Take a video tour of the park and trail

(This is a summer tour — for winter views, see the photo gallery below!)

6 things we love about Murphey Candler Park

Bonus: the park is especially family-friendly, and leashed dogs are welcome!

1. The woodland trail. When you’re tired of the BeltLine’s pavement, M.C. Park offers you a true walk (or run) in the woods. In April, open areas alongside the trail are ablaze with yellow butterweed, a native pollinator plant. Plus, the woodland setting offers welcome shade in the heat of the summer. Find more details about the trail below!

2. The lake. Because who doesn’t love to be near water? In landlocked Atlanta, it seems like a special treat. You can even fish for fun, and throw back your catch. If you’re walking in winter, there are even more extensive water views, since the leaves are off the trees.

3. The wildlife. The park is a certified wildlife habitat. There are always ducks and Canada geese at the southern end of the lake. If you come often, you can watch families of ducklings and goslings grow to maturity right before your eyes. (Please don’t feed them!) On a warm day, you’ll see turtles sunning themselves. Stay alert and you’ll herons fishing in the marshy areas. You may even catch a glimpse of deer or beavers.

4. Accessibility. The park is crazy-easy to get to, and you don’t have to plan a day trip around it. Pop in on your way home from Perimeter Mall, over a lunch hour, or anytime you want a quick nature fix on-the-go. If you’re nearby and have ten minutes, it’s a no-brainer to stop by. Bonus: Parking couldn’t be easier!

5. Public art. The storm water access points are painted like animals (see photos below)! While it’s not the splashy full-wall murals you see in town, it’s fun and whimsical.

6. Amazing playground. The A-frame of the swing sets look like rough-hewn timber, and the slide passes over a wall of boulders.

The playground at Murphey Candler Park is designed to delight.

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In April, the open woodlands are filled with bright yellow butterweed, a native plant that is an important food source for pollinators.

Getting there & getting around

Murphey Candler Park is located inside the Perimeter, in Brookhaven, near the Dunwoody city line.

It’s 16 miles from downtown Atlanta, and just two miles from Perimeter Mall.

This park is easy to get to from I-85, I-285, and GA-400. And it’s worth the trip — even if you’re coming from another part of town.

If you’re navigating via GPS, use this address:
1551 W Nancy Creek Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30319

M.C. Park is divided in half by West Nancy Creek Drive. You may have driven by and seen the large sports complex and ball fields on one side of the street, and the southern end of the lake on the other side. (Even so, you may not know about the forest and woodland nature trail!)

On the lake side of the street, there’s also a playground, swimming pool (closed for now), picnic pavilions, and the woodland trail. (More info on the trail below!)

FREE parking!
There is plenty of free parking across the street from the lake, near the ball fields — and it’s an easy dash across W. Nancy Creek Dr, in a safely marked crosswalk.
You’ll also find a small parking lot with handicapped spaces at the southeastern corner of the lake, near the wooden overlook.
Yet another small lot is near the playground, at the southwestern corner of the lake

MARTA
Getting there on MARTA is not especially convenient, and requires a 30-minute, 1.4 mile walk from Dunwoody Station. It would be worth it to take a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft from the station to the park.

At Murphey Candler Park, storm drain access points are painted as whimsical animals.

Park hours & amenities

Murphey Candler park is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round.
(This applies to the park itself, not the sports complex and pool.)

Amenities include:

Bathrooms (near the baseball fields — may be closed during the pandemic)
Tennis courts
Swimming pool
Picnic pavilions
Benches and swings
Recreational, throw-it-back fishing at the lake
Playground
Walking/running trail
Little Free Library (southwest corner of the lake)

For more info, visit the Murphey Candler Park Conservancy website. There’s a great photo gallery that includes pics of fall foliage and snowfall at the park, as well as wildlife photo contest entries.

Murphey Candler Lake is home to plenty of waterfowl. If you visit in the spring or early summer, you’ll find families of tiny ducklings and goslings.

Hike the nature trail at Murphey Candler Park

NOTE: Since spring of 2022, improvements have been underway on the woodland trail, to create a shorter loop that is more widely accessible to those with limited mobility. We will update with new info and pictures when the construction is complete!

The nature trail is really the highlight of the park.

This simple loop of just under 2 miles is a walk that feels like a hike — not because it’s rugged and difficult, but because you’re out in the woods and not on pavement. It’s easy enough to do with children, and safe enough to do solo.

We like to start at the southeast corner of the lake (where there’s a small parking lot) and walk the loop counter-clockwise. You can see our route on the screenshot below, starting at the green dot and ending back there at the red dot.

