This trail is nearest to my home. It is a MUP that is lightly used for local folks, including me, who either walk, run or cycle. Savanah State Park is immediately to the east of this path, which has allowed me to see some wildlife a few times. The highlights have been one hog on the other side of the fence and two alligators on the actual Green River Parkway (GRP) path itself. One was a baby gator sunning himself as I cycled by and the other was about a 5-6 foot gator walking south as I was cycling north. It was pre-dawn, and my spotlight was not bright enough for me to see him far out. By the time I saw him, I was too close to try to turn back. So I rode right by him... he couldn't care less about me and kept going.

I say it's good for locals and gave the path a 3 of 5 stars for a few reasons:
1. There's little to no shade.
2. The Savanah State Park is next to the path, but the road is on the other side of the path. So it feels more like a sidewalk than a nature walk. I consider that a neutral aspect of the path, rather than a negative aspect.
2. The southern 1/3 of the path is relatively smooth, which is on the Martin County side of the path. But the northern St. Lucie County 2/3 of the path is quite bumpy. There are constant dips and imperfections in the surface of the path. I'd say this section is better for foot traffic or casual cycling, rather than serious road cycling. A bike with some shock absorption would be preferred. It's very frustrating for those of us who are avid road cyclists because it would be a perfect location to train intervals with a smoother surface. The uneven surface makes it difficult to feel like you can settle in for the ride.
3. Another neutral feacher of this path is that it starts nowhere and leads to nowhere. It doesn't connect any point of interest to any other point of interest. Yes, the Savanah SP is next to it and just north of it, but there is no access to the northern section unless you have a car. There is no sidewalk or bike lane on that road to the north of the GRP.
4. There are three nice "rest areas" with benches and bike racks, but there is no access to water or facilities. You must bring your own.

FYI: There is about a one mile southern extension of this path that is a concrete sidewalk from Jensen Beach Blvd. to Baker Road. This sidewalk is smoother than the asphalt GRP on St. Lucie County side. South of Baker Road, there is a bike lane on the street that goes about another half mile to Wright Blvd.

So the GRP is adequate if you are nearby, but I would not travel out of my way to visit this path. That being said, I'm glad we have it, especially when I want a short ride during rush hour traffic.

We started the trail at Moore Haven, Alvin Ward Park. We headed toward Lake Harbor but there was construction after 11 miles so we had to turn back. The ride there was beautiful. We were up on the levee road with waterways on both sides. The trail was absolutely flat with no elevation. There was a variety of birds to be seen along with alligators. There is no shade so put your sunscreen on and take plenty of water. We really enjoyed this ride and wish we could’ve made it all the way to Lake Harbor.

Wasn’t exactly what we thought but was OK. Paved sections were nice but gravel parts can get tough. My wife and I both got flats on an all day ride. We have never both went flat and ran into another couple who had a flat as well. Not sure why or what caused them but both had small needle point punctures in a few places. The lake is not what we expected as you ride on top of a berm and your few is mainly weeds and saw grass. There are parts of the trail that take you well away from the lake as well.Was an OK ride but not one I’d drive to just to do,

Last weekend we have a marvelous Sunday experience in this trail. It has everything and more ...toilets, beautiful river view, parking and access to the river. The sand is OK and in the pavement part is almost without traffic. 5 stars for this trail.

WoW, We rode this trail in April on a clear sunny day. My third trail in Florida and this one was my favorite. The scenic value is fantastic. The trail is a sand trail but was well compacted. We started out at the trailhead and instantly we were hit with fantastic sights. A ton of wildlife coupled with tropical vegetation that I could only describe as a tropical dessert. The trail is in between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean and sights of each. The trail is well labeled. Bring extra water on this ride. Not much area for shade. Short ride but I am sure you will find yourself like us and just slowed it down and took it in.

The number of negative reviews had me apprehensive, but I wanted to give it a try since I live about 70 miles from Clewiston on the Gulf Coast. I am writing in part because no one seems to be writing anything positive. Today, I did the trail from Moore Haven to Lake Harbor, about 20 miles. Except for one screwy detour in Clewiston (someone spray painted ‘LOST’ on the pavement to show how to get around some very stupid fencing), the journey was a pleasant one. This section is paved. The most important thing to note is that this is the best way to see Lake ‘O’, because you are elevated 20-30 feet above the Lake as you traverse the top of the dike. Lake ‘O’ is not a conventional lake, with lots of tall vegetation and no shoreline. When you drive by car (or boat along the Rim Canal), you see nothing to speak of- just the dike and tall vegetation. With the elevation, you can see over that vegetation. I saw plenty of birds and probably a hundred alligators (safely down below the path!) This path does not get enough good press. The pavement was smooth and pleasant. Of course, you have zero chance for shade, so be prepared for that. I will be trying out all the paved sections first and then I’ll take my chances on the rest of it.

