Find the top rated horseback riding trails in Florida, whether you're looking for an easy short horseback riding trail or a long horseback riding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a horseback riding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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.
WoW what a fantastic trail. We started our journey in Baldwin at the trailhead which is a former rail station. WE traveled towards Jacksonville. The trail offers great sights. The trail is flat as well as paved. The trail cuts through wooded areas that offer a ton of wild life. We saw a Black Snake (actual name as well as color) not poisonous, Turkeys, Turtles, Eagles. We did not expect this trail to be as good as it is. Take water on this trip. There are rest areas about every five miles apart. We rode the trail in April on a sunny and 85 degree day. We found other cyclist on this trail to be natives and very friendly and glad to have out of towners riding the trail. This is a connector trail and even though the traffic at times was heavy it was always well spaced apart. Enjoy this one.
We rode this trail in March, 2019 and would like to share some observations. The trail has great potential, connecting four state parks. Personally, when I ride it again, I would stick to the western section beginning just east of Grayton Beach SP to Topsail SP. The eastern section has over one hundred driveways and an annoying surface including paver bricks and sidewalk. In addition, the Seaside and Seagrove Beach areas were very congested and I had to walk my bike through crowds of people. To be fair though, it was during spring break.
This is a fine trail. I don’t understand why the other writer rated it so low. The surface is in excellent condition, there appears to be a low threat of any crime, and most of the trail is near woods or fields with no car traffic nearby. The only downside is the hot location in Florida. This is a perfect winter trail.
Gayle's trails is actually four different interconnected trails, each interesting. I suggest that you park in Frank Brown Park, which has bathrooms and water. The park also is the trail head and has a very useful map of the trail system.
The northwestern start of the trail is at the Dollar Store in Sopchoppy. I suggest you park at the old train station/museum two blocks west, which also has modern rest rooms and water. There are NO facilities (not even a bench) along the trail. There is one trail head at the intersection of the trail and US 98.
Another trail I hesitated doing because of the short distance, but I was able to create a 12 mile ride loop out of it.
I had considered riding down the sidewalk from Daytona beach to this trail but I was very glad I did not. The sidewalk there is very narrow and lots of dips for driveways, and lots of road crossings. I did park slightly north of the trail head when I found a section of free angle in parking at an area where the sidewalk/trail was much wider. This was in Wilbur. I soon discovered I was only a few blocks from a big parking lot with restrooms on the corner of Toronita and Atlantic ave "Toronita Avenue Park" mid week in off season there was plenty of parking.
There is one entrance to Ponce Preserve along the trail and I stopped to take a photo of the trail map. It looked like a very sandy trail and hot as it was on the interior. Will have to save that for a hiking day.
You can continue all the way down to Lighthouse point park which was fun to explore, it had some interior shady trails, and great views of the inlet. There are boardwalks to the breakwater that people were riding their bikes on. People can park cars on the beach there so it may be hard enough to ride a bike.
I continued back north on S Peninsula drive which was very shady and not much traffic. No problems riding on the road. Soon a sidewalk appeared and I switched over to riding on the small sidewalk. There are several beautiful parks you can access from Peninsula, including Timucuan Oaks Garden a mix of formal garden and then a boarwalk out to a creek, and the other side of Ponce Preserve, but unfortunately their boardwalk out to the intercoastal was closed that day.
It would not be a good ride on a road bike, though I did see some in the streets. If you are out for a casual ride, and have a hybrid or mountain bike there is lots to see and do. Just get off the sidewalk and explore!
A fun adventure I almost did not come because of the short mileage but discovered a gem of a park and ended up completing 7.7 miles in exploring the park and trail.
Inside the park the trail is not marked, I just rode on the hardpacked shell roads and explored, outside the park entrance, there is a beautiful concrete wide trail that is totally shaded, a beautiful gem but that section is short.
I parked inside the Tomoka state park (do have to pay a fee to enter) at the "Tomoka Outpost" which unfortunately is closed on Wednesday as it seemed to have everything. The restrooms were open, and the view of the river/intercoastal was fantastic.
Parking was confusing at first, by the outpost most of the parking spaces are for cars with boat trailers as that is also the boat launch. Right next to the building they reserve a bunch of spots for customers/quick drop offs. There is a lot more parking right across the streets but no signs to direct you there.
I first road north on the hard packed crushed rock/sand road and had no problems on my hybrid bike. I even rode my bike on the nature trail (on one end marked .5 miles and on the other end marked 1 mile) it was hard packed and just wide enough for the hybrid. I explored several side roads, one leads to picnic areas on the intercoastal and that road has some big dips that could fill with water but must drain fast as it rained the night before and they were dry but muddy for my ride, I could easily avoid on the edges. The other side road leads down to the RV camping area.
Upon leaving the park entrance, you cross the road and that is where the concrete and totally shady trail is. Beautiful but that section is short.
You can continue on down N Beach street on a sidewalk all the way to Ormond Beach at W Granada Blvd. You don't have views of the intercoastal but the houses are nice and it could make for a nice ride. There are some pretty gardens at Granada Blvd and you can also connect to the Halifax River trail (really a sidewalk but with an intercoastal river view)
I only take 1 star away for the lack of signage, and its a fun adventure on a hybrid bike or mountain bike. Not a road bike trail.
This is an easy trail and the town people are friendly. Hurricane Michael devastated this area. Riding this trail will make you realize how powerful a category 4-5 hurricane really is. Blountstown is more than 60 miles from the coast and Michael still landed a major blow here. Hats off to the folks that cleared this trail! Still nice but not as much shade for reasons you will discover!
This was the first time I have ridden the trail all the way from New Smyrna Beach to Titusville. Overall the trail is flat, straight, and the pavement excellent. There are very few road crossings in the Volusia County portion of the trail. But in the Brevard County portion, there are many road crossings, some that are very treacherous. Also there are benches along the trail in Volusia County and none in Brevard County. Much of the trail is through the woods and beautiful but as you get to Mims the trail parallels US1 and is not nearly as scenic. Overall, a great place to ride if you use caution on the crossings in Brevard. Being flat and straight, it lacks a signature feature like a tunnel or viaduct. There is really nothing that makes you want to go and ride the trail as a destination. I give it 9 gears on a 10 speed cassette.
Attended the ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday 6 April, 2019. About 200 people...riders, trail group pavilions, dignitaries, and trail friends. Official opening of the last link from Spuds thru Hastings to the rest of the segment starting west of Hastings. Beautiful run. Got a newly broken in 40.6 mile bike saddle butt on the new Palatka to St Augustine State Trail, which will become another finished segment of the St Johns River 2 Sea Loop, a 250 mile loop in north central Florida.
Parked in Hastings FL and went east out first to the end of segment near I-95 heading towards St Augustine 24.2 miles out and back. Then headed west to the trailhead in Palatka. 16.4 miles out and back. Little sore in the saddle the last few miles. Overall. A great day, and a new daily distance record. 283 total miles recorded in the first two months of trail biking in central Florida. Mostly rails to trails corridors.
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