Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Englewood, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Loved the trail and I rate it as 3.5 stars for a trail to visit. As a roadie and as a local, I would give it 5 stars. Few crossings so you can cruise (speed limit is 15 mph).
Did not see the water fountains every mile, but many restrooms (port-a-johns).
Kind of a boring trail for some.
Did see 3 rabbits, 3 tortoise a black racer snake and I believe 4 scrub jays.
Camped overnight on the island and did two days of casual bike riding. Trails are awesome, they even have water fountains.
I stumbled upon this trail in March as I was driving around wasting an afternoon while it was raining, and found that I was pleasantly surprised by it when I brought my bike back a few days later. The trail was extremely smooth, with easy crossings at the few streets that you encounter. There are several places to stop and rest if you need. Most of the trail is lined by trees, which helps knock down the wind and provides much needed shade from the hot Florida sun!
One of the things that I look for most in a trail is if I can use the ride as a good workout. The Cape Haze Pioneer Trail most certainly provides that!
There is plenty of parking at a trail head just south of SR 776-Gasparilla Road, that also has restroom facilities.
I rode this trail multiple times during March, and decided that I am not so much of a fan. The trail is wide open next to the waterway, which gives some cool views of boats passing by, but the concrete pavement seams provide a nearly constant pounding in your hands and arms as you are riding. The trail winds south along the waterway from the Venice Depot, and easily connects to the Legacy Trail which is a MUCH better option...in my opinion.
I rode this trail several times during late March, and found it to be one of my favorite trails. As others have noted in their reviews, most of the trail from Venice to the northern end is in a typical rural Florida setting. The trail is very flat, which allows you to get your speed up for a good workout. A few of the cross streets have signals to help you cross, but the crossings also have pretty wide open views and you can keep going if no traffic is present.
The trail has several places to rest if needed, and you can also access the Oscar Sherer State Park from the trail. One stop on the northern portion of the trail has an area that you can work on your bike if you need. Some of the best news, is that there are plans for expanding the trail further north to Sarasota, and south towards North Port.
Excellent trail located in a city environment. Wide bike and pedestrian asphalt roadway. Good chance to see a variety of waterfowl along the canal.
Starting at the NW Trailhead Colonial Blvd and Ortiz, there is a three mile section heading west that is completely off road and a very nice canal ride. Two road crossings. At that point I encountered a sign claiming the trail ended. I made my way south on Metro Pkwy in a well marked bike lane turning left (west) on Colonial Blvd for a block before getting on the Yarbrough trail again (TenMile Canal). At Daniels Pkwy there is a section that advises going down the the crossing lane, and since it is a very busy and wide Pkwy, I followed that advise. Back on the canal the trail continues to the technical end at the 6 Mile Cypress Pkwy. I continued to ride it back up to my original start for a 19+ mile ride.
Loved the trail and the wildlife and flora along the trail. I chased a two foot long iguana for a short time, until it finally heard me coming up behind.
It's a well maintained trail, and well used. A great ride.
We picked a great 1st time ride for Florida! Legacy Trail was well maintained and such a different scene from the Midwest trails. We rented from Popcycles near top end of trail. Easy 10 minutes on sidewalk to trail head. 2 thumbs up!
Some shade on northern half depending on time of day. Phillips Park about mid island is a good place to park.
We rode from St James to the middle of Pine Island. The trail was just okay. Nice cement sidewalk along side the highway. Not a lot to see. However, beyond the trail in St James we had the best seafood gumbo ever at The Waterfront Inn Restaurant and the Key Lime Pie was to die for!!
After riding the Pinellas Trail with its urban like intersections, this trail was a relief. The Trailhead at the Historic Venice Depot was clean with lots of parking midday on a Wed in Jan. We chose going north on the Legacy due to the wind that was blowing about 15-17 mph versus go south on the water. We were so pleased at the low number of intersections (<5) and few of these had traffic. There were 2 high bridges that provided some exercise going up and some potential air coming down if you are going too fast. The terrain was mainly countryside with few buildings which I enjoy. The trail had plenty of rest stops with shade and rarely did we see one empty. There is no food on this route to buy so pack a lunch or a snack. Maps and signage were present as well. I highly recommend this route, especially if you don’t want an urban feel and like to ride continuously. Slow or fast it’s a good ride for 20 miles up and back. Lunch in Venice was a treat!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
