The 12-mile Big Creek Greenway and 7-plus miles of Alpha Loop: trailheads, parking and the e-bike, speed and leash rules. Union Hill closes Oct. 5.

Last checked 2026-10-04. Distances, trailheads and closures come from the city’s Big Creek Greenway page, the Alpha Loop from the Alpha Loop Foundation and the rules from the city’s park rules (City Code Section 32-4).

Alpharetta has two long paved trails. The Big Creek Greenway follows the creek through the woods parallel to North Point Parkway. The Alpha Loop is the newer, urban path that links downtown, Avalon and the Northwinds district. They connect, and both are 12 feet wide.

Closure: Union Hill Park. From Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, until spring 2027, Union Hill Park at the greenway’s north end is closed for construction, with no parking. The path from the greenway to the restrooms stays open, the city says. The Marconi Drive lot, off Windward Parkway, is the other north-end parking.

Report a fallen tree or damage: 678-297-6154. Trail status: search “Alpharetta Recreation, Parks & Cultural Services” in the Statusfy app, or call 678-297-6130.

The trails at a glance

Trail Length Surface Ends and links Hours
Big Creek Greenway (Alpharetta) About 12 miles Concrete; mulch loop around a wetland Union Hill Park trailhead to Mansell Road Dawn to dusk
Alpha Loop More than 7 miles open; 12 planned Paved, 12 feet wide Downtown, Avalon, Northwinds; links to the greenway Dawn to dusk
Wetland mulch trail Loop Soft mulch Between Haynes Bridge Road and Mansell Road Dawn to dusk
Mountain bike trails Not posted Dirt East side of the creek, about 2/5 mile south of Webb Bridge Road Dawn to dusk

Big Creek Greenway

The city’s greenway page calls it a linear conservation park. The concrete trail runs about 12 miles from the Union Hill Park trailhead on the north end to Mansell Road on the south end.

  • Mile markers: mile zero is at the Alpharetta-Roswell city limit, and the count ends at the Union Hill trailhead. Markers measure the main trail only, not boardwalks, connectors or spurs.
  • Wildlife: blue herons, deer, ducks and Canada geese, especially around the wetland between Haynes Bridge Road and Mansell Road, where a soft mulch trail circles the marsh.
  • Mountain biking: dirt trails on the east side of the creek, about 2/5 mile south of Webb Bridge Road.
  • Flooding: the Rock Mill Park area floods in heavy rain. Check Statusfy after a storm.

Trailheads and parking

Trailhead How to get there Parking and restrooms
Rock Mill Park Kimball Bridge Road, about 1/4 mile southeast of North Point Parkway Greenway parking, public restrooms; floods in heavy rain
North Point Mall area Northbound North Point Parkway, halfway between Mansell and Haynes Bridge roads, opposite Haverty’s Wooded lot, restrooms
Haynes Bridge Road About 1/5 mile south of North Point Parkway Lot on the east side
Alpharetta YMCA From Old Milton Parkway, 1/4 mile north on North Point Parkway, right on Preston Ridge Road At the Ed Isakson/Alpharetta YMCA
Marconi Drive Off Windward Parkway Small lot at the north end
Union Hill Park Union Hill Road and Little Pine Trail Closed Oct. 5, 2026, to spring 2027

From the North Point Mall entrance, the NorthPoint Village shops are about 800 feet south. Stairs behind them lead down to the wetland mulch trail; the city notes they are not ADA-accessible.

Riding on to Halcyon and Forsyth County

The greenway continues north into Forsyth County. From Union Hill, the city’s route goes north on Union Hill Road, left on the path along McGinnis Ferry Road to the light at Ronald Reagan Boulevard, then north on Ronald Reagan Boulevard to the Forsyth Big Creek Greenway across from Halcyon. The Ronald Reagan Boulevard stretch is sidewalk width, so expect to slow down. The Alpha Loop Foundation describes the whole Big Creek Greenway as 26 miles long.

Alpha Loop

The Alpha Loop Foundation says more than 7 miles of the Alpha Loop are open, linking downtown, Avalon and the Northwinds district, including a tunnel under Westside Parkway that opened in June 2024. Nearly 5 more miles are under construction, in design or planned, for a 12-mile network that will also reach the North Point Eco District. The paths are 12 feet wide and pass through woods and along streams. The city introduced the project in 2016 and finished the first full segment, from downtown to Avalon, in 2020.

Every winter the loop hosts Lights on the Loop, a one-mile light display open nightly from Dec. 4, 2026, to Jan. 4, 2027, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Details are on our New Year’s Eve page.

The rules

From City Code Section 32-4:

  • Hours: the greenway, greenway access parks and the Alpha Loop are open dawn to dusk.
  • Bikes and e-bikes: bicycles, including class 1 and class 2 e-bikes, may ride the greenway and the Alpha Loop at up to 15 mph. The city says the speed limit is enforced.
  • Banned: golf carts, ATVs, motorized scooters, motorized skateboards, class 3 e-bikes and hoverboards. Motorized wheelchairs are allowed.
  • Skateboards are allowed on the greenway and the Alpha Loop.
  • Dogs must be leashed and under control, and owners must pick up after them. More is in our dog-friendly guide.
  • No alcohol and no tobacco, including e-cigarettes.
  • Groups of 25 or more need a city permit. No drones without a permit.

On the greenway the city asks riders to watch for children, everyone to stay off the berm between the path and the creek, and to carry litter to the next can.

Shorter walks

  • Mid Broadwell Park, 1480 Mid Broadwell Road: a walking trail around a 4-acre neighborhood park with a playground. Parking is limited.
  • Windward Community Park, 6435 Windward Parkway: walking paths, swings and restrooms, open during daylight hours.

Related: parks and trails, dog-friendly Alpharetta, kids’ activities, free things to do and the Avalon visitor’s guide.