Home › Georgia › Valdosta › John W. Saunders Memorial Park
John W. Saunders Memorial Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 278 Google reviews · Running trail in Valdosta, Georgia · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from John W. Saunders Memorial Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Green space offering a playground, basketball courts & an amphitheater, plus picnic areas & grills.
What runners say about John W. Saunders Memorial Park
“Visiting Park today while waiting on my cat's to be fixed I must say very nice and clean will be coming back from Albany Georgia”
“Beautiful park, though the water sprinklers either turned off or broken were disappointing.”
“The play ground had some shade, but not enough to make all the areas accessable.”
I was visiting Valdosta for the 1st time and in my down time I came here to take a walk. It's a pretty park, it has nice, easy paved trails and it's clean. However- I was fairly concerned at the thought of someone in the woods with an air rifle. Seeing that promptly ended my walk.
Wonderful trail in the woods that the kids enjoyed with different types of trees to talk about and see. The play ground had some shade, but not enough to make all the areas accessable. Why do so many playgrounds go cheap on sun coverage? It's impossible for the kids to enjoy and a turn off for the family to stop.
I've visited my fair share of public parks,and this is one of the better ones I've visited...beautiful scenery in abundance, especially along the nature trails...many picnic areas both undercover and not,so weather won't spoil your picnic!
Clean, organized park. Two basketball courts, small playground with swings. Nice short trail on paved sidwalk near rear of park. Plenty of sheds equipped with tables, power outlets, grills and water supply. Availabe restrooms and nice scenery.
Trail conditions & character
“only reason not a 5⭐ rating is because bathrooms all locked up(well past noon on a Sunday) no reason for that!”
“Beautiful park, though the water sprinklers either turned off or broken were disappointing.”
“The play ground had some shade, but not enough to make all the areas accessable.”
“It's a pretty park, it has nice, easy paved trails and it's clean.”
Plan your run at John W. Saunders Memorial Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadrestrooms, water — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitevlpra.com
- Phone+1 229-259-3507
- Social Instagram
Hours
| Monday | 8 am–6 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am–6 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am–6 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am–6 pm |
| Friday | 8 am–6 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am–6 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am–6 pm |
Running trails near Valdosta
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Sustella Trail
3.7 ★★★★☆ 3 reviews
Drexel Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 8 reviews
Drexel Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 330 reviews
This small community park features a playground amid shady live oak trees, green space & a stream.
Wood Valley Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 186 reviews
Small, clean park featuring playgrounds and a track for walking and dog-walking, along with picnic tables.
McKey Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 757 reviews
Green suburban park with a large tennis center, volleyball court & 2 play areas divided by a creek.
Madison Heights Dr. Park
4 ★★★★☆ 42 reviews
Local park for fishing and relaxation, with accessibility for disabled visitors.