HOURS:
Daylight
Size:
49.4 Acres
Number of Parking Spots:
12
Amenities
Fishing
Hiking
Lake
Outdoor Park
Picnic Tables
Johns Homestead is a 49.4-acre park located in the southwestern portion of the city stretching between Lawrenceville Highway and US-78/Stone Mountain Freeway. A permeable parking lot was recently constructed along Lawrenceville Highway and leads directly into the park natural trails.
A short walk from the parking lot lies the historic Johns Homestead (ca. 1829) and outbuildings. Johns Homestead is one of the oldest houses in Dekalb County. There are plans to conduct a historical study of the existing buildings to determine eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places and create restoration plans. The Homestead and outbuildings are closed to the public however passive use of the park for activities such as hiking and bird-watching is encouraged.
The park is primarily undeveloped and heavily wooded. There is a wooded trail south of the homestead site, called “Marsh Trail.” A stream runs through the park from north to south, terminating into the dammed Twin Brothers Lake. The dams are currently being redesigned and are under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review. There will be new access points from surrounding neighborhoods and many aspects of the master plan will be carried out once the dams have been reconfigured.
Twin Brothers Lake can be accessed via Stapp Road, which dead-ends at a gate leading to the lake. The lake is clean and the land around it is cleared. The forests, wetlands, and lakes support beaver, songbirds, owls, waterfowl, woodpeckers and a heron rookery in addition to turtles and several fish species.
