Where do you park for the Springway? The City of Sandy Springs gives one answer on its trail page. Use the Morgan Falls Dog Park at 100 Morgan Falls Road.
So when the city cut the ribbon on the renovated dog park on October 14, it was also opening a new front door to the Springway. The city says the project finished ahead of schedule. The 1.88-mile trail beyond it has been open since spring 2025. The next leg, a 1.6-mile extension east toward Roswell Road, got a 4–2 City Council vote on October 6. That vote approved a state grant application and committed the city to a funding match only if state money comes through. Neither the application nor the match sets a construction date.
What the Renovation Fixed First
The 3.4-acre dog park sits inside Morgan Falls Park, above the Chattahoochee River. It has two fenced areas, one for small dogs and one for large dogs. The city says the first work, done after community input, was grading a drainage channel to keep the ground dry for dogs and owners. The new features came after that:
- Shade structures over the play areas
- Benches and picnic tables
- Waste stations and wash stations
- Drinking fountains
- Boulders for dogs to climb on and look around from
The drainage work matters most from now through March. A riverside dog park that stays muddy after every rain is hard to use all winter. The city put the dry ground first and the comforts second. The park's own page is at SandySpringsGa.gov.
The 1.88 Miles That Start at That Lot
The Springway segment that opened in May 2025 runs 1.88 miles between Morgan Falls Overlook Park and Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway. The city calls it the first installment of its Trail Master Plan, and it links Roswell Road to the Chattahoochee.
The trail and the parks along it keep different hours. The Springway is open from dawn to dusk. Morgan Falls Overlook Park is listed as open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. In November, with dusk coming earlier, you can stay at the river end of the park well after the trail has closed for the night.
The city posts its trail rules on the Springway project page. Dog walkers will notice them first:
- Keep pets on a short leash, walk them on the right shoulder, and clean up after them.
- The trail works like a road. Stay right and pass on the left.
- No gas-powered vehicles or golf carts. Small, low-speed electric personal mobility devices are allowed.
- No fishing from the boardwalk, and no swimming or diving in the lake.
- Don't feed the ducks, geese, or other wildlife.
The page also lists a $3,000,000 Georgia Conserve Grant the city received through the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program. It says construction on Segment 2A is complete and the next segments are in design.
At the River End, a Dock and a Paddle Shack
At the far end of the trail, Morgan Falls Overlook Park has river access by way of a floating dock upstream of Morgan Falls Dam. Visitors can bring their own kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, or rent one on site. The city lists a picnic pavilion, swings, a playground, walking and hiking trails, a fire pit, and restrooms. Unreserved pavilions are first-come, first-served.
Rentals come from the Murphs Surf Paddle Shack at 200 Morgan Falls Road. The city says it rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, offers weekend SUP yoga, and has private storage for boats and boards. The shack is a city concession. Fulton Neighbor reported that City Council gave Murphs Surf River Adventures a five-year contract after a bidding process that began in December 2023. High Country Outfitters had run the shack since 2011 and chose to focus on its retail store.
Murphs Surf's rental page lists Morgan Falls Overlook Park among its locations open for the 2026 season, Wednesday through Sunday. The posted prices make the case for a longer rental. A single kayak is $25 for an hour and $65 for a full day. A double kayak is $40 for an hour and $85 for the day. A fiberglass paddleboard is priced the same as a single kayak. Taxes and a small booking fee are extra. The company says locations may close because of weather or staffing, and its season depends on water and weather conditions. As the weather cools, check its booking calendar before you load the car.
The Next 1.6 Miles Leave the River
Segment 2C, the leg under debate, would start at the current trail end at Overlook Park and head east, away from the main river. Rough Draft Atlanta's September report says it would follow a Chattahoochee tributary through mature forest, past rock outcroppings and waterfalls, and connect to Roswell Road by way of Adair Lane and Grogan's Ferry Road. Along the way it would pass through buffer and setback areas of several apartment complexes and run near Grogan's Bluff, a 126-acre neighborhood. Here is how the lengths compare:
| Piece of the loop | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Overlook Park to Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway | 1.88 miles | Open, dawn to dusk |
| Segment 2C addition | About 1.6 miles | In design |
| Loop with 2C completed | About 3.4 miles | Depends on funding |
| Full loop around the park | About 5.6 miles | Long-term vision |
The money explains why a vote on an application drew so much attention. Rough Draft reported that Sandy Springs applied in early 2025 for a Georgia Department of Natural Resources grant to cover half of the estimated $13.9 million cost. That grant was later rescinded amid federal budget cuts. The city has set aside $5 million in its capital budget as a local match. The Sandy Springs Conservancy works on the project with city staff, the PATH Foundation, and the design firm Kaizen Collaborative. Its August newsletter, The Leaflet, said geotechnical prep and right-of-way coordination had brought the design to 60 percent. The Conservancy has also posted its own case for the segment.
At the October 6 meeting, more than two dozen people spoke during public comment, with views from full support to outright opposition. Some asked the city to limit construction disruption and tree canopy loss and to work with nearby homeowners. Others raised parking and the trail's route behind private properties. Council approved the $3 million application 4–2. Rough Draft Atlanta reported that the vote set the path's alignment and committed the city to a funding match only if state money comes through. Mayor Rusty Paul described the vote more narrowly, as quoted in the same Rough Draft article:
"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."
Rough Draft also reported two things about what happens next. Sandy Springs will find out in the spring whether its application moves on to a second round. If the city accepts the funding, the segment's design cannot change beyond minor landscaping. Neither article gives a construction date.
The Rest of the Season
On the trail itself, things wind down for winter. The Conservancy's Trail Blazers guided walks run from May to October, so that series has finished for the year. Until spring, Morgan Falls has the newly drained dog park, the 1.88-mile Springway, the floating dock, and paddle rentals whenever Murphs Surf's calendar shows the shack open.
The city's own calendar moves to City Springs. The free 17th annual Veterans Day Tribute is Wednesday, November 11, at 11:30 a.m. in Byers Theatre. Sparkle Sandy Springs is Sunday, December 6, with a nighttime parade and the lighting of the Christmas tree and Menorah. The city says the full schedule is still to come. After that, the next Morgan Falls news is the state's spring decision on whether the Segment 2C application moves to a second round.
When a trail is planned near a neighborhood, it raises questions about access, privacy, and what nearby streets will be like in a few years. Patti and her family team follow projects like Segment 2C closely, and the design and construction background in her family helps explain what a plan like this means for the homes along it. If you live near Morgan Falls and want to talk about how the Springway affects your property, Patti Junger offers a complimentary market valuation and private consultation.
