Explore the best rated trails in Palatka, FL. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Lehigh Greenway Rail Trail and Cross Volusia Trail. With more than 22 trails covering 176 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Cross Volusia Trail will one day link the east and west sides of Volusia County, stretching 20 miles from Lake Beresford to the coastal city of New Smyrna Beach. Currently, it runs through the...
The Lehigh Trail is located in Flagler County on a former railroad corridor comprising 195 acres. The railroad spur once carried cement and other materials to and from the Lehigh Portland Cement Plant...
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...
The Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail corridor stretches nearly 47 miles from State Route 238 in Lake Butler to west of US 17 in Palatka. Currently, 25 miles of this route are paved and open for public...
The Halifax River Trail (also known as the Halifax River Greenway) will one day stretch 11 miles from Port Orange to Ormond Beach on Florida’s northeast coast. It’s currently open in two segments...
The West 6th St Trail utilizes an abandoned rail corridor that runs partially parallel to West 6th Street, through an urban area of Gainesville. The paved hiking and biking pathway connects to the...
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...
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...
Although the State Route 21 Multiuse Path is not scenic, as it closely parallels its namesake roadway, it does provide an important connection between the charming community of Keystone Heights and...
Jacksonville's Northbank Riverwalk offers scenic views of the St. John's River and the city skyline. It's also part of a larger effort called the Emerald Greenway, which will connect 14 miles of trail...
The Palatka Urban Trail provides a safe bike-ped route over St. John’s River via Memorial Bridge. The trail is a connector between the Lake Butler-Palatka section and the Palatka-St. Augustine Trail....
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The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross-Florida Greenway is on a mission to create a non-motorized conduit stretching 110 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to St. John’s River in Palatka. The corridor showcases...
The S-Line Urban Greenway is a rail-trail that runs just over three miles.
The Archer Braid Trail runs for 6 miles between the cities of Archer and Gainesville in north-central Florida. Future construction will continue the trail east to the University of Florida. The paved...
Tomoka State Park Trail offers a short, paved route through the park in northeastern Florida's Ormond Beach (just north of Daytona Beach). The easy-to-ride trail runs through the woods alongside Beach...
If you're traveling to central Florida, you won't want to miss the Spring to Spring Trail, which connects a number of small, friendly towns between Orlando and Daytona Beach, as well as many of the...
The Sweetheart Trail offers a paved route nestled between Beach Street and the Halifax River in Daytona Beach. It's named after a yacht owned by Charles Grover Burgoyne, a successful businessman who...
The Waldo Road Greenway, Depot Avenue Rail-Trail, and Kermit Sigmon Bike Trail are seamlessly connected as part of Gainesville's ever-expanding rail-trail network, offering users three trails in one....
Jacksonville is developing an interconnected 14-mile trail system called the Emerald Necklace. Portions of the route are already on the ground, like the Southbank Riverwalk, which borders the St....
The US 92 Trail travels across northern DeLand, closely following the north side of the highway known locally as International Speedway Boulevard because it passes the famous racetrack at Daytona...
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...
The Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail corridor stretches nearly 47 miles from State Route 238 in Lake Butler to west of US 17 in Palatka. Currently, 25 miles of this route are paved and open for public...
Tomoka State Park Trail offers a short, paved route through the park in northeastern Florida's Ormond Beach (just north of Daytona Beach). The easy-to-ride trail runs through the woods alongside Beach...
The Lehigh Trail is located in Flagler County on a former railroad corridor comprising 195 acres. The railroad spur once carried cement and other materials to and from the Lehigh Portland Cement Plant...
Although the State Route 21 Multiuse Path is not scenic, as it closely parallels its namesake roadway, it does provide an important connection between the charming community of Keystone Heights and...
The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross-Florida Greenway is on a mission to create a non-motorized conduit stretching 110 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to St. John’s River in Palatka. The corridor showcases...
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...
The West 6th St Trail utilizes an abandoned rail corridor that runs partially parallel to West 6th Street, through an urban area of Gainesville. The paved hiking and biking pathway connects to the...
The UF Campus Greenway was completed in 2016 and now winds across the University of Florida in Gainesville, uniting the east and west sides of the sprawling school grounds. The beautiful, paved trail...
The Sweetheart Trail offers a paved route nestled between Beach Street and the Halifax River in Daytona Beach. It's named after a yacht owned by Charles Grover Burgoyne, a successful businessman who...
If you're traveling to central Florida, you won't want to miss the Spring to Spring Trail, which connects a number of small, friendly towns between Orlando and Daytona Beach, as well as many of the...
The Cross Volusia Trail will one day link the east and west sides of Volusia County, stretching 20 miles from Lake Beresford to the coastal city of New Smyrna Beach. Currently, it runs through the...
