A green respite and forested exploration area alongside Buckhead’s answer to the Atlanta Beltline is getting a nearly half-million-dollar upgrade. 

A $160,000 grant from Atlanta-based nonprofit Park Pride to Livable Buckhead will help kickstart long-planned renovation work at Mountain Way Common, a greenspace highlight along the growing PATH400 trail system that will link southern Buckhead up to Sandy Springs. 

The recent Park Pride grant has unlocked Moving Atlanta Forward Bond Program funding and accelerated the construction timeline for what’s expected to be a $450,000 “major enhancement” at the park area in north Buckhead, according to Livable Buckhead officials. 

Full scope of planned upgrades at Mountain Way Common, with the creek at its core and PATH400 along the top ridge. Livable Buckhead/PATH400; designs, MKSK

Spread across nearly 9 acres, Mountain Way Common—known for its access to Little Nancy Creek and winding, wooded pathways created by locals—is situated under a towering new PATH400 bridge and Ga. Highway 400 overpass. The goal is to reconfigure and polish the creek-side space into a destination for area residents and PATH400 users while preserving its natural allure.  

Construction at Mountain Way Common is scheduled to begin in late spring this year and wrap up in the middle of 2027. 

The centerpiece addition will be a five-foot-wide, ADA-accessible pathway made of crushed slate called the Creekside Connection Trail. It will loop along the creek and link together all major areas of the park with entrances at PATH400, North Ivy Road, and Mountain Way, according to Livable Buckhead.

The Creekside Connection Trail, a cornerstone of the park’s masterplan, will also set the stage for future upgrades including play features, gathering areas, habitat enhancements, and more trails.

Pictured in today’s Mountain Way Common park area are Denise Starling and Patrick Ford of Livable Buckhead (far left and right), along with Dan Weede and Jane Zoellick of Friends of Mountain Way Common.Courtesy of Livable Buckhead

Livable Buckhead/PATH400; designs, MKSK

Other changes slated to be covered by the $450,000 first phase include kid and dog-friendly access points to the creek, improved stormwater management and erosion control, and the stabilization and revegetation of sensitive watershed areas along the creek. 

“Mountain Way Common has always been special to this community,” Denise Starling, Livable Buckhead executive director, said in a project announcement this week. “This investment allows us to honor that history while thoughtfully strengthening its connection to PATH400."

Find more Mountain Way Common context and imagery in the gallery above. Here's how it's positioned in relation to other PATH400 park initiatives: 

Context of PATH400 progress and locations of three proposed, functional greenspaces in northern Buckhead. Livable Buckhead/PATH400; alternations, UA

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