Trail Report: Southside Park

Southside Park is Atlanta’s only (official) ITP mountain bike trail system. Located in south Atlanta, it’s become a favorite among local riders for quick after-work sessions and skills development. Also pretty banging for trail running (w/ Atlanta Snack Club ideally).

Trail System Overview

With about 8 miles of singletrack, Southside isn’t huge, but the quality is super high. The trails here are surprisingly technical for being so close to the city, and they’ve got a raw, old-school handcut feel that’s getting harder to find these days. Particularly on the hickory loop it get’s very rocky and very hard, fast.

There’s also a short beginner loop that’s flowy and fun, and a longer intermediate loop that’s pretty classic good XC riding, with more climbing than you’d think.

What I love about Southside is how different it feels from the more popular trails in the area. While places like Rope Mill and Blankets Creek (which are great) lean into the modern, machine-built flow trail style, Southside keeps it raw. The trails feel more natural, more challenging in a different way. You won’t find big berms or table tops here - instead, you get rock gardens, tight turns, and natural features that reward good line choice and bike handling skills.

I like that kind of riding a lot (if you hadn’t noticed from other reviews), so I like southside park a lot.