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By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 21, 2001
Here are some of the major bike trails in the Tampa Bay area and a few within day-trip distance. We've emphasized paved trails for leisure and fitness cyclists, but a few off-road trails are included for mountain bikers. Most trails are open from sunrise to sunset; check for exact hours. Many are free; some parks have modest admission fees. Paved trails often are busy and also are used by walkers and skaters, so pay attention to rules posted for cyclists.
If you have a favorite trail we haven't included, please e-mail us at weekend@tampabay.com, or write us at P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg FL 33731, and we'll include it in the future. Happy trails.
Pinellas County
Pinellas Trail: Built on an abandoned railroad right-of-way, this 34-mile asphalt path is used by walkers, skaters and runners. It runs from Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg to near U.S. 19 east of Tarpon Springs. Earlier this year, the last link in the trail was completed with the opening of a pedestrian overpass crossing the busy Park Street-Tyrone Boulevard intersection in St. Petersburg and a bridge over Cross Bayou. In a few years, the trail will be expanded in the East Lake area to bring the total length to 47 miles.
For a complete guide to the trail, including amenities, check the county's Web site, www.co.pinellas.fl.us/BCC/trailgd/trailgd.htm, or contact the trail office at (727) 549-6099.
Get there: There are access points all along the trail. You can start at either end, or pick a spot closer to home. A few suggestions: The access at Seminole City Hall offers a shady park (currently under renovation, but set to reopen next month); in Dunedin there's the charming Main Street district with shops and restaurants; historic Tarpon Springs also offers plenty of retail options. The northern half of the trail tends to be shadier.
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East-West Trail: Now 4.5 miles (but planners hope someday it will connect with the Pinellas Trail), the East-West trail stretches from Safety Harbor (where it joins Bayshore Linear Greenway Recreational Trail) to Clearwater, where it ends near the Long Center. Some say it's a little tricky to navigate, but signs are posted at half-mile intervals. Beware: You'll have to handle some busy intersections, including McMullen-Booth Road near Drew Street in Clearwater.
Get there: The trail passes by Safety Harbor Marina and Cooper's Bayou Park, Del Oro Park, the Eddie C. Moore recreation complex, Cliff Stephens Park, Wood Valley Park, Moccasin Lake Park, the Carpenter baseball complex, the Joe DiMaggio complex and Coachman Ridge Park.
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Friendship Trail (Old Gandy Bridge): At 2.6 miles, the trail -- which occupies an old span of the Gandy Bridge -- is short and very sunny, but the big hump makes it fun. And there aren't too many places where you can ride over the water.
Get there: Parking is available on the north side of Gandy Boulevard on both the St. Petersburg and Tampa sides of the bridge.
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Fort DeSoto Park: Among the 900-acre park's many attractions (7 miles of waterfront, 3 miles of white sand beach, camping, boating, the historic site) is a 4.2-mile recreation trail that connects the campground with the North and East Beach Swim Centers and the historic fort.
Get there: Take exit 5 off I-275 (Pinellas Bayway) and follow the signs. Call the park office at (727) 866-2484, or check www.fortdesoto.com.
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Boyd Hill Nature Park: 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg. This 245-acre preserve, located on Lake Maggiore, has 3 miles of trails and boardwalks that lead cyclists and walkers through hardwood hammock, sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, willow marshes and lake shore. Park hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For information, call (727) 893-7326 or www.stpete.org/nature.htm
Get there: From I-275, exit at 54th Avenue S, travel east, then north on M.L. King (Ninth) Street S, then left on Country Club Way.
Hillsborough County
Wilderness Park: This northeast Hillsborough park actually includes three parks, two with bike trails:Flatwoods Park, with its 5,400 acres of pinewood flats and cypress swamps, has a 9-mile paved loop and off-road trails;Morris Bridge Biking Trail is a well-maintained off-road trail that's very popular with mountain bikers.
Get there: Take I-75 to Fletcher Avenue. Head east on Fletcher until it becomes Morris Bridge Road. Park entrances are on the left side of the road. Call (813) 975-2160.
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Lettuce Lake County Park: Located along the Hillsborough River, this 240-acre park offers a bicycle path and jogging trail. An interpretive center featuring exhibits leads to two boardwalks and an observation tower where visitors can a view the cypress swamp with its abundance of birds and other wildlife.
