Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, Atlanta, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail is a paved, car-free path in Atlanta, Georgia, built along a former railroad corridor east of downtown. It was the first stretch of the BeltLine to open, and it links intown neighborhoods, parks and some of the city's busiest food and shopping spots on one walkable line.

The story behind it

The BeltLine began as an idea for a loop of old rail lines circling central Atlanta, put forward by Ryan Gravel in a Georgia Tech master's thesis in the late 1990s. The goal was to turn unused industrial corridors into a ring of transit, trails and green space that would reconnect neighborhoods the railroads had once divided.

The Eastside Trail was the first piece of that vision to open to the public, in the early 2010s. It quickly became the most recognizable part of the project, and it changed how many people move through and think about the neighborhoods it touches, including Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park and Virginia-Highland.

What to look for

• Look for the old rail alignment itself: the trail's long, gentle, straight course follows the path trains once took, and traces of the industrial past appear along its edges.
• Notice the murals and public art installations that appear along the route and change over time.
• Watch the buildings beside the path, where brick warehouses and factories have been given new lives as markets, offices and homes.
• Pause where the trees open up to catch views toward the downtown skyline, and look at the green spaces that sit close to the trail.

Tips for your visit

• The trail is an open public path, so you can walk on and off at many points. Check current conditions before you go, as events and construction can affect sections.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon for cooler air and fewer people. Weekends and sunny evenings are the busiest.
• Plan on an hour or two for a relaxed stroll with stops, and longer if you want to eat or browse nearby.
• Ponce City Market, Historic Fourth Ward Park and Krog Street Market are all close to the trail, so it is easy to combine a walk with a meal or a break.

See it on a quest

You can walk this part of Atlanta with a purpose by playing Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Historic Fourth Ward, Atlanta. You reach the BeltLine Eastside Trail on foot as one stop on a longer route through the Historic Fourth Ward area. The app tells you about each place when you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look closely at the streets around you instead of just passing through. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.