The official description of the Noonday Creek Trail extension sounds big. The City of Woodstock calls it the link between Cherokee County's trails and Cobb County's growing network, and "eventually" the Silver Comet Trail. On the ground, the new pavement is 1.5 miles long. It starts at the trailhead near Reformation Brewery and Elm Street Green, runs under Highway 92 and stops at Noonday Park in Cobb County.
Both descriptions are accurate. The gap between them tells you how to use this trail for the next several years. Until Cobb builds its own missing piece, the extension doesn't lead into a regional network. It's a round trip that starts and ends in downtown Woodstock. That puts the Elm Street end, with its parking deck, restaurants and holiday calendar, at the center of the new trail.
Nearly a Decade for 1.5 Miles
The city set Saturday, November 14, 2026, as the public opening. North Atlanta Star quoted Mayor Michael Caldwell calling the project "nearly a decade in the making." The groundwork goes back at least to 2016, when the AJC reported that Cherokee County and Woodstock were joining forces on the trail gap.
Woodstock, Cherokee County, Cobb County, the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Transportation broke ground in December 2023, and GDOT helped pay for it. The schedule slipped along the way. In June 2025, WSB-TV reported that weather had pushed completion back to spring 2026. City capital improvement administrator Chris Luly told the station that "much of the project site is in a low-lying area," so rain stalled work during storms and kept the site wet for long stretches afterward. That spring date became mid-November.
The low ground that delayed the build is also what makes the trail worth walking. The route follows the Noonday Creek corridor, not the edge of a road.
Where the Pavement Ends and the Plans Begin
Cobb County already has a Noonday Creek Trail, and it's a good one. Town Center CID lists it at 6.88 miles, running from the Old 41 Highway entrance at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Visitor Center to Bells Ferry Road. Along the way it passes access points to Kennesaw State University and Town Center at Cobb. It's paved, with wayfinding signs, restrooms, water fountains and benches.
Woodstock's new segment doesn't reach it. Cobb's greenway planning page describes the stretch north from the Bells Ferry trailhead to Noonday Creek Park as the "critical gap" between Bells Ferry Road and Shallowford Road. Here's where each piece stands:
| Segment | Status | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Woodstock extension, Elm Street trailhead to Noonday Park | Built | Public opening set for Nov. 14, 2026 |
| Cobb extension, Bells Ferry Trail to Shallowford Road | Preliminary engineering, $2,302,500 budget | Target date 12/31/2030 |
| Grade-separated crossing of Cobb Parkway/US 41 on the existing Cobb trail, about 0.60 mile | Design in progress; right-of-way acquisition approved April 2026 | Construction letting scheduled for summer 2027 |
| Connection to the Silver Comet Trail | Described by the city as an eventual goal | No date set |
The dates come from Cobb County's July 2026 SPLOST status report, which lists the Bells Ferry-to-Shallowford project as "on track" with a target of December 31, 2030. In April 2026, the Cobb County Courier reported that commissioners had approved acquiring right-of-way for the Cobb Parkway pedestrian bridge.
That means a continuous paved ride from Main Street to the battlefield visitor center depends on a Cobb project with a 2030 target. A Silver Comet connection has no date at all. For the years in between, the new 1.5 miles go to one place and back again.
Noonday Park Makes a Good Turnaround
That place is a real destination. Cobb County's Noonday Park is at 489 Hawkins Store Road in Kennesaw. The county lists soccer and multipurpose fields, two playgrounds, picnic areas, a reservable pavilion, a BMX track, a pedestrian bridge, restrooms, concessions and access to the Noonday Creek Trail.
So a family ride now has a payoff at the far end: playgrounds and restrooms about 1.5 miles from downtown, with a BMX track for kids who still have energy left. The whole trip covers about 3 miles, which fits a weekend morning with time for brunch afterward.
A Downtown Out-and-Back, Start to Finish
With Noonday Park as the turnaround, the Woodstock end becomes your start line, your finish line and your parking lot.
- Park free. The City Center East Deck at 102 Arnold Mill Road has 633 free spaces, and the City Center lot at 8534 Main Street has 192 more, according to the city's facilities directory.
- Walk to the trailhead. The trail starts near Reformation Brewery at 105 Elm Street, beside Elm Street Green. Elm Street between Main and Wall has been closed to cars since March under the city's Elm Street Pedestrian Crossing project. The project adds a 12-foot-wide crossing at Main and Elm, with design of a pedestrian plaza from Main Street to Market Street planned as the next phase.
- Head south. You'll follow the creek, pass under Highway 92 and arrive at Noonday Park.
- Come back to eat. Downtown Woodstock's directory lists Queenies BBQ inside Reformation Brewery, and Chambers Street, a few blocks from the trailhead, has a run of restaurants.
On Chambers Street, the Visit Woodstock directory lists these spots:
- Prime 120, 120 Chambers Street
- Tiny Bubbles Tea Bar, 230 Chambers Street
- J. Christopher's, 315 Chambers Street
- Tenku Sushi, 380 Chambers Street
- Pure Taqueria, 405 Chambers Street
The Trailhead Is Also the Holiday Calendar
The extension opens right as downtown's holiday season starts, and most of that season happens within a short walk of Elm Street. The Woodstock Arts Event Green is at 113 Elm Street, on the same block as the trailhead.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21, 2 to 4 p.m. | Holiday Family Fun Day | Reeves House, 734 Reeves St. |
| Nov. 26 to Dec. 13 | Santa's Mailbox | Downtown Woodstock |
| Dec. 4 to 24 | A Christmas Carol the Musical | Woodstock Arts Theatre, 8534 Main St. |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m. | Woodstock Winter Wonderland | Woodstock Arts Event Green, 113 Elm St. |
| Sun., Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m. | 29th Christmas Jubilee & Parade of Lights | Downtown Woodstock, with the tree lighting and festivities afterward at The Park at City Center |
The Jubilee and Santa's Mailbox dates come from the city's 2026 special events schedule. Woodstock Arts describes Winter Wonderland as free, with an arts market and Santa photos, and points visitors to the City Center East Parking Deck. The A Christmas Carol schedule has evening shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and matinees at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, 13, 20, 23 and 24.
The first weekend of December lines up well with the trail. On Saturday, Dec. 5, you can park in the East Deck, walk to Noonday Park and back, and be at the Event Green for Winter Wonderland, all on one parking spot. On Sunday, Dec. 6, the 2:30 p.m. matinee lets out in time for the 5:30 p.m. parade.
More Trail Work Coming to Woodstock
The extension is one of several trail and park projects in the city. Little River Park is under construction, and the city's project page estimates completion in spring 2027. The planned Rubes Creek Trail extension would connect Arnold Mill Road and Highway 92 by way of Springfield Drive and a pedestrian bridge to Springfield Park. The city's parks bond page says it hopes to start construction in spring 2027.
Woodstock's side of the Noonday Creek connection is finished. The next mile that matters for reaching Kennesaw Mountain is between Shallowford Road and Bells Ferry Road, and it's on Cobb County's schedule.
Whether you use the trail every weekend or you're wondering how a new paved connection will affect value on your street, local projects like this one are part of how we look at North Metro Atlanta. If you're thinking about what's changing around your home, Purpose Driven Real Estate Group can go through it with you, from new trail connections to the plans that come next. Schedule your free consultation.
