Public parks, sports and recreation in Alpharetta

Residents of Alpharetta are fortunate to have many public parks where opportunities for sports and recreation are available. The largest and most popular public park in Alpharetta is Wills Park, which contains 8 baseball fields, 2 tee ball fields, 4 picnic pavilions, a big Wacky World playground and two smaller playgrounds, a disc golf course, tennis courts, a 1.8-mile walking trail, an Equestrian Center and the Alpharetta Arboretum. The Alpharetta Arboretum is a living museum that showcases the natural beauty of many native tree species from the Southeastern United States.

Wills Park Equestrian Center encompasses 50 acres within Wills Park’s 110 acres, and it includes 8 barns with 298 stalls for horses, two uncovered horse show rings with all weather footing, and a covered horse ring for shows presented during inclement weather. Annual sports events at the Wills Park Equestrian Center include horse shows, dog shows, rodeos with bull riding and arena polo. People can also purchase riding passes that allow them to practice horseback riding all year long on the facility grounds.

The City of Alpharetta encourages sports and recreation activities in many ways. North Park contains 8 lighted softball fields, a football field, a multi-purpose field, two playgrounds, picnic pavilions, an Adult Activity Center and an Arts Building for public use. Webb Bridge Park has 3 soccer fields, 4 baseball fields and 4 tennis courts. Union Hill Park features two outdoor roller hockey rinks and one covered roller hockey rink. The Alpharetta City Pool is a great place to cool off on summer days and Waggy World Paw Park is Alpharetta’s 1.5-acre playground for dog lovers and their dogs.

Public gardens and nature preserves in Alpharetta

Extending 6.2 miles from Webb Bridge Road to Mansell Road, the Big Creek Greenway is a natural wildlife preserve where people can observe blue heron, deer, ducks and Canadian geese while walking, jogging or bicycling along a paved path. At the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center, visitors can enjoy 46 acres of forest including 1.5 miles of hiking trails that wind past a scenic creek with rocky shoals, ravines and picturesque cliffs. The Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center is situated on an authentic cotton plantation with historic buildings that date back to the late 1800’s. Autrey Mill offers recreation programs and events such as Young Artist Days, Open Music Invitations, trail walks and other environmentally related activities, and it is located at 9770 Autrey Mill Road. For information about current programs and events, call (770) 360-8844.