Find the top rated trails in West Melbourne, 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.
The Historic Jungle trail winds for nearly 8 miles along a sandy road through the hammock habitat of Florida's barrier islands north of Vero Beach. The trail—really a road—is on the National Register...
When complete, the East Central Regional Rail Trail will extend more than 50 miles between DeBary and Edgewater with another segment to Titusville. The trail will connect urban centers with the...
The Little Econ Greenway trail is just one section of the Orlando area's many fine trails. features riverside recreation, picnicking, wildlife watching, and canoe trails. It also features a canal...
The Titusville Multi-Use Trail, also known as the Wuesthoff Trail, is a short and pleasant paved path located in the southern outskirts of the city of Titusville. The trail runs through Wuesthoff Park...
The Route A1A Trail runs along the west side of Route A1A in Indian River County, FL, linking the barrier islands off the coast of Vero Beach. There are numerous driveway and road crossings, and in...
The Historic Jungle trail winds for nearly 8 miles along a sandy road through the hammock habitat of Florida's barrier islands north of Vero Beach. The trail—really a road—is on the National Register...
The Little Econ Greenway trail is just one section of the Orlando area's many fine trails. features riverside recreation, picnicking, wildlife watching, and canoe trails. It also features a canal...
A rail-trail that's a bit wild and off the beaten path, the Flagler Trail runs for around fourteen miles through rural Seminole County, to the northwest of Orlando. Nearly the entirety of the trail is...
When complete, the East Central Regional Rail Trail will extend more than 50 miles between DeBary and Edgewater with another segment to Titusville. The trail will connect urban centers with the...
The Titusville Multi-Use Trail, also known as the Wuesthoff Trail, is a short and pleasant paved path located in the southern outskirts of the city of Titusville. The trail runs through Wuesthoff Park...
The Route A1A Trail runs along the west side of Route A1A in Indian River County, FL, linking the barrier islands off the coast of Vero Beach. There are numerous driveway and road crossings, and in...
When complete, the East Central Regional Rail Trail will extend more than 50 miles between DeBary and Edgewater with another segment to Titusville. The trail will connect urban centers with the...
The Historic Jungle trail winds for nearly 8 miles along a sandy road through the hammock habitat of Florida's barrier islands north of Vero Beach. The trail—really a road—is on the National Register...
The Titusville Multi-Use Trail, also known as the Wuesthoff Trail, is a short and pleasant paved path located in the southern outskirts of the city of Titusville. The trail runs through Wuesthoff Park...
A rail-trail that's a bit wild and off the beaten path, the Flagler Trail runs for around fourteen miles through rural Seminole County, to the northwest of Orlando. Nearly the entirety of the trail is...
The Little Econ Greenway trail is just one section of the Orlando area's many fine trails. features riverside recreation, picnicking, wildlife watching, and canoe trails. It also features a canal...
The Route A1A Trail runs along the west side of Route A1A in Indian River County, FL, linking the barrier islands off the coast of Vero Beach. There are numerous driveway and road crossings, and in...
Beautiful winding route. This is not a "trail" as you may imagine but an unpaved sand/gravel road. I biked this yesterday, arriving from the south on A1A. There was minimal vehicle traffic on the jungle trail. After turning on to Winter road, drive for about a mile and the road becomes gravel. Travel a bit more and there ARE designated parking spots next to a white building. The trail is mostly shaded, and there are some sandy spots and but nothing too obstructive. At the north entrance, there is parking at Pelcian Island Refuge (also a bathroom, water fountain). If you are feeling more adventurous, check out the trails within Pelican Island. There are two 3 mile loop trails, and an observation tower. Pack plenty of water and sunscreen!!!
I set out early for a ride on the A1A trail, parking at the North Spessard Holland Beach Park and crossing highway A1A to reach the trail, here a wide concrete sidewalk. In half a mile the surface changes to smooth asphalt, which continues for 16 miles down to Sebastian Inlet. It's unshaded, open to sun and wind, with numerous driveways and occasional cross streets. But it's the only long stretch of off-road trail in Brevard County, and maybe in the counties to the south. It lacks the seclusion of a rail trail, but has many points of interest along the way.
East coast Florida has few rail trails, partly because of the Florida East Coast Railroad. FEC doesn't like to abandon track- they just keep on using it. Say what you like about their union busting tactics, but they are survivors.
A1A trail doesn't stop in Brevard. If I crossed the bridge at the inlet, I could continue across Indian River County, through Wabasso and Vero Beach, on into St. Lucie County. Here Ft. Pierce inlet interrupts the barrier island, forcing the A1A trail inland to join US 1- fifty miles from the its nominal beginning at Ocean Avenue in Melbourne Beach. The highway also has bike lane or a fairly wide margin lane nearly all this distance, frequently ridden by faster-moving cyclists.
A long wooded stretch starts in Wabasso, shading the trail by mid-afternoon, though also channeling the wind north or south. There are connections to city bikeways in Melbourne and Vero Beach. South of Vero the woods thin out. Past Round Island Park, the trail has little or no shade. Highway traffic thins out in south Brevard and again in Indian River county south of Vero Beach.