If you want to go around the loop the other way, there’s a good recap of the hike on the Atlanta Trails blog.

Our route through the nature trail, as tracked by the MapMyWalk app.

Things to know before you go:

♦ Trail format: Loop, just under 2 miles.

♦ Terrain: The walking surface includes pavement, dirt/gravel paths, wooden boardwalks, and natural woodland paths with exposed roots and other potential tripping hazards. You have to pay attention.

♦ Elevation: If you want to walk the whole loop, there is one major elevation change, up a hillside. To avoid this, you could walk on one side of the lake and back, instead of rounding the loop.

♦ Footwear: Some parts of the path can be muddy — so choose your footwear accordingly. We recommend closed-toe shoes.

♦ Strollers: Once the trail enters the woodland area, it really isn’t suitable for strollers. If you bring one, plan to stick to the paved and gravel areas of the trail.

♦ Watch out for: While we weren’t bothered by mosquitoes, bug repellent is always a good idea in the woods.

The nature trail at Murphey Candler Park lets you take a walk in the woods, without leaving metro Atlanta. The shade is welcome in the summer months.

Photo guide to walking the woodland trail

We like to start this walk at the southeast corner of the lake, by the Murphey Candler Park sign.

There’s a small butterfly garden at the southeastern corner of the lake, with blooms in summer.

A small wooden lookout deck juts out into the lake here.
You can sit on a bench and watch ripples on the water in winter or darting dragonflies in summer.

A winter view of the outlook point over the lake.

As you start walking, you’re on pavement, heading north. There are pavilions and picnic areas off to your right.
To your left, there’s a grassy/sandy area along the lake shore where you might notice someone fishing.
You’re likely to see ducks and geese hanging out here, as well as posted signs asking you not to feed them.

A January shot of the terraced “beach” where the waterfowl hang out year round.

As you reach the end of the lake, a modern trestle style bridge takes you over a marshy area. We looked over the side and saw a lone duckling playing in the puddles here.

Before you reach the woodland, the trail is paved. This new trestle bridge replaced one that was washed out in a flash flood a few years ago.

As you continue up the lake, the pavement runs out and you’re now on packed dirt and gravel. To your left, you’ll see the first of the painted sewer access points. There are a few wooden trail markers to keep you on the main trail, but there probably should be more.

Soon you’ll lose sight of the lake and enter the woodland, walking under the shade of tall trees. (If you have a stroller with you, this is probably where you want to turn around and go back.) ]

As you walk, you’ll see forest to your right and marshland to your left. You’ll also catch a glimpse of houses through the trees, and the little trails that link the neighborhood to the park.

A series of wooden boardwalks and bridges take you over the marshy areas, and you’re probably not hearing anything but the songbirds at this point.

The woodland trail connects with sections of boardwalk that pass over the marshland around Nancy Creek.

You may feel like exploring little trail spurs that lead into the forest or down to the water’s edge. In the spring, you’ll see wildflowers like trillium and lady’s slipper. The park is also a good spot to enjoy fall foliage without driving to the mountains.

When you’re at the top of the loop, it gets a little tricky. The main trail could use a few more markers here.
If you keep walking straight, you’ll end up pretty much in someone’s back yard. The trick is to cut across to the other side of the loop — and you can do that via the large wooden bridge (which you may have walked right past) or a small boardwalk that may not be visible through the brush in summer.

Look for where the trail doubles back on the other side of the creek.
Look to your left and UP — this side of the trail is higher, and you’ll have to scramble up a hillside to reach it. It may be muddy, but often there is straw thrown down to help keep you from slipping.

As you come around the loop and start heading south again, you’ll find that the trail is a bit more rugged on this side of the lake. It’s pretty uneven, with lots of roots and exposed rocks — this is why we told you to wear appropriate footwear!

Now, Nancy Creek is to your left, and you’ll see glimpses of neighborhood houses to your right.

As the northern shore of the lake comes into view again, the trail becomes wider and flatter again. You’re no longer under the forest canopy, and you’re back on gravel and packed dirt.

As you continue along the western side of the lake, you’ll see picnic pavilions and a fun playground to your left.

Before long, you can see the road — West Nancy Creek Drive — ahead of you. Take a left onto the wooden boardwalk, cross the trestle bridge, and enjoy the lake views. You’re back where you started!

This boardwalk and bridge connects with the sidewalk of West Nancy Creek Drive.

Bonus: There’s a Little Free Library located at the southwest corner of the lake, just before you reach Nancy Creek Drive.
Feel free to browse and take a book home if you see something you like!