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Print Friendly MapThe Green River Parkway Trail parallels the eponymous roadway between Walton Road in Port St. Lucie and Jensen Road in Jensen Road, Florida. the greenway sits between a residential neighborhood to the west and green space to the east. The trail is a part of the East Coast Greenway route through Florida.
Park at the Savannas Preserve State Park along Walton Road (2541 SE Walton Rd, Port St. Lucie). You can also park for free at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center Parking Garage located 9221 S.E. Civic Center Place, Port St. Lucie.
I would agree with everything said above re: conditions of the road. I would only add that I started at the northern end of the Old Dixie Highway bridge and used bike lanes to get to the south end of the GRP. From the bridge to the north end at Walton Road was exactly 7 miles, so it is adequate if you want a 10-14 mile workout. Only one big traffic intersection and one relatively easy roundabout to contend with along the whole expanse. Agree that I wouldn’t travel out of my way for this trail, but it’s nice to have close by.
Basically, everything that he said was what I would have put in my review. Martin County (1/3) is better than St Lucie County (2/3) because of surface, shade, AND proximity to road. On the Martin side, you are probably 50-60 feet from traffic for most of it; on the other, you are about 10 feet. As a cyclist and a runner, the dips take a toll on your legs if you are not paying attention with every step. It would be very nice if they could extend this trail to the north across Walton Rd. and run along that for awhile but money's probably not there in today's budget. I'm also concerned about long-term maintenance. There's a big hole off to the side which actually touches the paved trail where they've put up a sawhorse to warn people from hitting it. So far, that's been there for quite a while with no sign of anything being done to repair it.
It's a nice place for locals, like me. It's nice to see people using it regularly. However, a round-trip is only eight miles, so don't spend a long time driving here to use it.
It is a beautiful spot if you are into wildlife. There is a pond right by the bridge which is at the county line and that pond has seen alligators, otters, wood storks, great blue herons, roseate spoonbills, and various others this spring!
This trail is nearest to my home. It is a MUP that is lightly used for local folks, including me, who either walk, run or cycle. Savanah State Park is immediately to the east of this path, which has allowed me to see some wildlife a few times. The highlights have been one hog on the other side of the fence and two alligators on the actual Green River Parkway (GRP) path itself. One was a baby gator sunning himself as I cycled by and the other was about a 5-6 foot gator walking south as I was cycling north. It was pre-dawn, and my spotlight was not bright enough for me to see him far out. By the time I saw him, I was too close to try to turn back. So I rode right by him... he couldn't care less about me and kept going.
I say it's good for locals and gave the path a 3 of 5 stars for a few reasons:
1. There's little to no shade.
2. The Savanah State Park is next to the path, but the road is on the other side of the path. So it feels more like a sidewalk than a nature walk. I consider that a neutral aspect of the path, rather than a negative aspect.
2. The southern 1/3 of the path is relatively smooth, which is on the Martin County side of the path. But the northern St. Lucie County 2/3 of the path is quite bumpy. There are constant dips and imperfections in the surface of the path. I'd say this section is better for foot traffic or casual cycling, rather than serious road cycling. A bike with some shock absorption would be preferred. It's very frustrating for those of us who are avid road cyclists because it would be a perfect location to train intervals with a smoother surface. The uneven surface makes it difficult to feel like you can settle in for the ride.
3. Another neutral feacher of this path is that it starts nowhere and leads to nowhere. It doesn't connect any point of interest to any other point of interest. Yes, the Savanah SP is next to it and just north of it, but there is no access to the northern section unless you have a car. There is no sidewalk or bike lane on that road to the north of the GRP.
4. There are three nice "rest areas" with benches and bike racks, but there is no access to water or facilities. You must bring your own.
FYI: There is about a one mile southern extension of this path that is a concrete sidewalk from Jensen Beach Blvd. to Baker Road. This sidewalk is smoother than the asphalt GRP on St. Lucie County side. South of Baker Road, there is a bike lane on the street that goes about another half mile to Wright Blvd.
So the GRP is adequate if you are nearby, but I would not travel out of my way to visit this path. That being said, I'm glad we have it, especially when I want a short ride during rush hour traffic.
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