Hampton/Beecher Nature Preserve

Is your pup itching to get outside so they can breathe in some fresh air? Then it’s time for a trip to the Hampton/ Beecher Nature Preserve! This puptastic pawperty is actually a combination of two parcels of land. One gets its name from jazz musician Lionel Hampton, and the other is named after the nearby Beecher Hills school. Together they make up a furrific preserve that's just waiting to be explored!

The Hampton/ Beecher Nature Preserve is conveniently located just five miles from downtown Atlanta. Street parking is available, and a train station is just over half a mile away. Once you arrive at the park, your pup will want to get right to walking, so it’s a good thing there are a few pawsome trails to choose from. The Southwest Connector Trail and Lionel Hampton Trail run through the park. Both of these are paved and together they total 1.8 miles. When strolling along either one, you’ll likely encounter cyclists, roller bladers, joggers, or other dog walkers. Help your pupster mind their manners and yield as necessary.

For a more natural experience, follow the unpaved trails. They weave in and out of mature forest, so your furry BFF will get a healthy dose of nature. As you tour the preserve, watch for old trenches and fortifications that were used by the Union troops during the Battles of Ezra Church and Utoy Creek. Your hound will appreciate these historic features. They’ll also have a blast searching for the pawfect stick and sniffing all the new smells of the woods.

Before leaving home, be sure to pack plenty of drinking water. All that walking will make your pooch doggone thirsty. Also, bring some clean up bags and pick up any doggy debris that your pups leaves behind. Above all else, have a furrific time wandering through the woods with your canine companion!