Bamboo Forest — Attraction in Sandy Springs

If you want to go here but are a little confused on how to get to the actual Bamboo Forest, you’ve found the right review! This place is beautiful and definitely worth a visit, but there are some things you should know before your hike!

This is about 20 minutes from Atlanta. I live in Tucker and it took me 28 minutes.

The road leading up to the parking lot isn’t the best. It’s gravel and narrow (for about a mile) so there will be lots of moving over and letting other cars pass. It will be bumpy and slightly terrifying but as long as you have decent driving skills you should be fine.

Parking is $5 I believe but there isn’t anyone to check whether you’ve paid or not, so do with that as you will.

There are 2 “trails” that lead to the Bamboo Forest. The first one is lengthy (don’t say I didn’t warn you) totaling at about 5 miles round trip. There are mile markers every 1/2 mile or so but it can still be confusing. Follow 23 on the trail maps or download an app like “AllTrails” to make sure you’re on the right path. If you’re still having trouble orienting yourself, the Bamboo Forest is almost directly in front of the Chattahoochee Coffee Company! The second way is by going backwards from the parking lot and starting there - this is way shorter at about 1.5-2 miles roundtrip. There will be some steep parts so make sure you’re wearing proper shoes.

Other things to note : If you just want to see the bamboo forest go the shorter route. If you want to see some other cool spots take the longer route. But be prepared - with lots of water, snacks...

Here's my guide!

Parking is hard to get to because it is a narrow one-way gravel road. But with patience and decent driving/parking skills, you can find a spot in the lot and squeeze in (if it's the weekend you may need to wait 5-15 minutes for someone to leave so you can take their spot, as it gets busy!).

After you park, you'll find the navigational/informational boards at the trail head. Scan the QR code on your phone and purchase a $5 day pass online (you'll need your vehicle's license #). Easy process! You don't need to print a slip out and put it on your dash or anything. If you've paid, hit the trail!

Check out my attached photo of the map. The green circle is the parking area.

For the long route, to get the full experience: if you go south from there, and then swing around the bottom of the map then back north along the river, the hike to the overlook (red circle) will be about 2.5 miles, and the hike to the bamboo forest (blue circle) about 1.5 miles. Then on the way back you can take EP 23 to 22 to 13 and walk back on the gravel road to parking.

The short route would be to start at parking and walk back up the gravel road then take EP 13 to 22 to 23 to 17 to 16 and straight to the forest. This will be maybe around 1.5 miles each way.

I give four stars because the place can be pretty busy on the weekends/beautiful days, and the bamboo forearm isn't very big (though it is very beautiful!).

Love this...

Disclaimer: this is not a review for the park itself but rather the neighboring residents and government that manages the area. There was no parking at this entrance. The mansions owned by wealthy people may be rich with money but are poor with morality and goodness. There was nothing but "no parking" signs everywhere. I frankly felt embarrassed for the poor misguided greedy people living in this area with flimsy reproductions of mansions, owned by people with no taste or moral compass. After two more tries, we found a tiny parking lot and trails leading to a pretty but polluted and trash filled stream. Surrounded by all this wealth and this is the best that can be done to protect nature and foster a love of it amongst its world citizens? I left the area disgusted by Buckhead, Sandy Springs and the greed of people attracted to this area who do not know how to responsibly maintain wealth and be good stewards of this...