Find the top rated birding trails in South Venice, 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.
Took off early afternoon on a cool sunny Saturday. Trail was very nice, crossed over the canal on a few bridges, saw lots of waterfowl. Minimal traffic on trail with a few busy road crossings with crosswalks. A very enjoyable ride total 12.6 miles or so.
This is a side walk and it’s mostly in disarray. At some points you can only travel 70 ft before slowing or stopping at driveways. Not recommended
My wife and I drove in from Orlando to give this trail a try since it had such high reviews. It was straight and flat so I thought it would be quite boring but actually enjoyed it quite a bit as the it was so beautiful and well maintained the entire way. We were particularly delighted to see how seamlessly this trail connected with the Venetian Waterway Park trail which added another 9 miles to our ride. So beginning at the far north parking lot for the Legacy Trail we rode south to the historic Venice Train Station where it then connects to the Venetian Waterway Park. Once we arrived bock to our car it was a 29 mile round trip. We loved it!
Yes it's short but I loved this trail. I also rode the neighborhood to see all the houses on the island. Public beach on end is also nice. Cute downtown let's you know you are on vacation
We loved that we were by the waterway the whole time. We opted to start at the Historic Train Depot and then cross over the S. Tamiami Trail drawbridge to go on the West side of the trail so we could cut over to Caspersen Beach at the end of the trail. Nice 8.5 miles down and back. We did it on longboards. Were we prefer smooth asphalt trails or at least longer sections of concrete before each crack... this was not a deal breaker and will be a do again. (Explanation: The sidewalk had small sections of concrete, separated by cracks vs larger sections of concrete before the crack. The cracks were slightly larger than other trails we've been on so it made for a little bumpier ride - again we are on longboards, bikes probably would not feel the difference.)
Simple, it’s lame. Nothing to see here on the island. In spots the path is poorly maintained. Take the time and go to Sanibel Island.
Parked at the light house on the south end, rode up to the wildlife preserve, paid the $1 entrance fee and took full advantage of the one-way road that cars can only trace 15 mph on. It’s a scenic and fast side trip from the regular bike paths. Popped back out on the bike path and continued to Captiva where the road ends. Returned, went as far as Rabbit Rd and took the route along the west side of the island back to the lighthouse.... about 34 miles
But what’s in between is maybe a bit dull. Long path next to main road. Yes it’s nicely paved so a smooth ride but it does not give much scenic views. So like some already suggested wonder off the path a bit for some more scenic views.
Rode this trail with our 9-year old son. We parked right off the trail at the northern end at the Culverhouse Nature Park parking lot. We started in the early afternoon on an 86-degree sunny day. If we had to do it over we would have started later to get a bit more shade as the sun would have been lower in the sky. Having said that, somehow we completed the whole trail. Our previous record was only 11 miles! This trail has lots of stops with cover, which really helped. A handful of port a lets throughout the trail; but seemed to be more concentrated towards the northern half. Just a couple of bridges over some roads that my wife and 9-year old son walked their bikes up. I wasn't super impressed with the Depot. We looked around for a few minutes, hydrated, and headed back.
I tried this on a Sunday afternoon expecting to encounter a bit of traffic but really no traffic at all ! Pleasant, flat quiet ride next to the canal and RR with benches and picnic tables all along the route. Saw an alligator and misc birds and wildlife along the way. Parked at the Home Depot on 6 mile Cypress and 41 .....short ride from there to trail.. Will def do again!
Have done all trails in West Fl. This trail is flat, has many evasive plants and has little to no cover. It’s a narrow trail and there are many better trails on west coast.
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