On one hand (like many on here have said) if you enjoy a limited brief ride through the various towns, it is really awesome. Great scenery through the various towns and you could stop for some refreshments and such at many points.

However... if, like me, you want to get on a trail and just really ride and get some miles in, this isn't for you. I saw that it was a 50 mile ride and I was looking forward to a nice long 4 hour ride where i can maintain a certain speed and such. That doesn't happen on this trail, you stop over and over and over at every crosswalk. So you can't really get a good consistent ride in. Also at a lot of the crosswalks there is a small dip built into the pavement which I guess is there to remind you to stop. After a few hours of hitting these over and over I busted a tire... so things didn't end well for me.

So... if you like to get out and train and get some serious mileage in, this isn't for you. If you like a leisurely ride and stop and enjoy the communities then this is a perfect ride for you.

The trail is well kept and again very nice scenery.

The trail was built primarily for the many people who use electric golf carts to get around the island. This means that it is smooth and with few road crossings until you reach the Town of Boca Grande. There is little to see on the ride except for the lighthouse and the pretty town, but it’s a nice way to spend an afternoon

I love this trail! Just be sure to bring sunscreen. Not much in the way of shade but it’s a great run.

Trail is long enough with a mix of paved and gravel trail. Next to the ocean, not busy, Recommended.

Best ¿ ¿¿ way to connect with your Spirit. “Conquer anger with non-anger. .

These reviews are pretty dated. There are two sides of this trail separated by a bridge in the middle. The Clearwater and the Tampa side. The Clearwater side up to the bridge is nice and peaceful. Not a lot of pedestrians. There is a place along the beach to park on the Clearwater side, but it's expensive like $3 for one hour.

After the bridge, you're on the Tampa side. Here's where it goes downhill (no pun intended). It didn't used to be like this. I've lived here for 7 years.
When I first started riding on these trails, their wasn't too many people on them. They understood trail etiquette. You could get a good workout.

The Tampa side was always a little busier, but lately, it's gotten ridiculous. Tons of walkers and SLOW bikers who won't move over no matter how many times you call out. No trail etiquette. Kids play in the middle of the trail and their parents could care less. They let their kids run out in the middle of the trail no matter who is flying by.

Those two parts of the trail are only 7 or 8 miles long before you have to cross traffic. The park at the end on the Tampa side is dangerous if you're not paying attention. Cars do not watch out for pedestrians when turning into the park. In Tampa, in general, cars have NO respect for bike riders or pedestrians.

The trail continues on, but you have to cross a few dangerous intersections. You get to a concrete trail alongside the bay. It's hard to see around the corners, so you can't ride too fast. Again, not the best for road cyclists. It continues after the intersection that goes to the Hyatt. This last part of the trail is very bumpy. Not a smooth ride unless you have a cruiser or mountain bike.

If you're a serious road cyclist, I wouldn't bother coming here. It will be hard to get a good work out.

Pretty nice trail. Except for one strip, it’s probably more suited for walking than riding as it has some sharp curves

It's a good warm-up for the Legacy Trail, as well as adding 12 miles to the round trip of the link-up of both.

My wife and I were in Sarasota for only the day ….we rode the new rail/trail from Sarasota to Bee Ridge……very flat and nice stop/go street crossings! Wished we had more time to travel the entire length to Venice!! We’ll be back!!