Find the top rated trails in Palatka, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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 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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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 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 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....
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...
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 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...
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, 20 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 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....
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 S-Line Urban Greenway is a rail-trail that runs just over three miles.
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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 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, 20 miles of this route are paved and open for public...
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...
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....
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...
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 S-Line Urban Greenway is a rail-trail that runs just over three miles.
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 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...
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 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 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 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...
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 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...
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, 20 miles of this route are paved and open for public...
The S-Line Urban Greenway is a rail-trail that runs just over three miles.
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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 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...
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 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 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....
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 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...
I parked up at Depot Park and rode down to Rochelle and back. I had entertained parking down at Boulware Springs Park but got there in early morning and for some reason did not feel comfortable leaving my car there (safe?). I found the terrain easier on my return from Rochelle (east) as I could build momentum to climb hills. I then drove to Hawthorne and rode the west end of the trail out and back. The trail is undergoing resurface with fresh asphalt in areas on west side of trail. If they complete this resurface end to end up to Depot Park it will be wonderful. From Depot Park it is somewhat confusing to find the leg out of the park to a connector trail to GHSPT. As I interpret the GHSPT would terminate at Boulware Springs Park with a DT connector up to Depot Park and into downtown. Confusing for me given unfamiliarity of the area. All in all a great ride!
At the east end, the paved trail continues north to Haile Plantation at SW 46th Ave/Haile Blvd. and east to SW 75th street. Plans are for it to continue through Celebration Pointe, a shopping area next to I-75. That area is under construction now.
Nice straight trail, the part through Haile Plantation is shaded and attractive.
Long, uninterrupted flats. Curvy hills. Bathrooms. Water refilling stops, or convenience stores at either end of the trail. Short side trails that lead to scenic over looks. You can even do repeat hill sets on the climbs near the Boulware parking area. If you've had enough of the trail you can take any of the side country roads for miles and miles and low traffic central FL road biking.
Best done in the morning or the late afternoon, but then again that applies to everything outdoors in Florida.
There's always something new to see on the trail...I've seen goats, horses, deer (literally crossing in front of me), turtle, snake, woodpecker, and a hawk. It's nature in all its glory along the trail. There are a couple of hills but nothing crazy, flat ride for the most part.
We road the entire trail from east to west and back (28.4 miles). The first 3.7 miles were along power lines and open in the sun. The remainder of the trail was nice and shaded. Very flat and easy for anyone.
Great place to bike and also take the dog!
I rode the segment of the Spring to Spring Trail that began at Lake Monroe in DeBary. Lots of parking here at the state park once you navigate around all the boat launchers and find the area near the trailhead where the bikers park. The first three miles wind through plush vegetation and palms with a nice canopy with a few breaks under the power lines. The next three miles, the trail parallels busy two and four-lane roads. You are rewarded at the end of this leg with a nice boardwalk to travel over under a shaded canopy and back to more pastoral settings. About seven miles into the ride from Lake Monroe, the Spring to Spring turns into the East Central Regional Trail for another eight miles until the trail ends. There is a bike bridge over state route 415 that will get your heart pumping. Then a two and a half mile ride to the end of the trail. Total mileage from Lake Monroe trailhead on the Spring to Spring trail to the end of the East Central Regional Trail is 15 miles. Round trip will give you a good 30 mile workout. There are no restrooms or water once you leave Lake Monroe so plan accordingly.
My wife and I tried this trail for the first time on Sunday April 02 2017. We arrived around 9:00 am and parked off of 207 where the trail and road converge. (see other review for more details.) The parking was easy to spot and there was plenty of space. There is a typical poster billboard with some information about the trail here also.
The most difficult crossing was 207. But if you aren't in a hurry and trying to maintain a pace for training or performance it isn't a big deal. If you have young kids then maybe it would be a little more nerve racking.
We gave the trail a grade of A. It was peaceful, flat, in good condition, and in the shade for much of the ride. We gave the amenities a C+. We didn't see any restrooms. And didn't pass and grocery stores or restaurants. Although we didn't leave the path at all. The could possible be some places just off the path.
We didn't see any dogs, or snakes, or chickens, or really much wildlife. The people we saw along the trail were friendly and always said good morning.
This bike trail is very shady most of the way, with nice sunny spots in between. One BIG plus is that the asphalt is not full of tree roots like some other trails we have been on. It is very smooth and well maintained. We rode on a Saturday morning, yet only saw a few other riders. We parked at Florahome next to a bathroom which is pretty clean. There is soap inside but you have to go outside to use a spicket. There are two benches and a place to park and lock your bike. The trail is the most quiet between Grandin and Putnam Hall, but we loved the trail between Florahome and Palatka as well. We will definitely be back, highly recommend this trail.
This is a lovely, well-kept trail that is heavily shaded, a nice way to get some exercise and stay out of the sun (for the most part). Rode it twice during a recent stay in the area and loved it. Woods and farmland, lovely.
This is a fantastic biking trail. We parked at the Paynes Prairie State Park (north entrance) and rode to Hawthorn and back. There were lots of cars and people at the parking lot and we felt safe leaving our vehicle there. The trail is nice and peaceful and passes through mostly pine forests. The majority of this trail is straight, flat and shady. There are some hills and curves on the western end as the trail winds through the state park. There are lots of benches to pause for a rest, but bring plenty of water with you. This is a trail I would want to do again and again.
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