Dunwoody Parks and Recreation: What I’ve Watched This City Build Since 2010

I moved to Dunwoody in 2010. That was the same year the city incorporated. Before that, DeKalb County was responsible for the parks here, and it showed. Brook Run existed, but it was a shadow of what it is today. There was no real trail system. No splash pad. No amphitheater. No amazing turf sports fields. When Dunwoody became its own city, it inherited the parks and had to build a department from scratch. This Dunwoody parks guide will help you navigate the changes.

I first covered the parks and rec department on the What's Up Dunwoody podcast in 2018, on episodes 26 and 27. The director at the time was Brent Walker. He was the department. One person. And in those episodes, he was just revealing the plans for the Brook Run amphitheater, which opened in 2020. Those were the first significant changes to the parks system that I can remember. It wasn't a knock on Brent. It was the reality of what a brand new city could fund and staff.

That has completely changed. Today Dunwoody has over 200 acres of green space across around a dozen parks, a growing trail system, and a parks and rec team that's now over 10 full-time employees deep. I've watched it happen in real time as Brook Run Park is practically part of my family's daily routine. My kids have grown up in these parks. And if you're considering moving here, I think this is one of the most underrated parts of the Dunwoody story.

This blog isn't just a list of parks with their amenities. You can get that from the city's website. This is my honest take on what Dunwoody has built, what it's still building, and why it's a game-changer if you're deciding whether to put down roots here.

For those interested in exploring the beauty of the area, this Dunwoody parks guide will offer insights into the best parks and recreational opportunities available.

Brook Run Park: The Heart of Dunwoody

I'll be upfront. I'm biased here. I live in Dunwoody North, right next to Brook Run Park. My in-laws live even closer. We go several times a week. I play soccer there 2 times a week and my youngest is on a Rush Union Academy team that plays there too. I'll now take a moment to brag that our What's Up Dunwoody Men's Over 40 team were 11-time champions, never losing a season since the league was established. Dramatic pause… now we can move on. During COVID, I ran the trails every single day. Brook Run has a special place in my heart, and once you spend time here, you'll understand why.

At 110 acres, Brook Run is the largest park in Dunwoody and one of the best community parks in the Atlanta metro. The list of what's here is almost hard to believe for a city of this size: a 1.8-mile multi-use trail, a playground consistently rated one of the best in the area, a 27,000 square foot skate park (the largest in metro Atlanta), a 9-hole disc golf course, a two-acre dog park tucked into the woods, a community garden and orchard, two artificial turf baseball fields, two artificial turf multi-sport fields, an amphitheater with a Great Lawn pavilion that seats 200, multiple event pavilions, and Treetop Quest.

That last one deserves its own mention. Treetop Quest is a private company that operates an elevated adventure course right inside the park. Fifty-two obstacles, 12 zip lines, and a net trampoline that's the first of its kind in Georgia. They also run Kiddie Quest, a low ropes course for kids ages 4 to 6. It's a great example of how Dunwoody has partnered with private operators to bring experiences to the park that the city couldn't fund on its own.

The same model works throughout Brook Run. The city owns the land. Rush Union Soccer operates the multi-sport fields. My kids and I have played soccer there for six years, since those fields were built. Dunwoody Senior Baseball runs the baseball fields, which were designed in partnership with Peachtree Middle School. The community garden is run by a separate 501(c)(3), and about 20 percent of what's grown gets donated to a local charity. The dog park has its own volunteer association. Even the skate park programming runs through a private operator. What you end up with is a park that functions more like a small city than a patch of grass.

And then there's the event calendar. Lemonade Days. The Groovin' on the Green Concert Series. Dine Around Dunwoody (which was run for many year as Food Truck Thursdays). A weekly Farmers Market put on by the Dunwoody Homeowners Association. I emceed Dunwoody Idol there for a long time. Brook Run is Dunwoody's community living room, and there's really nothing else quite like it in this part of Atlanta.

