The Chattahoochee looks flat and slow above Morgan Falls Dam. On a cool October morning, the dogs in the two fenced yards at 100 Morgan Falls Road can look over the water while their owners sit on new benches under new shade. That is the scene Sandy Springs will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14. The city says the renovation of the Morgan Falls Dog Park finished ahead of schedule.
The dog park matters to people who don't own a dog, too. The city's guidance for the Springway trail tells visitors arriving by car to park at the dog park lot. From that lot you can walk to the river overlook, the paddle dock, the Orkin Lake boardwalk and the 1.88 miles of paved path out to Roswell Road. Reopening the dog park also reopens the main way into the North End's riverfront.
What changed inside the fences
The park covers about 3.4 acres overlooking the Chattahoochee inside Morgan Falls Park. It has two fenced areas, one for small dogs and one for large dogs. The city's announcement says the work began with something less exciting than shade: crews graded a drainage channel, based on community input, "to ensure dogs and their owners have a dry place to play." At a riverside dog park, that is the change that shows up after every rain.
The city lists these new features:
- Shade structures
- Benches and picnic tables
- Waste and wash stations
- Drinking fountains
- Boulders for dogs to climb and look around from
Rough Draft Atlanta's September 28 report also listed new grass and agility equipment, and said the park would reopen in early October. The city's October 1 announcement is the newer of the two and names the boulders, so expect boulders when you walk in.
The ribbon-cutting will have a canine guest. Yeager, a Sandy Springs Police Department K-9, will be there to "determine whether the park passes the sniff test," as the city put it.
Three addresses, one stretch of river
The dog park, the paddle shack and the overlook sit in a row along Morgan Falls Road. That is why parking at one gets you to all three.
Stop | Address | What the city lists |
|---|---|---|
Morgan Falls Dog Park | 100 Morgan Falls Rd. | Separate small and large dog areas; parking for Springway visitors |
Murph's Surf Paddle Shack | 200 Morgan Falls Rd. | Kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, weekend SUP yoga, year-round board storage |
Morgan Falls Overlook Park | 400 Morgan Falls Rd. | Porch swings, fire pit, playground, pavilion, floating dock, wooded trail, restrooms |
The city's page for Morgan Falls Overlook Park says it opened in 2010, making it the first new park Sandy Springs built after the city incorporated. The porch swings face the river. Above the dam, this part of the Chattahoochee is Bull Sluice Lake, so the view is wide, still water instead of a narrow channel. The city lists park hours as 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. That leaves time after work to sit by the fire pit, even as the October evenings get shorter.
For a dirt trail instead of pavement, the overlook has a two-thirds-mile wooded hiking trail. The pavilion is first-come, first-served unless a group has reserved it. A reservation through the city is the only way to guarantee it for a birthday or reunion.
Getting on the water in October
The overlook's floating dock gives public access to the river above Morgan Falls Dam. You can launch your own kayak, canoe or paddleboard there, or rent one from Murph's Surf at the park. The city's listing sends visitors to the Murph's Surf website for operating hours. Check there before planning a fall weekend paddle, since rental schedules can change after summer.
The boardwalk walk to Roswell Road
The same lot is where the city sends drivers headed for the Springway's Morgan Falls Connector. Segment 2A runs 1.88 miles between Morgan Falls Overlook Park and Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway, and it is open dawn to dusk. Its closing time is earlier than the overlook's, a gap to keep in mind as daylight shrinks toward November.
When the segment opened, Rough Draft Atlanta described the route: it passes the Chattahoochee and the dog park, then reaches Orkin Lake. It includes a top-down boardwalk over the lake, pedestrian bridges, retaining walls and trail signage. The boardwalk is the part people photograph.
The city's Springway rules cover dog owners who just came from the dog park and anyone stopping on the boardwalk:
- Keep dogs on a short leash and pick up after them.
- No fishing from the boardwalk.
- No swimming or diving in the lake.
- Keep the boardwalk clear for people passing.
Anglers have a separate spot. The city lists a fishing area at the dam among the overlook park's features.
Where the walk ends: Roswell Road plans for fall
The trail ends at Roswell Road, which puts the riverfront in the same outing as a couple of newer North End stops on the same road.
Sandy Springs Night Market. In August, the city announced an evening market at River Springs Shopping Center, 8610 Roswell Road. It runs on the first Thursday of September, October and November, 5 to 8 p.m., with more than 30 local vendors. Rough Draft Atlanta's coverage describes the vendors as farmers, food producers, artisans and specialty sellers. The October market was last week, which leaves Thursday, November 5 as the last date announced for this season.
Arabian Bar + Café. This spot at 8347 Roswell Road held its grand-opening celebration on July 24. The AJC included it in its roundup of July restaurant openings. It's an easy dinner after an afternoon by the river.
North River Shopping Center. Further up the road, the city approved incentives in August for redeveloping North River Shopping Center at 8830 Roswell Road. The plans include a future 0.71-acre public park with playgrounds and gathering space. Construction was expected to begin later in 2026, subject to conditions, so nothing is there yet.
The trail that may come next
The paved trail could get longer, but nothing is settled. On October 6, the Sandy Springs City Council voted 4–2 to apply to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for $3 million toward Springway Segment 2C, Rough Draft Atlanta reported. The proposed segment would start where the current path ends at Morgan Falls Overlook Park and run through a wooded stretch along the Chattahoochee and a tributary toward Adair Lane and Grogan Ferry Road.
Here is where things stand, according to the same report:
- Design is about 60% complete.
- The estimated cost is around $14 million. Even with the $3 million grant, a city memo shows a funding shortfall of nearly $3 million.
- The state will tell the city in the spring whether the application advances to a second round.
- Mayor Rusty Paul said applying does not lock in the design or guarantee the trail gets fully funded and built. The city applied last year and did not receive the grant.
- The segment drew both support and opposition during public comment. Two council members raised concerns about the alignment and the lack of added parking.
The bigger picture comes from Springway's master plan, adopted in 2019 and named in 2023. It calls for 31.4 miles of paved paths citywide, including a loop around the North End and connections to PATH400, City Springs and Cumberland. Today, the built part of that loop near the river is the 1.88-mile stretch from Morgan Falls Overlook Park to Roswell Road, and the city sends drivers to the dog park lot to reach it.
If you're thinking about how life around Morgan Falls Road, the Springway or the North End's Roswell Road corridor fits your next move, from trail access to a short walk to the river, Laura Dew is happy to talk through what that part of Sandy Springs offers. Let's Connect.
