Running

Check the Atlanta Track Club's website (www.atlantatrackclub.org) for weekly Atlanta-area group runs.

Atlanta BeltLine. Hit the BeltLine however you like: run it, walk it, or bike it. This 33-mile loop of parks, trails, and transit is the perfect way to get an eye-line view of the city, and it's the primary way locals take in a bit of the outdoors. There are multiple access points, including the heart of Midtown, the tree-lined West End, and the Freedom Park Trail. There’s often art to view as you go, and an official running series to keep things interesting. Be watchful for aggressive cyclists and rollerbladers. Don’t take it personally, just obey the rules of the road: slower traffic should stay to the right. Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia. 404/477–3003; www.beltline.org.

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Crisscrossed by 70 miles of trails, this rec area contains different parcels of land that lie in 15 separate units spread along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Much of it has been protected from development. Visitor Center, 8800 Roberts Dr., Sandy Springs, Georgia, 30350. 678/538–1200; www.nps.gov/chat. Visitors Center: Sun.-Tues. 9–5, Wed.-Sat. 9-6.