The Dunwoody Trailway: Getting Around Without a Car

The trail that loops around Brook Run Park is 1.8 miles. Connect it to Pernoshal Park on North Shallowford Road and you've got yourself a 5K. From there, the trail continues toward Georgetown Park on Dunwoody Park Drive, and Two Bridges Park near Perimeter Center connects to the system via a pedestrian bridge over the North Fork of Nancy Creek.

But the bigger story is where city council is taking this. The emphasis isn't just on connecting parks to parks. The vision is to connect neighborhoods to parks, so that residents can walk or bike from their front door to green space without getting in a car. That's a different mindset than most Atlanta suburbs operate with, and it's one of the things that makes Dunwoody feel like a real place rather than just a collection of subdivisions.

It's not finished. There are still gaps. But the investment is real and consistent. Every year more trail gets built. More connections get made. If you're figuring out where in Dunwoody to buy, proximity to the trail system is something worth putting on your checklist.

Dunwoody's Long Game: Buying Land Before It's Gone

Here's something I don't think gets enough credit. Land in Dunwoody is scarce. The city is largely built out. There are no big parcels sitting around waiting to become parks. And the city doesn't always have the budget to build a full park the moment it acquires a piece of land.

But what Dunwoody has done is smart. Over the last several years, city council has been quietly picking up small parcels as they become available. Homecoming Park on Vermack Road is a recent example. The city purchased two residential lots totaling 9.29 acres in 2021. Right now it's an open field and a wooded area with some benches. But they own it. The master plan calls for a 12,000 square foot ADA sensory playground, sand volleyball courts, a wildflower meadow, gazebos, and solar panels. The land is secured. The buildout is coming.

Wildcat Park on Roberts Drive is another one. Twelve acres, currently two playgrounds and open fields. The master plan calls for an artificial turf sports field, pickleball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, a splash pad, and a pavilion. It will look very different in five years.

The stated goal of the parks system is that every household in Dunwoody should have a park within walking distance. For a city this dense and this land-constrained, that's ambitious. But the city is working toward it methodically, one parcel at a time. Only 16 years after establishing the city, they are almost there already.

In November 2023, Dunwoody put a $60 million bond referendum on the ballot specifically for parks, greenspace, and trails. The project list included Wildcat Park, Homecoming Park, Waterford Park, Brook Run improvements, softball fields, and trail expansions along Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Winters Chapel Road, North Peachtree Road, and Mount Vernon Road. The cost to a typical Dunwoody homeowner would have been about $157 a year. I wanted it to pass. I wanted it to pass so badly. Dunwoody voters rejected it 57% to 43%.

I'm not going to lecture anyone about how they vote. But I will say this: I've watched what a park like Brook Run does for a neighborhood and for our family. I wanted more people in Dunwoody to have that. The bond failing doesn't mean the parks stop growing. It means they grow slower, on a tighter budget, piece by piece. That's the reality the city is working with right now, and it makes the land acquisition strategy even more important.

As a REALTOR, I want to say this directly: proximity to park space in Dunwoody genuinely affects how people feel about a home. A house near Brook Run, or a short walk from a neighborhood park, feels different from a home where the nearest green space is a 10-minute drive. That's not just a lifestyle preference. It's a value driver. Green space is a finite resource in this city, and the fact that Dunwoody is protecting it before it disappears is something buyers moving here should understand and appreciate.

More Parks Worth Knowing

Brook Run gets most of the attention, especially from me, but Dunwoody has a lot more to offer across the city.

Windwood Hollow Park on Lakeside Drive is one I have a soft spot for. We used to take the kids there when they were little, right after preschool. It's 11 acres with a great playground, two tennis courts, a pavilion that seats about 50 people, nature trails, and a big open meadow. It still feels like a neighborhood discovery even though it's been there for years.

