A grand opening ribbon cutting event for first section of the Springway Trail took place on Friday, May 2 at 1 pm! The City of Sandy Springs hosted the event on the new trail, along Orkin Lake, across from the boardwalk. About 100 people turned out, and the rain stayed away for the sunny day celebration with Mayor Rusty Paul, city council members, Sandy Springs Conservancy board members, representatives from Path Foundation, city staff and the public.
The scenic 1.88-mile segment connects Morgan Falls Overlook Park to Cimarron Parkway and Roswell Road with a scenic boardwalk over Orkin Lake. The path features an 8’- 12’ wide multi-use, paved trail and retaining walls, a raised boardwalk, concrete decking, lighting, benches, landscaping, and trail signage.
This trail, referred to on the trail plan map as “Segment 2A”, is the first of 5 segments totaling 5.4 miles to make a loop trail called the Morgan Falls Park Connector that will connect Morgan Falls Overlook Park to Big Trees Forest Preserve via Roswell Rd and a new path along the Chattahoochee River. This is part of the larger 31-mile Springway Trail Plan that spans across the city connecting people to places where they live, work and play. The Sandy Springs Conservancy is working with the city in support of construction of the Morgan Falls Park Connector and prior to that development of the trail plan.
Funding for Segment 2A was approved by the City of Sandy Springs in January 2022. SSC contributed the required $30,000 in community support funds for the city to secure a $3M Georgia Outdoor Stewardship construction grant for the first segment. Total construction cost was $8.5 million. A groundbreaking for construction of Segment 2A took place in December 2022 near the Morgan Falls River Park/Dog Park.
In 2023, construction of Segment 2A was delayed by weather and other environmental issues at Orkin Lake. The concrete decking was installed in 2024 and the railings, benches and lighting were completed in early 2025.
Meanwhile, the Sandy Springs Conservancy has met with landowners along the next sections being considered by the City of Sandy Springs for construction, Segments 2C and 2E, and successfully attained approval from property owners for easements along their land.
