Sandy Springs' Morgan Falls Connector trail earned a 2026 Fulton County environmental award at a ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Fulton County Government Center in Atlanta.

Fulton County District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis selected the 1.88-mile segment of the Springway Trail for the honor, according to a city press release. The Fulton County Citizens Commission on the Environment (FCCCE), a citizen advisory group appointed by the Board of Commissioners, gives the annual awards to recognize environmental stewardship across the county.

The Morgan Falls Connector, completed in April 2025, runs from Morgan Falls Overlook Park to Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway. It provides access to the Chattahoochee River. The trail features a boardwalk across Orkin Lake, pedestrian bridges, drainage structures and trail signage.

"We are extremely proud to see the Morgan Falls Connector on The Springway recognized," Mayor Rusty Paul said in the press release. "We're beginning to see that vision become a reality, and I look forward to more segments throughout our City."

The city built the trail in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program, the PATH Foundation and the Sandy Springs Conservancy. The city received a $3 million Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant to help fund the work, according to the city's trail project page.

The award comes as Sandy Springs pushes ahead on the next piece of the network. The City Council voted 4-2 on Oct. 6 to apply for another $3 million state grant for Segment 2C, a 1.6-mile trail along the Chattahoochee River from Morgan Falls Overlook Park to Grogans Ferry Road, Appen Media reported. Council members Melody Kelley and Mary Ford voted against the measure.

The most recent cost estimate for Segment 2C totals almost $14 million, according to Appen Media. The city has about $6.99 million in a capital project fund that could go toward construction, but additional money would need to come from future budget cycles.

The Sandy Springs Conservancy reported in its May newsletter that trail design for Segment 2C was more than 30% complete. That segment would run from the Morgan Falls Overlook Park parking lot northeast along the south shore of Morgan Falls Reservoir to Adair Lane.

Honorees received a proclamation during the Board of Commissioners' meeting Oct. 21.