Two Bridges Park near Perimeter Center East is the summer spot for families. It has the city's first splash pad, open from May through September, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hit the button and you get 30 minutes of water play. Plan to hit it more than once. The park also connects to the Dunwoody Trailway via pedestrian bridge, which makes it a natural stopping point on a longer walk or ride.

Georgetown Park on Dunwoody Park Drive has a lot of character for its size. The central square has a gazebo, bocce courts, a water feature, and an open field. The adjacent park section has a playground and exercise equipment. It's the kind of spot that's easy to miss if you don't live nearby, but worth knowing about.

Pernoshal Park on North Shallowford Road is where you go for basketball. Five acres, two half-courts, a full basketball court, a pickleball overlay, and a large open field. It also connects to the Dunwoody Trailway and has a rentable pavilion for gatherings.

Waterford Park on Dellrose Drive got a brand new playground in 2025 built for kids ages 2 to 12. Seven acres, two tennis courts, and a rentable pavilion. Future trail connections to surrounding neighborhoods are planned.

Wildcat Park on Roberts Drive is newer and still growing. Two playgrounds, a Gaga Ball pit, and open fields right now, with a full buildout on the way. It's also currently home to the Dunwoody Art Commission's “Art for All” outdoor exhibit.

Vernon Oaks Park is a half-acre pocket park tucked into a neighborhood at the corner of Vernon Springs Drive and Vernon Oaks Drive. It's tiny, but it has something most parks don't: an original stone spring house built by early settlers. If you've never been, it's worth a detour just to see it. Quiet, shaded, and genuinely historic.

Nature, History, and a Few Hidden Gems

Two places deserve their own mention because they're a little different from the rest of the system.

The Dunwoody Nature Center on Roberts Drive is more than a green space. The Nature Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves over 30,000 park visitors a year and runs nature programs for kids and adults throughout all 12 months. If you drive by on a school day, there's almost always a bus in the parking lot. They offer summer nature camps, field trips for students in grades K through 6, and events like the Butterfly Festival and Monarchs and Margaritas. A lot of families moving to Dunwoody don't find out about this place until their kids are already in elementary school. It's worth discovering sooner.

The Donaldson-Bannister Farm at 4831 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road is one of those places that surprises people. Built around 1870 by William James Donaldson and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2009, the farmhouse and grounds are now a public park managed by the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. It's been the venue for Light Up Dunwoody and has hosted Dunwoody Battle of the Bands in the past. But honestly, one of the best things you can do there is show up with your kids and a camera, or meet a photographer there. The grounds are beautiful. We've had family photos taken there, and they turned out great. It's also available for private venue rental if you need a space with real character.

What's Coming Next

Dunwoody's park system isn't finished. That's the whole point.

Homecoming Park on Vermack Road is in the planning stages, with a master plan that includes a 12,000 square foot ADA sensory playground, sand volleyball courts, two gazebos, a wildflower meadow, and solar panels. That's going to be a meaningful addition to that part of the city.

Wildcat Park's master plan calls for a full buildout: artificial turf sports field, pickleball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, a splash pad, and a pavilion. It's going to look very different in a few years.

And there's the future Springwood Connector park, a 5.47-acre parcel near Perimeter Center Parkway that was listed as a top priority in the 2018 Connecting Dunwoody Placemaking Plan. A design concept right off the highway that is expected hopefully in 2026. This one sits in the heart of Dunwoody's urban core and could be a key piece of the walkability picture for that part of the city.

The direction is clear. More green space. More trail connections. More public-private partnerships to bring programming that the city couldn't fully staff or fund alone. I've watched this city build something real since 2010, and it seems to be building faster!

Thinking About Moving to Dunwoody?

The parks are one of the first things I talk about with buyers who are considering Dunwoody, because being close to a park like Brook Run actually changes how you feel about living somewhere.

Text me or call 404-502-8683. No pressure, just a real conversation.

Schedule a call at whatsupdunwoody.com/call