Suwanee Greenway Trail

Run, walk or bike the Suwanee Greenway from Suwanee Creek Park, running boardwalks and paved trails to explore scenic wetlands and forests north of Atlanta.

The Suwanee Greenway is one of Gwinnett County’s most popular running, walking, and cycling trails. Traveling over pavement and boardwalks, it stretches more than three miles with only a single road crossing, exploring wildlife-filled wetlands and scenic hardwood forests. And it’s pretty much our favorite paved long-distance running trail in metro Atlanta.

The greenway’s surface alternates between wide, paved trails and extended boardwalks, running through a grassy, amphibian-filled marshland home to many frogs, turtles, fish, and waterfowl. And the greenway’s multiple trailheads provide easy access and varied route lengths, making the trail equally perfect for a long run or quick early-morning workout.

Training for a half marathon or marathon? Grab some excellent (and nearly-car-free) mileage on this trail and the connecting Ivy Creek Greenway to the north. Combined, the two trails offer an eight-mile run through some of metro Atlanta’s most beautiful terrain.

Trailside, the greenway is filled with waterscapes and wildlife. Suwanee Creek, side tributaries, and marshes border the trail and flow under its boardwalks. Turtles bask in the sun, fish swim in the shallows, and deer scurry through the wooded landscape. And while the trail borders busy roads in some sections, much of its length is submerged in tranquil wetlands.

Suwanee Greenway: the run

This six-mile run begins at the southernmost trailhead at Suwanee Creek Park (view maps and driving directions). The trailhead offers two options to begin the run: immediately starting on the paved greenway, or winding through the forest on a dirt trail for the first half mile.

This route takes the dirt trail, the more scenic of the two options, descending into a forest toward Suwanee Creek. The run takes a left at the first trail junction and meanders under a deciduous forest canopy. The trail meets the paved greenway at .5 mile, turning right. The trail crosses two sections of boardwalk in the first mile. The trail passes the Burnette Road Trailhead, and then dives under the concrete overpass of McGinnis Ferry Road.

The Suwanee Greenway swings northwest, climbing elevation. The run meets McGinnis Ferry Road, turning left to follow the road for a tenth of a mile. Leaving the road, the trail dives back into the wetland-filled forest, descending on a boardwalk.

The sound of singing songbirds fills the air, echoing in the green forest canopy as the sound of traffic fades. The paved trail turns to boardwalk again at 1.8 miles, crossing through a beautiful, grassy wetland before reaching the Martin Farm Road trailhead at 2.15 miles. The trail crosses the road, the first and only road crossing on this run.

The trail crosses under Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road at 2.85 miles, emerging from under the overpass and running creekside. The trail reaches a junction at 3.1 miles, veering left on the rising boardwalk toward George Pierce Park and reaching the greenway’s end at 3.15 miles.

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From here, the run turns to retrace its outbound route, reaching the Suwanee Creek Park trailhead at 6.3 miles. Alternatively, for a longer, run, turn right at the end of the boardwalk to follow the paved Ivy Creek Greenway Trail through the tranquil, water-filled Georgia Pierce Park, adding an additional 2.5 miles on pavement and an extended, curving boardwalk. It’s one of the most beautiful wetland parks in the metro Atlanta area, and well worth the extra mileage.

This map shows our approximate route while exploring this trail, but does not replace an official trail map. Please refer to the official trail map for the most current and accurate route.