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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.
We parked at the Larry M Carrol Memorial Park in Baldwin, where we used the restrooms in the restored depot. We first rode to the Brandy Branch Road trailhead before turning around and riding 7 miles back towards Jacksonville and then returning to Baldwin.
The trail is in great shape, and is shaded most of the way. People were friendly and polite. As the description cautions to beware of coral snakes I kept an eye out, but still nearly ran over a little rough green snake on the path. He was as surprised as me. I understand coral snakes do not strike, but must chew their way into your flesh, so I sure wouldn’t let any fear of them detour me from this beautiful trail.
It appears the map for this trail needs updated. Per directions, we drove 8 miles from Palatka on 100 to find a parking area, not realizing we were paralleling the trail that must now connect to the town of Palatka. On the return drive we passed a parking area only 3 miles from the town. The trail itself was quite nice. We rode 14 miles round trip, but would have appreciated restroom facilities somewhere along the trail. The trail was smooth and flat, passing forest and field.
I like rural trails because they typically feature longer uninterrupted stretches, interesting scenery and are quiet. This is not the case with this trail.
While the surface of the Nature Coast trail is in generally excellent condition, the trail is set too close to highways heavily traveled by semis and logging trucks, as well as general traffic. If you want to ride and enjoy the sounds of nature, forget this trail.
Started about 6 miles east of Roberts Lane trailhead. Parking available off Rt. 100. Rode west to Holloway, then north to Etoniah Creek forest entrance, then east and south on hard dirt road back to trail. Had lunch at the only picnic table or bench we came across on the whole ride.
Trail is flooded at the 22 mile marker (from the start point at Palatka) since Hurricane Irma in Oct 2018 . About 10-12 inches deep and 100 yards. Okay for a mountain bike IF you keep your speed up and don't worry about wet feet. But the grade there will need improvement by the state.
My wife and I rode from the Twin Lake Soccer field eastward to the flooded area and then westward back to route 100 at the 32 mile marker. 20 miles total. Enjoyed the ride very much. The trail overall is in great shape and very smooth. Low traffic and under utilized compared to the Baldwin trail. Great asset for the region.
Nice trail. Smooth surface and wide. We went cycling after a few days of rain and wind, so the trail had a significant amount of debris on it (sycamore gumballs, branches, twigs etc.). We were on road bikes, so it wasn't the best day to cycle the trail. We look forward to cycling it again when pathway is clearer.
We stayed the night in a nearby motel and this trail was a blessing after a day driving. Mostly flat, well paved, with only a few roads to cross with due caution. Perfect January weather helped!
Enjoyed the ride very much. The trail overall is in great shape and very smooth. Our only issue was after starting in Keystone Heights heading toward Palatka, the trail was completely underwater and impassable after only 7 miles so we had to turn around. I would put in on the Palatka end next time.
I rode from "downtown" Keystone Heights east through Florahome and onward through the new section of trail. I stopped at the 8 mile trail marker and think the trail is finished through to Palatka but had to turn back due to lack of time.
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