Atlanta's Eastside Trail on Foot: A Visitor's Walking Loop

A practical four-mile circuit linking Piedmont Park, the Atlanta BeltLine and Inman Park, with honest notes on timing, terrain and where to base yourself.

Start at Piedmont Park and the 10th Street gate

Begin at the Park Drive Bridge entrance off 10th Street, an easy walk from Midtown hotels around Peachtree Street and the Midtown MARTA station on the Red and Gold lines. Piedmont Park opens at 6am and the loop works best between 7am and 9am, before the Lake Clara Meer path fills with runners. Cross the park northeast past the Active Oval toward the BeltLine gateway at Monroe Drive and 10th. The connecting spur is short but unshaded, so a hat matters more than you would expect from a city park brochure.

The Eastside Trail itself runs roughly 4.5 miles from Monroe Drive north to Reynoldstown, but the rewarding visitor segment is the middle two miles between Piedmont Park and Krog Street Tunnel. Surface is smooth concrete with gentle grades, suitable for strollers and wheelchairs; the only real climb is the ramp up from Monroe Drive. Water fountains are sparse, and the few shade trees thin out near Ponce City Market. Weekday mornings are quiet; Saturday after 10am brings a steady stream of cyclists who expect walkers to keep right.

Ponce City Market to Krog Street: the middle stretch

At Ponce City Market, the old Sears building at 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue, the trail passes directly beneath the food hall. It is the natural halfway stop and the busiest point on the route. Expect crowds on weekend afternoons and a queue at most counters; weekday lunch is calmer. Just south, the trail crosses under Ponce de Leon and runs alongside Historic Fourth Ward Park, where a spur leads to the skate park and a small lake. The section between North Avenue and Ralph McGill Boulevard is the most exposed, with little tree cover at midday.

Continue south past the Krog Street Tunnel, the graffiti-covered underpass linking Inman Park and Cabbagetown, and you reach Krog Street Market at Edgewood Avenue. This is where I would end a first walk: the market has indoor seating, restrooms and enough food options to refuel without leaving the route. The full loop back to Piedmont Park via surface streets adds about 1.5 miles through Inman Park's Victorian grid, along Euclid Avenue and Elizabeth Street. Allow three hours total at a relaxed pace, including a stop.

Where to stay and what to skip

For this loop, Midtown around 10th Street and Peachtree Street puts you within a ten-minute walk of the Piedmont Park gate and gives direct MARTA access to the airport. Expect the highest room rates in the city here, especially during spring festival weekends in April and May. Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward offer smaller independent properties and guesthouses within walking distance of Krog Street Market, often at lower rates midweek. Downtown, around Peachtree Center, is cheaper but adds a 20-minute walk or a short rideshare to reach the trail.

Skip driving to the trail on weekends. The BeltLine-adjacent lots near Ponce City Market fill by mid-morning and street parking around Krog Street is permit-restricted in places. Use MARTA to Midtown or Inman Park/Reynoldstown station, then walk. Late July and August afternoons are genuinely uncomfortable on the exposed sections; shift the walk to early morning. If you only have one day, I would book a Midtown hotel, walk the loop in the morning and spend the afternoon in Piedmont Park rather than adding a second neighbourhood.

Timing, weather and the return leg

The best months are March to May and September to November, when temperatures sit in the comfortable range and the park's trees are at their best. April brings the Dogwood Festival to Piedmont Park, which fills the park and nearby hotels; book well ahead if you want that weekend. June through August is workable before 9am only. Winter is quiet and pleasant for walking, though some trail-side businesses keep reduced hours. Rain is common in July and August afternoons, usually brief; the route has little shelter between Ponce City Market and Krog Street.

The return leg via Inman Park's streets passes the Callan Castle and the linear park along Euclid Avenue, then rejoins the BeltLine near the Old Fourth Ward trailhead. It is signposted but not always obvious at junctions, so keep a map open. Cyclists can rent from docking stations near Ponce City Market, but the trail is busy enough that walking is more relaxed for a first visit. If you are staying in Midtown, finish at Ponce City Market and take a rideshare back rather than retracing the whole route.

Questions, answered

How long does the Eastside Trail walking loop take?

The core Piedmont Park to Krog Street Market walk is about two miles and takes 45 to 60 minutes without stops. Add the return through Inman Park and you are covering around 3.5 miles, roughly two to three hours at a relaxed pace with a market break.

Which MARTA stations are closest to the BeltLine Eastside Trail?

Midtown station on the Red and Gold lines is a 15-minute walk to Piedmont Park's 10th Street entrance. Inman Park/Reynoldstown station on the Blue and Green lines is about a 10-minute walk to Krog Street Market.

Is the trail suitable for families with young children?

Yes. The surface is smooth concrete and mostly flat, and strollers handle it well. Keep children close near Ponce City Market and the Krog Street Tunnel, where cyclists pass quickly. Weekday mornings are the calmest time for families.

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