State: FL Length: 8 miles Surface: Asphalt, Concrete
The Black Creek Trail parallels U.S. Highway 17, from Orange Park south to Black Creek Park near Lakeside, FL, just south of Jacksonville. Passing through scenic forest and wetlands, the trail traverses Fleming Island, though it's not a true island, flanked on the east by the St. Johns River and Doctor's Lake, a river inlet, on the west. The trail passes by Moccasin Slough Park, a 255-acre wildlife preserve and nature park, home to alligators, bald eagles, and numerous waterfowl species. The recently developed park includes picnic areas, gazebo, playground and a structure for environmental education programs, all along Raggedy Point Road. There are also upland trails and wetland boardwalks with observation decks and a kayak launch. Use extreme caution when crossing the several intersections along the trail. Be especially cautious when crossing the intersections at Pace Island and CR 220 at Eagle Harbor. Vehicles turning right don't always respect the "walk" signals, and the walk signal timing is very short.
Rail-Trail
State: GA Length: 3.50 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
This short section, of what will eventually become a 68-mile-long Rail-Trail, was opened in spring 2010 and parallels Rt. 110/25/US 17 from Morris/Vanzandt Road to Chaney Road. Coastal Georgia Rails to Trails, Inc., the organization responsible for transforming the abandoned CSX rail corridor, envisions a 10-foot wide multi-use trail for the enjoyment of walkers, cyclists, joggers, equestrians and nature lovers. The Georgia Coast Rail-Trail will eventually stretch from Kingsland north to Riceboro, a lush corridor of longleaf pine forest, marsh and saw grass, which crosses tidal rivers and creeks. The scenery is unmatched, and the trail will be appropriately planned to maintain the integrity of wetlands and wildlife habitat. Multiple trailheads will provide easy access to this unspoiled ecological system along Georgia's coast. While the trail bed already exists, much of it is still in private hands. So for now stick to the public right-of-way and do not cross private property that is clearly marked as such. You'll find another short section of the Georgia Coast Rail-Trail in nearby Woodbine, south of the Chaney Road end point. Visit the Woodbine Section of the Georgia Coast Rail-Trail for more information.
State: GA Length: 3.25 miles Surface: Asphalt
This section of what will eventually become a 68-mile-long Rail-Trail, parallels East and West Oak streets through the town of Woodbine. You can also enjoy the Satilla River Waterfront Park at the northern end point, where you'll find an observation pier that was once a railroad trestle. As the trail heads south from the river the scenery changes from wetlands to cedar, pine, live oak, cypress, maple and cherry trees. Stop to appreciate the old homes among the moss-covered trees The Georgia Coast Rail-Trail will eventually stretch from Kingsland north to Riceboro, a lush corridor of longleaf pine forest, marsh and saw grass, which crosses tidal rivers and creeks. It follows the abandoned CSX rail corridor, and the plan is for a 10-foot wide multi-use trail for the enjoyment of walkers, cyclists, joggers, equestrians and nature lovers. The scenery is unmatched, and the trail will be appropriately planned to maintain the integrity of wetlands and wildlife habitat. Multiple trailheads will provide easy access to this unspoiled ecological system along Georgia's coast. In addition, part of it will form the longer East Coast Greenway. You'll find a slightly longer section of the Georgia Coast Rail-Trail just north of Woodbine in White Oak (Chaney Road end point). Visit the White Oak Section of the Georgia Coast Rail-Trail for more information.
State: FL Length: 14.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
Just west of bustling downtown Jacksonville, the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail-Trail, one of north Florida's oldest, traverses a rural setting of hardwood uplands, wetlands and pine flatwoods. A dense tree canopy shelters much of the nearly 15-mile paved path, providing habitat for hawks, wood storks, stilts and belted kingfishers. You're also likely to encounter turkeys, alligators, rabbits, gopher tortoises and coral snakes. Beware the latter, a venomous species with wide black and red bands broken by narrow yellow rings. The Imeson Road trailhead, closest to Jacksonville, is a good place to start an out-and-back journey. Here you'll find the first of several restroom facilities and benches along the trail. This also marks the start of a separate equestrian trail that runs in the adjacent tree line, except where creek crossings bring trail users together. Midway along the trail is the Camp Milton Historic Preserve rest area. Once home to the largest encampment of Confederate troops during the Civil War, the site includes the remains of a mile-long defensive works, a re-creation of a late 19th-century homestead, a replica bridge, an arboretum and extensive boardwalks. Just west of Camp Milton, you may hear naval aircraft on training runs at nearby Whitehouse Field. You'll find plenty of restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations near the trail's eastern endpoint in Jacksonville as well as its terminus in Baldwin. Plans are in the works to connect this trail to neighboring recreational and ecological corridors.
The Palatka to Lake Butler State Trail (PLB) corridor stretches nearly 47 miles from SR 238 in Lake Butler to west of US 17 in Palatka but the current (spring 2012) open trail section is only about 14.5 miles long. The trail follows the bed of the former Norfolk-Southern Railroad right-of-way through Putnam, Union, Clay and Bradford counties. The current open segment connects Keystone Heights through just east of Florahome, where it mostly parallels State Route 100. The trail passes through upland pine woods and a rural setting before arriving in Keystone Heights. The trail passes through downtown Keystone Heights and has several road crossings, so use caution. The trail ends abruptly at SE 57th Street but you can see where the corridor continues through the trees. The rest of the Palatka-Lake Butler Trail is still under design and construction. There are plans to connect St. Augustine to Lake City in the future, which would make the trail more 100 miles long.
State: FL Length: 6.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail currently runs through the communities of Armstrong, Elkton, and Vermont Heights in northeastern Florida. Much of the route follows State Route 207, hence its former name as the State Road 207 Rail-Trail. Views are a mix of woodlands and rural landscapes. One day, the trail will stretch 19 miles from Palatka to the coastline's St. Augustine. Long-range plans include a connection to the Palatka-to-Lake Butler State Trail as part of a developing 260-mile, five-county regional network known as the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop. The network is part of the East Coast Greenway.
State: FL Length: 1.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The S-Line Urban Greenway is a rail-trail that runs through Jacksonville's Springfield and Durkeeville neighborhoods. Currently, a 1.5 mile section of the trail is open, from Myrtle Avenue near Union Street to Boulevard Street north of 12th Street. The trail's second phase will be from 21st Street to 44th Street. The trail currently consists of a short built section along the abandoned CSX Railroad as well as an undeveloped corridor in an urban area that is ready for revitalization.