The Big Creek GreenwayAlpharetta

Pictures of Green Heron Nests Added

Jeff — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:44:58 +0000

Green Heron Staring Down

I was able to get out on the Greenway Tuesday with my camera to get some pictures of the Green Heron nests just South of Haynes Bridge. There were fewer in the nests than the day before, though that could have been attributed to the heat of the day. Enjoy the pictures!

Green Heron Nests South of Haynes Bridge

Jeff — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:15:06 +0000

Thanks to Robert for the tip. I received an e-mail from him over the weekend that mentioned two sets of bird nests just south of Haynes Bridge Road where the trail splits. The nests are filled with Green Herons, that look as though they are about to leave the nests. Today I saw roughly a dozen birds remaining. You will easily notice the nests if you head south from the Haynes Bridge parking lot and watch for the large sections of droppings covering the trail on both sides when the trail splits.

When I walked that portion of the trail to verify the nests today, I didn’t have my camera. I will head back out tomorrow to try and get some good shots of the herons before they leave their nests.

On another note, I was lucky to see a young deer along the trail today heading to the birds nest. It is fairly common on the Alpharetta trail to see deer. If you have any tips on animal sightings, or would like to report seeing any animals, post an article to our new Community Forums.

Alpharetta Closing Webb Bridge Road to Extend Greenway

Jeff — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:54:49 +0000

Alpharetta will be closing Webb Bridge Road through August 2nd in order to extend the Big Creek Greenway to Marconi Drive. The closure will help in installing a new pedestrian culvert and to move underground utilities.

Portions of Alpharetta Greenway Under Water

Jeff — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:57:49 +0000

Though both greenways remain open today after the heavy rains last night, the Alpharetta website has a warning posted that portions of the trail are under water. Please do not try and cross these portions as the trail can become slick and the water may be moving swift. It may also not be possible to see if submerged portions of the trail have been washed out. No reports of washed out sections have been received though.

Enjoy a beautiful day out on the trails after the rainy Saturday!

Carpooling and Locking Your Car

Jeff — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:25:18 +0000

With the exception of the pollen count, we’ve had wonderful weather lately. With the abundance of sunny skies and moderate temperatures, the number of people utilizing the greenways has greatly increased. Here are just a few tips to help keep the parking lots from over flowing, and for protecting your belongings while on the greenway.

When possible, carpool to the parking lots.
If you are within walking distance of the greenways, consider riding your bike or walking to the greenway as opposed to driving.
There are no lines in most of the parking lots, so be sure not to take up more space than needed when parking. Leave enough room for your neighbor to get in and out of their car too.
Be sure to store any valuables out of sight. There has been an increase in break-ins around the greenway parking lots with the increase in use.
Make sure you lock your vehicle while using the trail.
Be courteous to everyone on the greenway during these high use months. If on a bike, yield to those on foot. If traveling by foot, leave space on your left for passing.

Enjoy the weather and have fun on the trails, the hot summer months are right around the corner and who knows when the rainy season will return!

Remember to Lock Your Car Doors!

Trails reopen after heavy rains

Jeff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:53:27 +0000

3/15/2010 – Both the Alpharetta and Forsyth Big Creek Greenway trails reopened today after being closed for the weekend due to heavy rain.

Trail Closed Again Due to Flooding

Jeff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:01:22 +0000

Another 2 inches of rain in the area has caused Big Creek to rise to almost 7 feet in Forsyth and just above 7 feet in Alpharetta. Flood stage for the Alpharetta section of Big Creek is at 7 feet, with some portions of the trail becoming impassible at 5 feet.

With more rain forecast for the rest of the week, please make sure you check the City of Alpharetta Greenway Website to get the current status of the Alpharetta trail and call the Forsyth County Rain out line (770.886.2851) for the status of the Forsyth trail before heading to the greenway.

Trail Open for a Beautiful Weekend

Jeff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:52:45 +0000

Following a trend of rain, snow, and cold weather, this weekend looks to be sunny and in the mid 50s. With little precipitation this week, it looks like both the Alpharetta and Forsyth trails will be open. Be prepared for larger crowds as spring moves in and the weather gets warmer. Remember to carpool or walk to the trail when possible to reduce congestion in and around the parking areas.

As always, you can check the Alpharetta Greenway website to get the current status of the Alpharetta trail and call the Forsyth County Rain out line (770.886.2851) for the status of the Forsyth trail before heading out.

Alpharetta Big Creek Greenway Extension Plans

Jeff — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:35:31 +0000

Webb Bridge to Marconi Drive Map

While searching for new information on the Big Creek Greenway extensions, I came across this site that contains drafts of a plan to extend the Alpharetta section of the greenway from Webb Bridge Road to Marconi Drive.

The most interesting drawing I could find was this one that actually shows the path the trail would take (pdf). I’m not sure if LDI-Line Construction has been selected for this segment, or if these are plans drawn up for a bid on the construction.

Whether or not LDI-Line has received the project, it is always nice to see plans on paper that move the Alpharetta and Forsyth sections of the trail closer to connecting.

Greenway Closed Due to Flooding

Jeff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:45:36 +0000

The Greenway is closed again due to flooding. With nearly 2 inches of rain in the area, the river had reached 8 feet at Kimball Bridge and 7 feet at Hwy 9 when this article was written.

Unfortunately, even with sun and moderate temperatures forecast, the flooding will likely close the Greenway for the weekend. Please check the Alpharetta website for the status of the Greenway and call the Greenway Status Hotline (770.886.2851 extension 5) for the Forsyth Greenway before visiting the trails.