Pedaling south from Melbourne Beach, I soon passed the Ponce de Leon landing site park, where an amateur historian claimed the European discovery of Florida actually happened. He studied de Leon's logbooks and attempted to replicate his voyage, making landfall near this park. (The accepted landing site is 150 miles north near St. Augustine.)
Florida Power was out early today, too, blocking half a dozen sections of the trail. But the flagmen were courteous and mindful of bicycles. One stopped oncoming traffic to let me pass; another waved me through inside his line of pylons.
Half a mile further on, the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge stretched across the barrier island, with entrances to the right and across A1A to the left. Professor Carr promoted sea turtle conservation and protection before the term "ecology" was coined.
Further on, signs pointed to the recently opened Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park, off to the right on the lagoon side. I wasn't familiar with the preserve, but was watching for signs to Honest John's Fish Camp, where I used to take my daughter fishing decades ago. Had it been swallowed up in some new housing development?
I needn't have worried. Honest John's is still there, surrounded by a preserve which includes a broad swath of the barrier island as well as the archipelago of spoil islands where camp customers usually fish. It's a magical place early in the morning, with pelicans roosting high in the branches of the Australian pines.
South of the park, I turned back, still some miles north of the inlet. Between different rides, I've ridden most of the trail twice or more. Never crossed the Sebastian Inlet Bridge by bike, but it looks safe, with a narrow margin lane and a narrow concrete walkway. Traffic here is usually light.
South of the inlet park, the trail runs along the lagoon shore for two miles, passing a stretch of shallows favored by wade fishermen. As you enter the wooded area north of Wabasso, a sign points to the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (the nation's oldest) and the northern end of the Historic Jungle Trail. This is an eight mile dirt road, mostly hard packed, close to the shore of the lagoon. The refuge has walking trails and an overlook for viewing Pelican Island.
Separated from the jungle trail by woods, A1A trail continues past scores of riverside developments, mostly fenced and gated, with tall trees and brush shading the trail to the west. There's a pretty public beach at Wabasso, beachside restaurants in Vero, and a pleasant stopping place at Round Island Park with beach access to the east and a riverside/island park on the west.
Six miles further south, A1A and the trail turn west toward the mainland, and Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park provides access to the inlet and the lagoon.
I haven't mentioned all the fourteen beach parks along A1A trail, nor all the seven parks and refuges on the lagoon side. The end points are arbitrary. You can bike north from Melbourne Beach along partly urban sidewalk on A1A as far as Patrick AFB. Or ride the bike lane, if you dare, in this heavily trafficked stretch. And there may be biking possibilities southward along US 1 in Ft. Pierce, where A1A crosses to the barrier island again.
This trail does not end at Draa Road in Titusville. If you keep following the path, you'll cross over Garden Street, on an old train bridge (I believe), and ends up at Boggs Gases on Main Street in Old Downtown Titusville. The city has even created huge bike lanes through old town for cyclists. The lanes are as wide as car lanes!
The length of the trailer is less than 5 miles not 15. Otherwise it's a beautiful trail the stretch the legs along with the tires on your bike for a brief distance.
I live at the western end of the trail, and use it daily. It's beautiful, challenging, and awesome!
I was vastly disappointed since the Jungle "Trail" is a road. Now everyone can see "nature" from their car. The Trail link gave no map of the actual trails in the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. This is the oldest wildlife refuge in the country, and although they say it was expanded over the years it feels like the opposite since there is so little access to water areas. And so little care is taken of anything but the restrooms and parking areas. Trails are in circles. Very little birding in Captain Forster Hammock. Fort Pierce Inlet State Park directly on the inlet has a tiny trail with a few things to see that is better than this one.
I parked at the Post Office in Osteen just off the trail and Rt. 415. I had done much of the western section and the Spring to Spring Trail some years ago. This was a lovely bike ride of about 6 miles round trip back to the bridge. I ran into 2 impressive Sandhill Cranes midway right on the trail. Youker
I ride, run and walk the trail in Edgewater. It is smooth and almost level. The bridge is good for a little cardio. I live very near and the trail will eventually abut my property. I can't wait. Right now I have to load bikes, if I ride, and drive up the road to the trail head.
Cow Creek Rd is not comfortable to ride or run on due to the large trucks from the quarry. So the new survey stakes are a pleasant sign of progress. Hopefully, I will soon be greeting folks from my backyard.
I convinced several of my friends from all over Volusia to meet me at the trail head on weekend mornings, so now we ride together quite often. It continues to be a most pleasurable experience.
The trail is well used, but not crowded. I have made new friends and renewed some old friendships on this trail.
Jan 2nd 2017. Started out from Publix off Providence around 10am. Headed east. Nice paved path with lots of shade. Beautiful, quiet rural setting with small ranch homes and horses. We rode east approx 10 miles and turned around and came back. Lots of bikers and families on the trail.
We really enjoyed it....want to come back and ride the complete trail....GREAT FUN!!!
This was our first experience on a rail trail and we are addicted! The quiet and trees were sublime after 40 years of riding cityscapes. The number of families we saw with training-wheeled bikes tell us this movement has a future.
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