Leita Thompson Memorial Park

This nice little park is a hidden gem. It's right on Highway 92 sort of between Roswell and Woodstock. The park's pavillion is visible from the road, but the 2.5 miles of trails behind the pavillion are much less well-known. There are four "official" loop trails: red, blue, green and yellow. Red and Blue run concurrently throughout most of the park, with Red taking an extra .25 mile detour with the Yellow trail at one end. The Yellow loop runs for 1.12 miles along Blue and Red, and the short .25-mile Green loop circles the pond in the middle of the park. A couple of unmarked access trails are still visible, and a paved road runs through the park and provides access to a couple of buildings. The park land was once owned by Ms. Leita Thompson and some of the buildings are still used as private residences.

This is a great trail if you just need a little exercise or fresh air. It's almost entirely shaded, except for portions of the red/yellow trail that skirt the meadow behind the Arts Center. There are a lot of fallen trees throughout the park but the trail itself is well-maintained. There are enough hills and switchbacks to make it a decent workout. It's short enough to walk in an hour or so but interesting enought to spend more time if you want. There is a building near the pond that can be reserved for events, and a port-a-potty is there too. A drinking fountain is available at the parking area. Dogs are allowed on a leash and the city of Roswell kindly provides "poop bags" for you.