Johns Creek is home to great parks, outdoor fitness classes, tennis and pickleball courts, cycling routes, nature trails and more — offering plenty of opportunities to get outside to get fit. Now that spring is in the air, there’s no better time to try out some of the local options and find your own favorite way to stay active outdoors.
City parks, sports and greenspace
Johns Creek maintains over 400 acres of greenspace, playgrounds and trails across multiple parks — perfect for regular walking, jogging, sports and outdoor play.
- Bell-Boles is a 2.5-acre pocket park with a large, open green space, adaptive playground and stone labyrinth.
- Cauley Creek Park boasts 203-acres with pickleball courts, trails, basketball courts, three sand volleyball courts, a cricket pitch and athletic fields.
- Morton Road Park is a small neighborhood park featuring a playground, half basketball court and a paved, multi-use path.
- Newtown Park, the busiest park and recreation area in Johns Creek, features two miles of trails, basketball courts, tennis and pickleball courts, two bocce ball courts, athletic fields, baseball/softball fields, a dog park and two playgrounds. It’s also home to community events throughout the year.
- Ocee Park offers several athletic and recreational activities, including walking trails, baseball/softball fields, tennis and basketball courts, sand volleyball and playgrounds across 37 acres. The Ocee Park Athletic Association also manages youth recreation programs, such as t-ball and baseball, at the park.
- Shakerag Park, at the northeastern tip of Johns Creek, is a quiet outdoor space with a 1.1-mile nature trail, cricket batting cages and a cricket pitch, three athletic fields, a walking/jogging track and a fishing pier for more leisurely recreation.
- State Bridge Park is another small, neighborhood pocket park in the city. Located at 10610 State Bridge Road, it offers a quiet, quarter-mile nature trail for walking, as well as a small, grassy field.
Once completed, the 20-acre Boardwalk at Town Center will offer a mix of active and passive park amenities, including a 15-foot wide trails surrounding the pond and wetland area.
For more about Johns Creek parks, visit johnscreekga.gov/recreation-parks/parks.
Sidewalks and trail maps can be found at johnscreekga.gov/departments/gis-maps/sidewalk-trail-maps.
Outdoor fitness classes
The city’s parks and recreation department offers a full schedule of fitness classes at Newtown Park. Whether you’re interested in yoga, Zumba or Fitness 108 workouts, you’ll find weekly options — free and open to the public (and all fitness levels) — led by experienced instructors.
There’s also a Walk with a Doc program at Newtown on the second Saturday of each month and a weekly Saturday morning yoga class at Cauley Creek Park.
Learn more and check the schedule at johnscreekga.gov/recreation-parks/recreation-fitness-sports/free-outdoor-fitness.
Hiking at Autrey mill
The Autrey Mill Nature Preserve is a true gem of a greenspace in Johns Creek. Located on 46 acres of forest land, it offers miles of scenic hiking trails that take you through wooded areas and past a creek, wildflowers and a variety of plants that are native to Georgia.
Before or after hiking, visitors can also enjoy Autrey Mills on-site Heritage Village with historic buildings, picnic areas, a visitor center and farm museum, butterfly garden and animal attractions. Admission and parking is free (though donations are appreciated).
Learn more at autreymill.org.
Swimming
While Johns Creek doesn’t manage or maintain any municipal, public pools, there are still places to swim if that’s your preferred way to get fit. Many neighborhoods throughout the city have private pools for their residents. And several area health clubs have pools that are available to the public with membership or per-swim fee.
Life Time Johns Creek features multiple pools — an Olympic-style outdoor lap pool flanked by a leisure pool and kids pools. For rainy-day swims, there is also an indoor pool for laps, lessons and workouts. Membership gets you access to the pools, as well as the option to sign up for swim lessons, coaching and water-based classes.
For details and membership information, visit lifetime.life/locations/ga/johns-creek.html.
Just outside of Johns Creek, the West Gwinnett Park Aquatic Center on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard features an indoor 25-yard by 25-meter lap pool, an indoor instructional pool, an outdoor (seasonal) leisure pool, two giant waterslides and year-round swim lessons, classes and activities. Fees for non-Gwinnett residents range from $8.25 to $12.50 per visit. Multi-swim passes are also available.
Visit gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/parks-recreation/parks/west-gwinnett/aquatic-center for more information.
Biking
Biking is another popular activity in Johns Creek, and there are several great cycling routes and bike trails to choose from. The city is currently working on multiple trail and bike lane projects and providing regular updates on the progress.
Learn more and check updates at johnscreekga.gov/departments/public-works/sidewalks-trails.
You can also find cycling routes with maps, photos and details on sites such as komoot, TrailLink and Bikemap.
One final thing to note: Johns Creek also allows electric bikes to be used in the city. While a traditional bike is powered just by the rider, an electric assisted bike (EAB or e-bike) adds an electric motor and is recognized in three classes in Georgia:
- Class 1 – Pedal-assist only (up to 20 mph)
- Class 2 – Pedal-assist or throttle (under 20 mph)
- Class 3 – Pedal-assist only (up to 28 mph; must have a speedometer)
Class 1 e-bikes may be used on city roads and on multi-use trails in city parks. Class 2 and 3 bikes are only permitted on city roads. Helmets are required for all ages on Class 3 e-bikes and for everyone under age 16 for Class 1 and 2.
Only traditional bicycles are allowed on city sidewalks and riders must give pedestrians the right of way and give a verbal warning when passing.
All traffic laws apply to both bicycles and e-bikes, including stops, yields and traffic signals. If you’re riding at night, a white front light and red rear light — visible from 300 feet — are required.
Sources: City of Johns Creek, Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, Life Time and Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation Department.
