Walking the Shirley Clarke Franklin Park Trails in Atlanta
Shirley Clarke Franklin Park (formerly Westside Reservoir Park) is Atlanta’s largest greenspace. Learn all about walking the trails in this fantastic Atlanta park.
Located on the site of the former Bellwood Quarry, Shirley Clarke Franklin Park is a unique urban hiking spot with skyline views over the reservoir. If you’re looking for an easy walk or run, this park is perfect with its paved pathways that are ADA accessible!
In this post, I’ll guide you through the walking trails at Shirley Clarke Franklin Park and tell you everything you need to know about visiting.
About Shirley Clarke Franklin Park
Shirley Clarke Franklin Park was created as a portion of the Atlanta Beltline project, and the 351-acre park surrounding a 35-acre lake was acquired in 2006. The park officially opened in 2021 as Westside Reservoir Park.
In 2025, the park was renamed for former Atlanta mayor Shirley Clarke Franklin (Atlanta’s first Black female mayor and the first Black female mayor of any major Southern city), who helped launch the Beltline project and the park’s opening.
The park has multiple paved pathways, most of which are ADA accessible. There’s a large playground, exercise equipment, two reservable pavilions, and a skyline overlook of the lake that also serves as a drinking water reservoir.
Future plans include a Bike Park with 2.25 miles of mountain bike trails, a bicycle playground, jump lines, a skills course, and hiking trails.
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The Walking Trails
The entire park has over 2.5 miles of trails that loop together and even connect to trail systems outside of the park.
We parked at Parking Lot II, which you’ll enter through the iconic Whalebone Sculpture, and essentially took the 1.35-mile Purple Loop with a few detours added in for extra length.
From Parking Lot II, we followed the Purple Loop (which also coincides with the Red Trail) to the north. Right at the start of the trail is where you’ll find the Rebirth of Atlanta sculpture.
We followed the Purple Loop to Parking Lot I where we veered off to walk parts of the 0.43-mile Lawns Loop that goes around the Open Lawn; there were a bunch of people enjoying the weather and picnicking on the lawns.
We hopped back on the Purple Loop and continued south to the Playground and Pavilion area. Here, we took the 0.19-mile North Rim Trail that follows along the north rim of the Reservoir to the Pump House and an overlook and then doubles back.
You might recognize the Reservoir as a filming location from The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and The Vampire Diaries.
We then followed the Purple Loop (which also coincides here with the Blue Loop) around to another overlook over the Reservoir that provides a skyline view.
From there, we followed the Purple Loop (which here coincides with the Yellow Loop) until it met up with the Red Trail; if you were to follow the Red Trail to the south, it would connect to the Procter Creek Greenway and further down to Grove Park.
We turned and took the Purple Loop/Red Trail back north toward Parking Lot II to complete our walk at around 1.75 miles.
Hiking Essentials
Come prepared for your hike by making sure you pack the essentials. Check out this must-have hiking gear before you set off on the trails:
Shirley Clarke Franklin Park Info
Hike length: 2.5+ miles of trails, depending on which path you take
Difficulty: Easy
Is it pet-friendly?: Yes, leashed dogs are allowed on this trail.
Location: Westside Reservoir Park, 1660 Johnson Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Parking: There are two parking lots available, both on the north side of the park off of Johnson Road.
Fees: Free.
Hours: The park is open from sunrise to sunset.
Accessibility: The trails at Shirley Clarke Franklin Park are all paved, and most are ADA accessible.
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Nearby Hiking Trails
Looking for more hiking trails in Atlanta? Check out more of these amazing Georgia hikes:
- Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail: Ultimate Guide
- Atlanta Beltline Northside Trail: Ultimate Guide
- Sweetwater Creek Yellow Trail & Orange Trail
- Sweetwater Creek Red and White Trails
- Cascade Springs Nature Preserve
- Zonolite Park Trails
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Cheers!
Paige
Have you explored the trails at Shirley Clarke Franklin Park in Atlanta, Georgia? Let me know in the comments!