Jacksonville is developing an interconnected 14-mile trail system called the Emerald Necklace. Portions of the route are already on the ground, like the Southbank Riverwalk, which borders the St....
The Halifax River Trail (also known as the Halifax River Greenway) will one day stretch 11 miles from Port Orange to Ormond Beach on Florida’s northeast coast. It’s currently open in two segments...
Jacksonville's Northbank Riverwalk offers scenic views of the St. John's River and the city skyline. It's also part of a larger effort called the Emerald Greenway, which will connect 14 miles of trail...
The Archer Braid Trail runs for 6 miles between the cities of Archer and Gainesville in north-central Florida. Future construction will continue the trail east to the University of Florida. The paved...
The US 92 Trail travels across northern DeLand, closely following the north side of the highway known locally as International Speedway Boulevard because it passes the famous racetrack at Daytona...
The Palatka Urban Trail provides a safe bike-ped route over St. John’s River via Memorial Bridge. The trail is a connector between the Lake Butler-Palatka section and the Palatka-St. Augustine Trail....
The S-Line Urban Greenway is a rail-trail that runs just over three miles.
Connecting the university town of Gainesville with rural Hawthorne, this 16.5-mile trail makes for a great day trip, complete with a hill or two and plenty of wildlife. While the path roughly...
Connecting the university town of Gainesville with rural Hawthorne, this 16.5-mile trail makes for a great day trip, complete with a hill or two and plenty of wildlife. While the path roughly...
The Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail corridor stretches nearly 47 miles from State Route 238 in Lake Butler to west of US 17 in Palatka. Currently, 25 miles of this route are paved and open for public...
If you're traveling to central Florida, you won't want to miss the Spring to Spring Trail, which connects a number of small, friendly towns between Orlando and Daytona Beach, as well as many of the...
The US 92 Trail travels across northern DeLand, closely following the north side of the highway known locally as International Speedway Boulevard because it passes the famous racetrack at Daytona...
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...
Jacksonville's Northbank Riverwalk offers scenic views of the St. John's River and the city skyline. It's also part of a larger effort called the Emerald Greenway, which will connect 14 miles of trail...
The UF Campus Greenway was completed in 2016 and now winds across the University of Florida in Gainesville, uniting the east and west sides of the sprawling school grounds. The beautiful, paved trail...
Although the State Route 21 Multiuse Path is not scenic, as it closely parallels its namesake roadway, it does provide an important connection between the charming community of Keystone Heights and...
Tomoka State Park Trail offers a short, paved route through the park in northeastern Florida's Ormond Beach (just north of Daytona Beach). The easy-to-ride trail runs through the woods alongside Beach...
The Sweetheart Trail offers a paved route nestled between Beach Street and the Halifax River in Daytona Beach. It's named after a yacht owned by Charles Grover Burgoyne, a successful businessman who...
Jacksonville is developing an interconnected 14-mile trail system called the Emerald Necklace. Portions of the route are already on the ground, like the Southbank Riverwalk, which borders the St....
The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross-Florida Greenway is on a mission to create a non-motorized conduit stretching 110 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to St. John’s River in Palatka. The corridor showcases...
The Archer Braid Trail runs for 6 miles between the cities of Archer and Gainesville in north-central Florida. Future construction will continue the trail east to the University of Florida. The paved...
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...
The Halifax River Trail (also known as the Halifax River Greenway) will one day stretch 11 miles from Port Orange to Ormond Beach on Florida’s northeast coast. It’s currently open in two segments...
The Palatka Urban Trail provides a safe bike-ped route over St. John’s River via Memorial Bridge. The trail is a connector between the Lake Butler-Palatka section and the Palatka-St. Augustine Trail....
The S-Line Urban Greenway is a rail-trail that runs just over three miles.
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...
The West 6th St Trail utilizes an abandoned rail corridor that runs partially parallel to West 6th Street, through an urban area of Gainesville. The paved hiking and biking pathway connects to the...
The Lehigh Trail is located in Flagler County on a former railroad corridor comprising 195 acres. The railroad spur once carried cement and other materials to and from the Lehigh Portland Cement Plant...
Love the newly paved path. (4 stars) there’s a bathroom near the cemetery/picnic area. (Didn’t see it until we were driving to Palatka) The only thing I didn’t like about the newly built portion...no shade. The bridges were cool and we did see some gators and turtles. Maybe ride it in the early morning or late afternoon during the hot months. Just a thought...
