Morgan Falls Dog Park Reopens as the Front Door to the Springway

The muddy lawn at Morgan Falls Dog Park has been regraded. A drainage channel now carries water away from the play areas, and the upgraded park at 100 Morgan Falls Road will be officially celebrated on Wednesday, October 14, at 2 p.m. The city says the work finished ahead of schedule. Yeager, a Sandy Springs Police Department K-9, is scheduled to inspect the results.

Taken alone, that is a nice story about a dog park. The same parking lot also serves as the official parking for the Springway trail. The dog park sits on the trail segment that runs from Morgan Falls Overlook Park across Orkin Lake to Roswell Road. And on October 6, eight days before the ribbon cutting, City Council was expected to consider a grant application for the next 1.6 miles of trail. The renovated dog park is the most finished piece of a riverfront loop the city is still putting together, and this month shows how those pieces connect.

A $1.04 million answer to one complaint

The renovation started with a survey. In 2024, one of the most common complaints about the park on the Chattahoochee was that it stayed wet. Earthwork that fall moved water away from the site, regraded the ground and removed a few trees. The second phase covered what dog owners actually see: new grass, benches and a washing station across the 3.4-acre site.

Here is the finished list, according to the city:

• Two fenced areas, one for small dogs and one for large dogs
• Shade structures
• Benches and picnic tables
• Waste and wash stations
• Drinking fountains
• Boulders dogs can climb on to look around

The money shows how the work was paced. The project budget is about $1.04 million. According to the city's 2027 budget, roughly $560,000 had been spent as of Rough Draft's September 28, 2026 report, and the rest is expected to be spent this fiscal year. There was also an approval step that is easy to miss. The site is leased from Georgia Power, so last October the city updated that land lease to allow its contractor to make on-site improvements, including the shade structures, wash station, drainage and new ground cover.

The park closed in late September, and crews were seen installing the shade canopies with ladders on September 24. Rough Draft expected it to open in early October. The city's announcement says the work is done but doesn't give an exact reopening day, so October 14 is the one firm date on the calendar.

One rule hasn't changed. Sandy Springs requires a dog license for any dog older than four months kept in the city, and the license tag depends on proof of rabies vaccination. Outside the fenced areas, the city's general park rules require dogs to stay leashed.

The parking lot is also a trailhead

The city's own trail directions send Springway visitors to park at the dog park lot. From there, the existing segment runs 1.88 miles. It links Morgan Falls Overlook Park, crosses Orkin Lake and ends at Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway. Appen Media describes it as a multi-use path 8 to 12 feet wide that crosses the lake on a boardwalk with concrete decking.

The trail has its own schedule. The Springway is open dawn to dusk, dogs must be on a short leash, walkers keep right, and swimming or diving in the lake is not allowed. Morgan Falls Overlook Park is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. By late October, an after-work walk that starts at the dog park has to finish on the trail before dark, even though the Overlook stays open for hours afterward.

That timing matters because all three pieces share one stretch of river. In Rough Draft's words, the Morgan Falls Dam, built in 1904 and still producing hydroelectricity, sits next to a trail, the dog park and a recreation center. Above the dam is Bull Sluice Lake, which the city describes as slower water with backwaters, peninsulas and islands. There is also a fishing pier at the dam. Georgia Power warns that releases and water levels can change without notice and that the water below a dam can be dangerously turbulent. That's worth keeping in mind for any dog that loves water.

What the Overlook adds at the other end

The Overlook gives the trail a second anchor. It has a playground, porch swings, a floating dock, a fire pit, restrooms and a picnic pavilion with tables. The city also lists a two-thirds-mile wooded hiking trail there. The dock is public river access for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, and you can rent gear at Murphs Surf Paddle Shack. If no one has reserved the pavilion, it's first come, first served. Only a reservation guarantees it.

The restrooms are new as well. A spring 2026 city update reported that restroom renovations were finished at both the Overlook and the Morgan Falls Athletic Complex. The Overlook's city page still shows an older notice about restroom work starting "Monday, March 2." The later update shows that work is finished.

October on one stretch of river

In a single month, the city has scheduled a funding decision, a ceremony and a community event within walking distance of each other.

Paws and Pastries is in its seventh year. It offers free dog treats, pastries, prizes, tennis balls and water, plus an optional dog costume contest. The city asks people to register in advance and bring their own dog bowl and water. With the dog park and the Overlook joined by the Springway, the afternoon can start at one end of the trail and finish at the other. That same Saturday, OktoberFEAST begins its two-day run at City Springs, 3 to 7 p.m. both days, for anyone who wants to keep going after the dogs are home.

The 1.6 miles still on paper

The October 6 agenda item is about the future of this riverfront. Springway Segment 2C, also called the Morgan Falls Park Connector, would start at Morgan Falls Overlook Park and head east. It would follow a tributary of the Chattahoochee through mature forest, past rock outcroppings and waterfalls, and connect to Roswell Road. Along the way it would pass near Grogan's Bluff, a 126-acre protected neighborhood, and continue to Adair Lane and Grogan's Ferry Road.

The numbers explain why this matters. Segment 2C would expand the Morgan Falls Loop from 1.8 miles to about 3.4 miles, moving closer to the long-term goal of a continuous 5.6-mile loop around the park. Right now, a walk from the dog park lot is mostly an out-and-back. A finished 2C would turn it into a much longer loop.

Funding has been harder than design. In early 2025, Sandy Springs applied for a Georgia Department of Natural Resources grant to cover half of the estimated $13.9 million construction cost. That grant was later rescinded amid federal budget cuts. The city has set aside $5 million in its capital budget as a local match. The design is now 60% complete, according to the Sandy Springs Conservancy's August newsletter, "The Leaflet." Current work includes geotechnical preparation and the start of right-of-way talks.

The Conservancy, a citywide nonprofit focused on parks, trails and greenspace, is working on the project with city staff, the PATH Foundation and trail design firm Kaizen Collaborative. Executive director John Maximuk presented it at the August 29 Farmers Market Family Fun Day at City Springs. The Conservancy is encouraging supporters to contact their council members. As of October 1, the council had not yet considered the application, so 2C is still a design waiting on funding. For now, the trail starts at the newly regraded lot at 100 Morgan Falls Road.

Getting to know a stretch of river like Morgan Falls, including its trail hours, its water and the plans being drawn for it, is the kind of local detail that comes up with almost every move. If you're thinking about how a place like this fits into your routine, or you know someone getting to know Sandy Springs for the first time, Latoya Carter is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.