Daughter, grandaughter & I (dad) took south turn off #510. Few signs, but found our way. Took left turn heading east over #a1a & short trail to beach. Tide was out, no signs saying we couldn't or could ride - we chose the latter.
Surprised a few walkers, flushed 50+ birds, sand beach was hard enough to support our wide tires. Such a pleasant surprise for a ride we had no knowledge about until we just did it. Would have given 5 stars if signage was a little better & parking areas were available. Found the site today & now we will head north to finish the entire bike hike. "Just do it"! ¿ ¿ ¿

I heard from a friend that the trail was now open all the way to Fellsmere, so went to check it out. The gate into the St. Sebastian River Preserve had been modified to leave an opening for pedestrians and bicycles. West of the gate, the trail was a bumpy dirt track, mostly hard packed and grassy. As I approached a wider cross track marked Red Trail, it had long patches of soft white sand. From the crossing, I could see long patches of white all the way to the vanishing point, so I turned back- too soft for my hybrid bike. It might be OK for a mountain bike or beach cruiser.

Going back east, I followed the trail to its junction with the Sebastian Greenway at the county highway 512 and continued into Sebastian, a stretch I had not ridden before. The Greenway was just wide sidewalk for a mile or so, then was set back from the highway behind a belt of tall cedars, set close like a hedge; it continued like this all the way to the FEC tracks beside US 1. Apparently the cedars were planted on the original railroad grade, up to two feet above the level of the trail. They screen the trail from traffic noise and provide a lot of shade early in the day. There are several street crossings, but the busier ones have traffic signals and walk lights.

Trans-Florida Central Railroad Trail: So read the lettering on a new pedestrian overpass spanning I-95. I'd never heard of it, and couldn't find it on the internet, so I decided to drive down and check it out.

I started at the Fellsmere Trailhead Preserve, just west of I-95 on highway 512. A young mother was watching her child on the playground as I unloaded my folding bike. Inside the shelter I found restrooms and a wall map of the Regional Greenway, which includes the rail trail (see pictures).

Pedaling around the trailhead, I saw no way to the trail until I came to a hard packed sand roadway leading north from the entry road. A road grader operator confirmed that this was the way to the overpass.

At the trail, packed sand gave way to a hard gravel surface with pinewoods on either side. I turned left, to find the end of the trail at a locked gate. Here the old railbed led straight west, through the woods of the St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park towards Fellsmere.

Turning around, I pedaled a half mile eastward to the paved section, twelve feet wide, beginning at the approach to the overpass. Out to the left were several structures of the FIT Challenge Course: horizontal rope nets, wooden walls to scale- challenges I might have tried half a century ago.

Descending the overpass, the trail turned a few degrees south of east and ran board-straight between stands of tall pine to the vanishing point. Not much shade; a summer afternoon sun would shine straight down the trail, and this morning there were only a few patches of broken shade.

It was busy on this Saturday morning- two couples walking abreast, pushing a tandem stroller; two young girls walking a huge, furry poodle-ish dog; other couples and individuals pedaling or strolling. The mile and a half of pavement led to North County Regional Park and its large, well attended swimming pool. I could hear shouts and splashes as I passed. A trailhead shelter here was closed.

From the pavement's end, a nicely wooded mile of gravel trail meandered through thick woods, over several boardwalks across the wetter places and through an oak hammock with some magnificent trees. I passed a young lady jogger, then a fast moving male cyclist, who confirmed that the trail ran on into Sebastian.

It popped out of the woods at a bridge over an arm of the St. Sebastian River, where it joined a wide sidewalk on highway 512, continuing the Regional Greenway northeast into town. I didn't have time to ride it, but looked it over by car- a true greenway. More than half its length was set back from the roadway and screened by tall, thick rows of cedar. Some of these sections adjoined neighborhood streets. A number of walkers and cyclists were using it.

Four miles of greenway led from the end of the rail trail to the downtown Sebastian waterfront, at US 1, which boasted a mile of wide bike lanes. A block east, Indian River Drive followed the shore of the Indian River Lagoon, with a half dozen seafood restaurants overlooking the water.

Starting at US 1, a rider could go about six and a half miles to the east end of the existing rail trail. Plans call for the rail trail to extend about three miles further west, into downtown Fellsmere.

Fellsmere has two very authentic Mexican restaurants, one including a bakery, plus a local pizza parlor. Southern comfort food is on offer at the century-old Fellsmere Estates Building, in a small historic district along Broadway St. The town has the oldest operating library in the county, and was the first town in the south where a woman voted in a municipal election.

Despite its imposing name, the Trans-Florida Central Railroad was never more than a feeder for the main rail line along the east coast. It reached about fifteen miles inland, to the St. Johns marshes and the former town of Broadmoor, planned for development but abandoned after a hurricane flooded the area in 1916.

The rails brought lumber and building materials inland to Fellsmere, carrying out whatever products were harvested from the marshy land over the decades- sugar, citrus, potatoes, muck for fertilizer, pulpwood. Early in the last century, passenger service ran four times a day between Fellsmere and Sebastian.

This short rail line buoyed the region's economy for half a century. Its legacy is a pleasant greenway, well used by locals and worth a visit for anyone seeking a leisurely ride.