WoW what a fantastic trail. We started our journey in Baldwin at the trailhead which is a former rail station. WE traveled towards Jacksonville. The trail offers great sights. The trail is flat as well as paved. The trail cuts through wooded areas that offer a ton of wild life. We saw a Black Snake (actual name as well as color) not poisonous, Turkeys, Turtles, Eagles. We did not expect this trail to be as good as it is. Take water on this trip. There are rest areas about every five miles apart. We rode the trail in April on a sunny and 85 degree day. We found other cyclist on this trail to be natives and very friendly and glad to have out of towners riding the trail. This is a connector trail and even though the traffic at times was heavy it was always well spaced apart. Enjoy this one.
A fun adventure I almost did not come because of the short mileage but discovered a gem of a park and ended up completing 7.7 miles in exploring the park and trail.
Inside the park the trail is not marked, I just rode on the hardpacked shell roads and explored, outside the park entrance, there is a beautiful concrete wide trail that is totally shaded, a beautiful gem but that section is short.
I parked inside the Tomoka state park (do have to pay a fee to enter) at the "Tomoka Outpost" which unfortunately is closed on Wednesday as it seemed to have everything. The restrooms were open, and the view of the river/intercoastal was fantastic.
Parking was confusing at first, by the outpost most of the parking spaces are for cars with boat trailers as that is also the boat launch. Right next to the building they reserve a bunch of spots for customers/quick drop offs. There is a lot more parking right across the streets but no signs to direct you there.
I first road north on the hard packed crushed rock/sand road and had no problems on my hybrid bike. I even rode my bike on the nature trail (on one end marked .5 miles and on the other end marked 1 mile) it was hard packed and just wide enough for the hybrid. I explored several side roads, one leads to picnic areas on the intercoastal and that road has some big dips that could fill with water but must drain fast as it rained the night before and they were dry but muddy for my ride, I could easily avoid on the edges. The other side road leads down to the RV camping area.
Upon leaving the park entrance, you cross the road and that is where the concrete and totally shady trail is. Beautiful but that section is short.
You can continue on down N Beach street on a sidewalk all the way to Ormond Beach at W Granada Blvd. You don't have views of the intercoastal but the houses are nice and it could make for a nice ride. There are some pretty gardens at Granada Blvd and you can also connect to the Halifax River trail (really a sidewalk but with an intercoastal river view)
I only take 1 star away for the lack of signage, and its a fun adventure on a hybrid bike or mountain bike. Not a road bike trail.
Attended the ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday 6 April, 2019. About 200 people...riders, trail group pavilions, dignitaries, and trail friends. Official opening of the last link from Spuds thru Hastings to the rest of the segment starting west of Hastings. Beautiful run. Got a newly broken in 40.6 mile bike saddle butt on the new Palatka to St Augustine State Trail, which will become another finished segment of the St Johns River 2 Sea Loop, a 250 mile loop in north central Florida.
Parked in Hastings FL and went east out first to the end of segment near I-95 heading towards St Augustine 24.2 miles out and back. Then headed west to the trailhead in Palatka. 16.4 miles out and back. Little sore in the saddle the last few miles. Overall. A great day, and a new daily distance record. 283 total miles recorded in the first two months of trail biking in central Florida. Mostly rails to trails corridors.
All I can say is it is definitely worth the trip. Beautiful trail, well maintained and friendly people.
Great trail with lots of curves and hills to keep it interesting.Also a lot of shade and few road crossings. Other then Santos trail head there is no water available which can be an issue. Bike rentals available at Santos trail head.
Rode from Keystone Heights to end-of-trail in Palatka. 10 miles Keystone Heights to Florahome; 12 miles Florahome to Palatka. There are some mile markers on the trail but it can be confusing. The end-of-the trail in Palatka is MM6 (why not 0). So if you are at MM16, you are actually 10 miles from Palatka. The trail is in great condition! A small part of the trail (10 yards) is covered by water but it was only a few inches deep and easy to cross. There is also a small parking lot on Forest Hills Road in Melrose adjacent to the trail.
This trail is great when it comes to biking in Florida. Beautiful scenery, lots of forest riding and farms. Few miles of highway riding. Can make this ride 50+ miles easily.
Beautiful trail, but limited access. The Ross state park pavilion area only about a quarter mile away on state road 200. Please build a feeder trail.
Trail had a great surface for biking, but not much for scenery. 3/4 of the trail runs out in the open along a highway. The rest was through a nice wooded area.
First of all, the weather today was perfect. Sunny and 68!!! Started at the Hawthone trail head and rode into Gaisville with a 3 mile rt detour to an overlook . All total-38 miles. Great trail. The standing water mentioned in other posts is not a factor. Maybe 50feet of water but not too deep. The rest of the trail is very nice. A lot of things to see-preserves, overlooks etc. I have done a lot of trails in Florida and on the East Coast. This is a very nice one-peaceful. Some minor inclines but nothing to worry about. Seems safe, clean and well maintained. The trail has a connector into Gainsville -a nice little city-where you can hook into some other trails.
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