Atlanta Piedmont Park and Lake Clara Meer Run From Ponce City Market
Updated October 3, 2026
Roughly 6.9 km in all, this circuit follows the BeltLine north into Piedmont Park and traces both long shores of Lake Clara Meer. It heads home on the Northeast Trail beside the park's eastern edge, with a gentle climb back to the market.
Lake Clara Meer is the centerpiece of this run, which heads up the BeltLine into Piedmont Park and returns along the park's eastern edge. Near the turn at the 12th Street gate, you pass the Noguchi Playscape, designed by the sculptor Isamu Noguchi with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Getting there from the Forum's Ponce City Market club is simple, since the BeltLine carries you most of the way, with Monroe Drive the only busy street to cross, at a signal. The club does not give locker sizes, so ask staff where a cabin bag can wait before you leave one in the changing room. Some passes cover one visit only, so make sure yours lets you head out for the run and return. Register on the club's site and sign its liability waiver before you walk in. As of October 2026, Bounce is the fallback for luggage, with Atlanta spots from $4.95 daily.
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The run: Eastside Trail to Lake Clara Meer and the Northeast Trail
Skyline views across open water come early, and the Northeast Trail keeps you on car-free ground almost all the way back. The gravel stretch is softer underfoot, and the paved trail runs right beside it if you'd rather stay on pavement. The park opens at six in the morning, so start no earlier. Weekend mornings bring crowds with dogs and strollers, so early weekday starts feel calmer.
- Distance
- 6.9 km (4.3 mi)
- Start
- Front desk of The Forum Athletic Club
From the club, drop onto the BeltLine and go north over Ponce de Leon Avenue to where the Eastside Trail ends, at 10th Street and Monroe Drive. Cross Monroe at the signal and follow the 10th Street bike path west along the edge of Piedmont Park, then turn in at Charles Allen Drive. Head north to Lake Clara Meer and run west along its south shore, between the water and Oak Hill, to the 12th Street gate on Piedmont Avenue, near the Noguchi Playscape. Come back northeast along the lake's other shore, between the water and the Active Oval, and continue past Magnolia Hall to the BeltLine Northeast Trail. Follow the paved trail north to Westminster Drive, run about 120 m along the street, then come back south on the gravel trail that runs beside it. Rejoin the paved trail at Worcester Drive, follow it south along the park's eastern edge to Monroe Drive, then retrace your outbound leg home.
Open the route mapFormer Falcons teammates Roman Fortin and Dan Owens opened their first club in 2001. Towels, the sauna and parking come with every visit, and members report showers in the locker rooms, handy before an evening flight.
- Price
- As of October 2026, a one day pass costs $20 on the club's site
- Showers
- Yes
- Hours
- Weekdays from 5 am, closing 9:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday 7 am until 7 pm
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