Find the top rated birding trails in Palatka, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Awesome trail. Great place to bike and enjoy the sites. Just needs more critters 🐿¿.
My wife and I took a three week bike trip in late winter 2025 and did 10 trails in 5 different states and the Marjorie Harris was by far the best trail of the trip. It didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect with sunshine and 73 degrees. But the trail was in great shape with plenty of small ups and downs and turns through beautiful wooded areas. It was mid week so not too busy with other riders, but the trail is nice and wide so oncoming and passing is not a problem. It did look like a popular spot for club riders though. Lots of incumbents. People were friendly. The only negative….it’s too short. We would have done 20 miles if the MH ran that far. So ride, don’t walk and put this trail on your bucket list.
We got to the trailhead on Colbert Lane today and as we drove by the entrance to the trail it was all blocked off. When we got to the trailhead where we would park our cars, there was no indication that the trailhead was closed or where you could go to get on it. There’s also no indication as to how long this would be closed. I understand the bridge is out.
This is a review of the 3 mile segment of this trail between Highbanks Road and US17/92. I walk this segment back and forth 3 times a week - 6 miles total a day. I really like it because it's close to my home and is probably the least busy of the trails in the area. It has become very frustrating lately however, because maintenance (which I've been informed is the responsibility of the City of DeBary and not Volusia County) is virtually non-existent. The grass is seldom mowed and when it is, any trash encountered is just chopped and left. The section that runs parallel to US17/92 reminds one more of the county dump than a recreational trail. Most distressing however is the fact it has become a convenient shortcut for motorized vehicles. Point this out to the offenders zipping along and you open yourself up to all kinds of verbal abuse, and today to something that bordered on a personal threat. There never has been signage reminding users of basic trail etiquette and courtesies, and most of the "NO Motorized Vehicles" signs have been knocked down. Too bad because over the three miles there are twists and turns and elevation changes along with unique viewing opportunities - wildlife, trains, wetlands.
There really wasn't any good parking at the north end of this trail so I went down to the south end where is a nice park and hiking trails. The bike trail starts out good, looks newer, wide and smooth. However in the 5 miles I road north, there not only is construction going on at most of the intersections, the intersections are 4-6 lanes and not always do the buttons to get the walk signal worked. Not real safe. I don't recomment it, at least starting from the south trailhead. Mayby at the north going south is better....
Beautiful April day in Florida. Drove to this trail and the park the description says to park at was closed today (?) so I parked across the Kingsley on a side street, about 3 blocks from the trail.
The trail is a nice with rolling rise and falls, almost exactly 4.5 miles to the end where the road makes a right. There are alot of side strets that T into the road next to the trail but they it was not busy at all. Not a terribly long ride but a nice one!
This is a terrific ride on paved trail through shaded natural landscapes. Pine and live oak uplands and cypress swamps. The trail bed is in very good condition except for some minor root bumps here and there. Enjoyed the challenge of some long but gentle hills near the Gainesville end. We rode hybrid bikes so medium narrow tires and did nearly the entire trail and back again in two and a half hours of actual riding.
We rode the trail from the Florahome trailhead to the Keystone Heights trailhead. This section of the trail is paved, smooth, and well maintained. The keystone Heights trailhead is a little off as it’s basically in between a Wendy’s and a CVS store in the dude of a major highway. Before Keystone Heights, the trail goes primarily through trees and wetlands. There is spotty shade in some spots but otherwise full sun. It’s not a trail for summer time.
We ride the entire trail, and it was beautiful. We went later in the afternoon and saw armadillos, alligators, and assorted birds. The trail is great on a bike, and was a lot of fun in addition to the great wildlife. We will ride it again the next time thru the area. We parked at Central Park (free) and road from there.
I am an inline speed skater and a road bike cyclist. I have been skating and biking in over 10 states. This is so far the best trail I have ever been — over 90% distance is shaded, 10 feet wide, most times is very clean, and not hilly at all.
I love riding rail trails because you don’t need to worry about traffic ! Cross over a few roads but nothing major until you get into Gainesville. But there are crossing signals and traffic was good about stopping. Recommend you eat at The Wrap Shack if you ride into Hawthorne.
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