Find the top rated walking trails in Ocala, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
-trail_134287_st.jpg)
Rode the WST for first time today. Started at the Owensboro trail head and rode 23 miles up to Floral City. So peaceful & quiet especially compared to Suncoast that we did earlier in the week. Was a very nice ride even though we did run into a couple of scary situations. Right where the good neighbor trail intersects with the WST there was a rattle snake on the pavement. Very thankful to the rider that came off the GNT and stopped and pointed it out to us. Without his heads up I likely would have ran over it. The 2nd scary event was coming back to the trailhead we had started at. Somewhere between mile 1 & 2 there were 2 large black dogs that came out of the woods and started going after my wife. Fortunately, I heard her screaming and looked back. 2 dogs chasing her and 1 of them was at her ankles. She got away by having to hit the throttle on the e-bike. Be aware.
I was visiting my friend and Palakta is her home. I started trail at Hitchcock’s grocery store because best place to park to get right on trail. From this location it was 19.3 miles to end of trail. There is one restroom along the way and it’s about 16 miles. There is the town of Hastings that has restaurants etc. and it’s about 8 miles from Palakta. Once at the end of trail, it just ends and you will see the railroad track and that’s it. You are not in the city of St. Augustine. There is no bench or anything.
I rode the southernmost 15 miles which starts in Owensboro, near Dade City. There’s a dirt parking lot there, but no restroom. The trail is smooth asphalt about six feet wide. Beyond that there are trees on both sides. At some points you can see thru the trees and see some ranch like land until you get into the Withlachoochee State forest. About 5 miles into the ride there is a restroom stop. At about 11.4 miles the asphalt gets older and a bit rougher but still is good- no tree roots or potholes. There is limited shade. At mile 15 we got off the trail and had lunch at Brees Riverside cafe. shade
Parked at Bobby Sheppard ball park in Hampton and road 18 miles to Putnam Hall then back. Nice parking at the park, the trail is paved, smooth and has a lot of shade. Road ebikes. Not much bike or ped traffic on trail. Stopped in Keystone Heights at Pangborn Ice Cream!!!
There don't seem to be many outdoor spaces left in crowded central Florida that offer a quiet, removed experience. This trail has it in abundance, however. Running straight as an arrow through grazing lands, forest, and wetlands, it's almost a Zen-like experience as you cruise silently along the miles. Most activity is near to the trail starting points, so after a few miles away from those, you're left to yourself. One of the best, for sure.
We rode about 13 miles of the trail starting at the Chamber of Commerce in Chiefland then traveled West at Wilcox Junction past the Suwannee River where we turned around to our starting point. The trail was wide, paved and easily navigated. Very smooth and the parts we traveled had little to no road noise. Reason for a 4 out of a 5 rating. The trail is absolutely straight with pretty much the same vegetation the whole length. Not real exciting but it is one of those trails you can lay down some uninterrupted miles. Next time in the area we will do additional sections.
The trail has now been paved from Hampton to Keystone, adding at least 7 more miles to the rail trail. A new parking lot was just finished near that trailhead at Bobby Sheppard Ballpark, and it has a water fountain and restrooms. This new section of the trail is shaded by trees, has smooth pavement, and goes through a cypress swamp and behind several farms, and it is separated enough from the highway that it is a really nice ride. You can see where they are starting to pave the next section to the west, which will eventually connect to lake butler.
At the east end of the trail cross Canal St. and make a right. Trail/sidewalk runs along Canal. Cross rt 44 into Venetian Gardens where there is a beautiful path along Harris Lake.
We rode from Croom to the south end of this amazing trail. Smooth asphalt, shaded by a canopy of trees it was a quiet place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.
I just wanted to provide an update to individuals that have used the trail. Construction to pave the trail west from Hampton has started on January 1st from the CSX railroad crossing west across Highway 301 continuing on the former historic Southern Railway / NS right of way.
Very dirty seemed to be people hanging out, possibly living on the trail. A few tents. Sketchy surroundings would not ride alone.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Scan the QR code to get TrailLink on your phone
Map Search
