The Lake Mary - Heathrow art festival was going on today. I was riding to see where the trail went and I came across this!! Great event!!!

The ride was very enjoyable. I parked just East of San Sebastian! I left at 11:00am and got back at 5:30pm!! I had lunch, looked around at the arts festvial, got lost on Markum Woods Road, (sort of), rode thru 46A (know what I mean) and rested at Wekiva trail head!!

I really like this ride!! Be anxious to have that connect to West Orange Trail!!

11/8/09

SUMMARY:

Trail Quality: 4 out of 5
Paved: Yes
Length: 14 miles or 28 round-trip
Attractions: Scenery, light commercial facilities including food and cycling store facilities
Parking: Excellent and mostly paved
Bathrooms: At one of the trail heads (northern end) and along the trail
Trail capacity: Heavy on weekend mornings until about 11 am



DETAILS:
The complete paved trail starts at the southern end, just off route 436 and 2 - 3 miles west of Interstate 4. The entrance to the trail-head is marked, but the sign is small. If you reach Rt. 434 intersecting with Rt. 436, turn around and look sharply on the northern side of Rt. 436 (about a mile east from Rt. 434 where Rt. 434 now goes North / South) for the entrance (about 100 yds. in to the trail-head from Rt. 436).

The San Sebastian trail head has secure, shady parking for over 50 vehicles and I have never seen the car park at capacity in my seven years of riding the trail. There are benches and tables in the shade of oaks. There is water for your water bottles and pets.

The trail passes through suburban setting with larger trees for shade and shelter. It has regular mile markers and signs. You cross minor and major roads with each major road intersection having a pedestrian crossing button on adjacent light poles. The trail then passes behind some light commercial properties and the Seminole tennis, baseball and basketball facilities. The trail branches up to baseball facility which is open 7 days a week from sunrise (~ 7am) to sunset or when the games end in the night. There are facilities including good toilets and bathrooms here.

As the trail approaches Rt. 434 (E / W portion) and closes in on I-4, you proceed to divert from the old crossing that takes you to the other side of Markham Woods road. Now, there is a much safer tunnel (open only during daylight hours). If the tunnel is closed, cross Markham Woods road and then again (no diagonal crossing allowed) Rt. 434 and get on the eastern side of Markham Woods road proceeding north of Rt. 434.

Note: The tunnel does NOT pass under I-4 as prior reviewers guessed during its construction.

At this point the trail mostly parallels the Markham Woods Rd. but can divert as much as a mile away from this road. It proceeds through tree-covered sections, mostly older oaks past churches and more home back yards. You will cross several minor and one major road on your way north to Lake Mary.

The Trail then meets Lake Mary Blvd. and there is a wonderful rural scene with a small lake and paddocks on one side and Panera Bread and PeachTree Cafe, for refreshments during the morning through evening. David's World Cycle is just 100 yards beyond for any bicycle maintenance or help you may need. Out-Spoke'N Bike Stores is two miles further up (East) Lake Mary Blvd. as well. There is ample parking for cyclists behind the Panera Bread store.

The trail proceeds about 200 yards up (East) of Lake Mary Blvd. and then crosses diagonally with International Parkway on the eastern side as you go further north.

This part of the trail passes by light commercial high-technology campus buildings and is less shady. It passes the World HQ of AAA (Automobile Association of America) and is now immediately adjacent to I-4. About 1 mile north of the AAA HQ is a trail branch east to the Cross Seminole trail and over I-4 on a relatively new (2003 / 2004) trail bridge. If you wish to complete the San Sebastian / Wekiva / Seminole trail, continue north and do not take the branch to the east.

Once you get to Rt. 46A (about 2 - 3 miles north of Lake Mary Blvd.) the trail crosses diagonally back to the western side of International Parkway and in about 1/2 a mile north then goes adjacent to an Apartment complex and back into older trees and away from International Parkway. About a mile north of Rt. 46, you turn a sharp left turn to the West and then go through a very quiet section where the apartment complex has gifted undeveloped land with many older trees and cross a series of secondary roads. After turning, you proceed due west to the Wekiva trail head which is newer, has less trees, but has bathrooms open daylight hours, water and ample parking. There is shared parking for horse trailers and a paddock for horses. The horse can ride adjacent to the paved trail from the Wekiva trail head until the bend in the trail where it turns from running East / West, to North / South.


Things to watch out for:
- Traffic cross the trail from business or residences or roads
- The trail crossing diagonally three times as it proceeds North / South
- The tunnel under Rt. 434 being closed during the night hours


Things to enjoy:
- Older trees and some sections that are undeveloped, or developed into parks or farms
- Wildlife, mostly birds and squirels, although I have seen deer (early mornings and sunset), snakes (they slither away and are rare), tortoises, etc.
- The food at the shops on Lake Mary Blvd.
- Shops, theater and restuarant access to food et al on Rt. 46 A. and near International Parkway
- Access to two very good bike store near or within 2 miles of the trail
- Ample parking at each trail head and then also at (in order, proceeding south from the northern end of the trail):
- Soccer club about 1 mile from the Northern end Trail head (Wekiva)
- Across at the Theater just north of Rt. 46A
- At the Panera Bread shopping plaza
- Off Long-Pond Rd./ Drive from Markham Woods road about 2 miles south of Panera Bread and Lake Mary Blvd. (which intersects with Markham Woods road at its western end)
- At a pullover area at EE Williamson Rd. which intersects with Markham Woods Rd.
- At Rt. 434 at shopping car parks on either side of the tunnel under Rt. 434
- At the Seminole County baseball fields
- Access to water at each trail head and along the way


Please enjoy this trail which I ride 3 - 4 times a week!


Plans or proposals for this trail:
I understand the plans are to join (North and South ends) this trail along the railway right of way to the Apopka trail-head that begins the East / West trail called West-Orange Trail. The northern end is meant to traverse the 2 miles remaining on the railway right of way to the Wekiva river and then cross over and eventually link up all the way to Mount Dora.

Recommendations for development:
(1) Better signage
(2) Better motorist controls over sections cyclists cross major highways
(3) A bridge traversing over Lake Mary Blvd. and International Parkway (there are already several other trail bridges over Lake Mary Blvd. further east)
(4) Extending the trail on the northern end first as this is more scenic in undeveloped areas or farmland
(5) Looking for a branch off any western extension to head north to join other northern trails in Lake County or other more norther counties
(6) Take the rail right of way into historic down-town Sanford and have it join up with the springs trail at Gemini Springs

We rode from the San Sebastian Prado trailhead (which is very nice) in mid-Feb., 2009. The first 2+ miles are great: pleasant, shady. But when the trail came to a heavily trafficked area, signs directed us off the main trail (which seemed to end in a block) down a sidewalk to a tunnel under the interstate. The tunnel was gated and locked, so we had no choice but to go back. This tunnel looks like a massive project, and we will try again on our next trip to Florida to ride the whole trail.