail closes at dusk, while the Overlook's pavilion and fire pit stay open for hours afterward.

Above the dam, on Bull Sluice Lake

Segment 2A ends at the Overlook, which is where the river becomes the main attraction. The park has a floating dock with public access to the Chattahoochee upstream of Morgan Falls Dam. You can launch your own kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, or rent one from Murphs Surf Paddle Shack on site. The city's page for Murphs Surf lists kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals but no seasonal schedule, so check booking details with the operator before an October paddle.

The water above the dam is Bull Sluice Lake. According to the city's fishing page, anglers can fish from the pier at the dam. The dam was completed in 1904 and eventually became part of Georgia Power. It still generates hydroelectricity next to the trail, dog park, and recreation center. The National Park Service notes that the dam itself is closed to the public. You see it from the overlook, not from on top of it.

The dog park, the trail, and the Overlook all sit along this one stretch of river, and the city's recommended parking for the trail is at the dog park.

Up the hill on Roswell Road

At its east end, the trail meets Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway. A short drive north along Roswell Road are several casual places to eat:

• Sandy Springs Diner, 8612 Roswell Road, open daily 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. It's the earliest opening of the group.
• Three Dollar Cafe, 8595 Roswell Road, open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Samad Grill, which has moved to 8725 Roswell Road. It serves Mediterranean plates and Turkish coffee, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Next door to the diner, River Springs Shopping Center at 8610 Roswell Road now hosts the city's new Night Market. It brings 30-plus farmers, food producers, artisans, and specialty vendors on the first Thursday of September, October, and November, from 5 to 8 p.m. The first market ran September 3. The October market was on the first, so the last one on the announced schedule is Thursday, November 5.

Why the parking lot is now the argument

Two days ago, on October 6, the City Council voted 4-2 to apply to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for a $3 million grant toward Springway Segment 2C. The proposed route starts where the paved path now ends at Morgan Falls Overlook Park. It would run through a wooded, naturally preserved stretch along the river and a tributary toward Adair Lane and Grogan Ferry Road. The segment is 60% designed and would nearly double the existing paved trail, which is part of a proposed 5.6-mile Morgan Falls Loop.

The numbers don't close yet. The city estimates Segment 2C at about $14 million. A city memo says that even with the $3 million grant, the project would still be nearly $3 million short. Mayor Rusty Paul described the vote narrowly:

"This is not about deciding where the trail is going to go or any other aspects of the trail. This is simply whether the council will authorize the city to file a grant application for partial funding."

The city applied last year and wasn't funded. This time, the commitments are tighter. If the state awards the money, the segment's design cannot change beyond minor landscaping. The city's funding match applies only if state funds arrive.

More than two dozen residents spoke during public comment, ranging from full support to outright opposition. Parking came up again and again. Council Member Melody Kelley, whose District 2 includes the affected neighbors, called the lack of parking for an attraction like a nature trail "a huge issue." She cited resident emails about parking conflicts near the existing Segment 2A. Other speakers asked the city to limit construction disruption and tree canopy loss. Council Member Mary Ford said she would prefer a nature trail to a 12-foot concrete path with railings and boardwalks. She also wants sidewalk projects, such as one along Adair Lane, built first. City staff recommended keeping the current alignment, noting the security fence, creek bed, and forest between the path and private homes.

That puts the renovated dog park in the middle of this debate. It is already where the city tells trail users to park for the trail as it exists today, and the proposed new segment would begin at the Overlook, at the far end of that same trail.

The larger plan behind all of this dates to 2019. The city adopted its trail master plan that year and named it Springway in 2023. Working with the Sandy Springs Conservancy, PATH Foundation, and Kaizen Collaborative, it laid out 31.4 miles of paved paths. Those include a loop around the North End and connections to PATH400, City Springs, and Cumberland.

Dates on the near calendar

1. Wednesday, October 14, 2 p.m. The dog park ribbon cutting at 100 Morgan Falls Road.
2. Thursday, November 5, 5 to 8 p.m. The last Night Market on the announced schedule, at River Springs Shopping Center.
3. This winter. The state reviews and scores the Segment 2C application.
4. Next spring. Sandy Springs learns whether 2C goes on to a second-round application.

Until then, the paved trail still ends at the Overlook, and the city still sends trail users to the dog park lot.

If you live near Morgan Falls and want to talk through how the Springway plans could affect your street or a home you're considering, Kim Waldron is glad to sit down with the maps and the timeline and look at them with you, calmly and without any pressure. Let's Connect.