Black Bear

We received an e-mail yesterday that someone had spotted Black Bear Skat (droppings) near Highway 9 on the Forsyth Big Creek Greenway.  We haven’t verified the sighting, nor have we received any notifications of bear sightings in the area.  That being said, black bears are indigenous to the region.  They are generally shy, and will likely stay away from the area when people are around.

Here is a site with some safety techniques to remember should you encounter a bear.  If you encounter one, please don’t try to interact, feed, or get closer to the bear.  Also, never get between a bear and it’s cub.

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.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

I’m a couple weeks behind in updating the site, but as of December 4th, 2009, phase 1 of the Forsyth Big Creek Greenway is open. This 4 mile segment of the trail stretching from McFarland Parkway to Highway 9 brings the total length of the trail to 6.7 miles in Forsyth County. This is nearly half the planned length of 15 miles when all sections are completed.  Plenty of space for bikers, runners, joggers, and walkers alike.

I’ve put up some pictures of the ribbon cutting ceremony that my in-laws were nice enough to take (thanks Judy!). I was unfortunately unable to attend due to my work schedule. Even with heavy rains earlier in the week that caused flooding and the chilly weather, the ceremony continued. The ribbon cutting was over shortly after 10am, and the trail opened with a motorized tour of the new segment for those who were interested.

Forsyth Big Creek Greenway Phase 1

The opening of the Forsyth Big Creek Greenway Phase 1 from Highway 9 to McFarland Parkway has been pushed back due to heavy rains in the area.  The new official trail opening will be on Friday December 4th at 10:30am.  There will be a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new 4 mile section of the greenway.

Heavy rains in the area have pushed Big Creek to near flood stage.  With additional heavy rain expected in the area, it will likely go over the minor flood stage of 7 feet at Kimball Bridge.  At the time of this article it was already at 6.7 feet.  Use caution visiting the trails when water levels begin to reach minor flood stage.

We’ll keep you up to date as we find out more about the opening of the trail Friday, including where the ribbon cutting will take place and if the ceremony gets pushed back due to the weather again.

Pipes Dredging Sand

There is no doubt that Big Creek has a history of flooding.  A contractor has put forth a deal to dredge part of Big Creek East of Highway 9, removing sand and using it for a park.  Forsyth County has expressed interest in the plan, and is looking further into the project.  The pipes removing the sand would go over or under the Big Creek Greenway, and the contractor has said they will go unnoticed if placed under bridges.  The project could take up to 6 months, and would only create a small amount of noise on the trail.

[Read more at ForsythNews.com]

Forsyth Big Creek Greenway Phase 1 End of Trail

Phase 1 of the Forsyth County Big Creek Greenway trail was originally scheduled to open in early/mid November. With all the heavy rains and flooding in the area recently, that has been pushed back. It is now scheduled to open on December 2nd, just after Thanksgiving and just in time to exercise away those leftover turkey sandwiches.

The longest phase of the Forsyth Greenway, Phase 1 stretches between McFarland Parkway and Atlanta Highway 9.  It offers more of the same as Phase 2 and 3 with a mixture of paved areas and boardwalks.  The additional 4.5 miles of trail will make the Forsyth Greenway a popular spot for biking making the total trail 6.7 miles long (13.4 miles roundtrip.) [Phase 1 First Impressions]

So enjoy Thanksgiving break and get out to the Greenway while the weather is nice to make room for the winter holidays right around the corner.  Oh yeah, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The beginning of the Big Creek Greenway Forsyth at McFarland Parkway.

This weekend I changed my normal walking of the Greenway and dusted off my bike. Being on wheels allowed me to get further on the Forsyth Big Creek Greenway than I have been before, and I decided to continue on past Highway 9 heading towards McFarland Parkway and see how far I could get before the trail was not completed. To my surprise the paving and boardwalks are complete all the way down to McFarland Parkway, event though that phase of the greenway has not opened yet. Even more surprising were the number of people using this part of the trail. [photos of phase 1]

Since phase 1 is not officially open, it is not as maintained as phase 2 and 3 on the trail.  Debris remains on the trail from the recent flooding, and sides of the boardwalks do not have grass yet like the completed portions.  In addition, the crosswalks over Union Hill and Highway 9 are not completed yet.  It looks like there will be a light for crossing at Highway 9, and just a simple crosswalk at Union Hill.  Use caution when crossing the road, as commuters are not used to having pedestrian crossings yet.

With all that is not complete on the new phase of the trail, a majority is actually finished off.  Rest stations are easily found, 2 every half mile.  Fences are up near GA 400 to keep you from wandering onto the highway.  The boardwalks are stained, and parking areas exist at Union Hill and McFarland.

A hornets nest on the left side of the trail (heading North) about 15 feet in the air. It looked around 2 feet tall.

As for scenery, this trail offers more of the same from the rest of the Forsyth Greenway.  You can see Big Creek River a bit more often, and a few more bridges cross the river.  There is one entrance to the trail from an unfinished neighborhood near Union Hill.  I didn’t see much in the ways of wildlife beyond squirrels, birds, and a large hornets nest.

I enjoyed my ride through phase 1, adding an additional 8 miles (round trip) onto the length of the trail.  The area directly north of McFarland Parkway was very familiar to me, as my old neighbor and I used to go 4 wheeling back in the area after rain storms to pull out trucks stuck in the mud.  The trail follows the same utility roads we used to ride on.  Phase 1 between McFarland and Highway 9 will be a great addition once opened, making the trail more usable for those looking for a nice long bike ride.  The entire distance can be done on bike in about an hour and a half going at a leisurely pace.  That is how long it took me stopping to take pictures.  Enjoy this section, though I do recommend waiting until it opens officially this Fall.

• Photos of Forsyth Big Creek Greenway Phase 1 Between McFarland Parkway and Highway 9

Big Creek Greenway Phase 2 and 3 Open

On September 2nd, 2009 the newly completed phases 2 and 3 of the Big Creek Greenway in Forsyth County were opened to the public.  Extending from Bethelview Rd (Hwy 141) through Majors Rd to Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9), the greenway will extend all the way to McFarland Pkwy when completed.

Though no good maps are available online you can find the county’s map of phase 2 and 3 on our maps page.  It will be updated when a cleaner map is released.

Phase 1 is expected to be completed sometime in October, 2009.

Article on ForsythNews.com

Useful Links:

• Forsyth County Governement page on The Big Creek Greenway
• Maps of the Greenway