Get there: From I-75, take the Fletcher Avenue exit, and travel west 0.9 mile. The park is on the north side of the road. Call (813) 987-6204.
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Bayshore Boulevard, Tampa: Touted as the world's longest sidewalk, this ballustraded sweep of pavement offers nearly 5 miles of stop-sign-free riding from Platt Street downtown, south to Gandy Boulevard. Great views of the downtown skyline and Bayshore's big houses.
Get there: Park downtown and ride south, or start somewhere in the middle at one of the cross streets that end at Bayshore.
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Alderman's Ford: The east Hillsborough County park's amenities include shady old oaks heavy with moss. A 2-mile pedestrian and bicycle path weaves through the park's 1,141 acres. The path goes under SR 39 and across the Alafia River, giving visitors a view of a hardwood forest swamp and a large variety of plant life.
Get there: Take SR 60 east to CR 39 and go south to Lithia. The main entrance is on the east side of the road. The canoe launch is on the west side. Call (813) 757-3801 (Plant City).
North Suncoast
Suncoast Parkway Bike Trail: First of its kind in the state, the 29-mile trail runs alongside the Suncoast Parkway from State Road 50 in Brooksville to Lutz-Lake Fern Road in northern Hillsborough County. Separated from the roadway by landscaping and fencing, the trail crosses several rivers and wildlife areas on bridge extensions.
Get there: The trailhead is located just south of SR 50 in Brooksville near the entrance to the parkway, with parking off Grove Road. Parking also at State Road 54, SR 52 and at Lutz-Lake Fern Road. Call (727) 856-4488 (Hudson) or see Web site at www.flroads.com/suncoast/.
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Withlacoochee State Trail: The 46-mile paved linear park begins at SR 50, a mile east of I-75, in Ridge Manor, and runs 6 miles south to Trilby and 40 miles north, past the Silver Lake Campground, through the Withlacoochee State Forest, close to the Withlacoochee River, then continues north through Floral City, Inverness and Citrus Springs and ends at Gulf Junction just south of Dunnellon.
For more information, call (352) 394-2280, or check www.trailsfromrails.com.
Get there: Parking is located off CR 575/Trilby Trailhead, SR 50 Trailhead, Silver Lake Campground, Townsen Lake Regional Park off CR 476, Desoto Trail Kiosk off U.S. 41, Wallace Brooks Park in Inverness, South Citrus Springs Trailhead and North Citrus Springs Trailhead.
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Croom Bike Trails: Part of the Withlacoochee State Forest, Croom's many recreation trails include two unpaved mountain bike trails: the 12-mile Yellow Trail and the 32-mile Blue Trail. Information is available at (352) 754-6896, or at the state Division of Forestry Web site, www.fl-dof.com/state_forests/
Get there: From I-75, exit at SR 50 in Brooksville, then go east 1 mile to Croom Road, head north and follow the signs.
Sarasota
Myakka River State Park: Florida's largest state park includes plenty of wildlife, two lakes, 12 miles of the Myakka River and many miles of trails. Seven miles of paved road wind through shaded hammocks, along grassy marshes and the Upper Lake shore. The North Park Drive provides a smoother riding surface and less traffic than the Main Drive. Unpaved back-country roads such as Powerline and Old Railroad Grade offer good dirt biking, but watch signs to be sure you're on a path that permits bikes.
Get there: From Interstate 75, take exit 37, and travel 9 miles east on State Road 72. For more information: (941) 361-6511 or www.myakka.sarasota.fl.us/.
Beyond Tampa Bay
General James Van Fleet State Trail: A paved trail that winds 29 miles between Polk City and Mabel, passing through the Green Swamp. Go early or late enough and there's shade. It's a good place to see wildlife. Trail access in Mabel is on the south side of SR 50. Trail access in Polk City is where SR 33 crosses over SR 655. For information call (352) 394-2280.
Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail: This 16-mile paved trail extends from the city of Gainesville, through the Paynes Prairie Preserve Park and Lockloosa Wildlife Management Area, to the city of Hawthorne. Parking is available at three trail heads: Boulware Springs Park in Gainesville; from CR 2082 at 7209 SE 200th Drive, west of Hawthorne; and at 300 SW Second Ave. in Hawthorne. For information contact Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail, (352) 466-3397.
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