Fowler Park and Big Creek Greenway Offer Trails, Fields, and Family Fun

Kirk Franz has a message for anyone loading up the car for Fowler Park this weekend: check the trail map first. As Parks & Recreation Director for Forsyth County, Franz has been overseeing a rolling renovation of the Big Creek Greenway that has periodically closed segments between the Fowler Park trailhead and the Bethelview Road terminus. "The current Big Creek Greenway renovation project represents an important investment in the long-term safety, durability and accessibility of one of our community's most heavily used trail systems," Franz said. Geotech boring and boardwalk replacement work have driven temporary closures along the corridor, and the county posts current closure notices and expected reopening dates on its parks news feed and the Greenway's interactive ArcGIS map. That 30-second check before leaving the driveway can save a family of four a frustrating detour.

What You'll Find at Fowler Park

Fowler Park sits on 85 acres at 4110 Carolene Way in Cumming, and it functions less like a passive green space and more like a small athletic campus. Baseball and softball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, tennis courts, basketball, a skate plaza, a playground, a dog park, five covered picnic pavilions, a splash pad, a recreation center and restroom facilities are all on site. A 1.5-mile paved loop and a shorter 0.25-mile connector path wind through the grounds before linking to the Greenway. Hours run 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The park sits roughly 1.2 miles north of Post Road on Highway 9, and The Collection at Forsyth is nearby for a post-ride meal. For questions about facility reservations or program registration, call 770-781-2215 or visit the county parks website.

The Big Creek Greenway: Scale and Surface

The Big Creek Greenway is a 26-mile connected trail system that runs from Roswell north through Alpharetta and into Forsyth County. The trail surface is a 12-foot-wide paved concrete path where it is not on elevated boardwalk, making it suitable for walking, jogging, biking and inline skating. The Forsyth County segment connects three primary trailheads: Fowler Park on Carolene Way, the McFarland Parkway access point between GA 400 and Shiloh Road near Exit 12, and the Bethelview Road terminus at the northern end. Riders who start at McFarland and push through to Bethelview and back cover roughly 14 miles, a benchmark that puts the trail firmly in serious-cyclist territory while still leaving room for far shorter family outings from the same launch point.

Current Closures and What to Check Before You Go

The ongoing renovation project has driven periodic, short-notice closures of specific Greenway segments for boardwalk replacement and geotechnical evaluation of trail foundations. Closures are posted on the Forsyth County Parks & Recreation news feed and the Greenway's ArcGIS interactive map; both are updated when a segment reopens or a new closure begins. If the Fowler Park trailhead section is gated when you arrive, the McFarland Parkway trailhead provides an alternate entry point with its own dedicated parking area east of GA 400 off Shiloh Road. Bethelview Road also offers parking and trail access from the northern end. Because the renovation spans multiple phases, conditions can shift between weekends; building the two-minute map check into your pre-trip routine is the most reliable way to avoid surprises.

Three Itineraries for Three Types of Visitors

Families with Young Children

Start at the main Fowler Park lot off Carolene Way and let kids burn energy at the playground and skate plaza before stepping onto the 1.5-mile paved in-park loop. The loop is flat, shaded in sections and wide enough for side-by-side strolling with a stroller or wagon. When the Greenway trailhead is open, a short out-and-back extension of a mile or two adds enough trail mileage to satisfy older kids without exhausting anyone. Pack a lunch and claim one of the five pavilions early; on tournament weekends they fill quickly, so arrival before 9 a.m. is the best strategy for securing a covered table. The splash pad provides a natural cool-down stop on warm afternoons, and the on-site dog park means four-legged family members are not left out.

Runners and Cyclists

The McFarland Parkway trailhead at Exit 12 is the most practical launch point for longer efforts, particularly on days when the Fowler Park segment is under active renovation work. From McFarland, the Greenway runs south toward Alpharetta or north toward Bethelview; the full roundtrip covers roughly 14 miles. Two road crossings punctuate the route, including a crossing at Highway 9 that demands full stops and attention in both directions. Boardwalk sections can be narrow and become slippery when wet, so cycling speed should drop through those stretches. Weekday mornings and late weekday afternoons offer the lightest foot traffic; weekend mornings before 10 a.m. are the next-best window. Mobile signal is reliable near trailheads and thins in heavier tree cover, so downloading the trail map offline before a longer ride is a practical precaution.

Visitors with Mobility Considerations

Fowler Park's paved infrastructure makes it one of the more accessible large parks in south Forsyth County. The in-park walking trails, accessible picnic areas and on-site restrooms are all reachable from the main parking lots without significant grade changes. The 12-foot-wide Greenway surface accommodates wheelchairs, adaptive bikes and strollers without the tight squeezes that narrower natural-surface trails create. For anyone who wants a flat, paved outing without committing to a longer trail push, the 1.5-mile in-park loop at Fowler Park delivers a complete circuit with restrooms and amenities accessible at any point along the way.

Safety, Rules and Practical Notes

Posted rules apply throughout: dogs must be leashed in non-designated areas, cyclists yield to pedestrians, and all users pack out their trash. In an emergency, dial 911; park signage at Fowler includes emergency contact information and the parks administration number. Groups planning organized activities need permits from Forsyth County Parks & Recreation, confirmed well in advance, as youth league games and tournaments regularly fill the parking lots and compress the viable trail windows on busy Saturdays. The county's continued investment in the Greenway, boardwalk by boardwalk, signals a trail system that will be more durable and more accessible on the other side of the work; in the meantime, the parks news feed is the fastest way to know exactly which miles are open before you show up.