Florida Coast to Coast Trail (C2C)
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Trail stats
- Distance
- 240.92 mi
- Elevation gain
- 892 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 883 ft
- Max elevation
- 390 ft
- TrailRank
-
67
3.9
- Min elevation
- -119 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Coordinates
- 5393
- Uploaded
- February 6, 2019
- Recorded
- February 2019
near Historic Uptown, Florida (United States)
Viewed 30548 times, downloaded 245 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Waypoints
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Pinellas Trail
When riding west to east C2C starts in St. Petersburg with the Pinellas Trail at 1st Ave S and Bayshore Drive SE, right at the entrance to Demens Landing Park. This well known trail takes you through St. Petersburg north to Tarpon Springs for a total of 38.5 miles or 62 km. Beautiful ride!
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Keystone Road
Where Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail along Melon St. meets Keystone Road turn left and follow bicycle trail north along Keystone Road for 5.2 miles or 8.3 kms to Tri-County connector. At Brooker Creek Preserve turn north on Tri-County connector (paved trail) toward Cypress Trails Farms.
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Tri County Connector
The southern portion of this 4 mile or 6.5 km trail is complete to Trinity Blvd when I rode through in Jan 2019, however the northern section to Starkey Blvd was still under construction. It appeared that the entire Tri-County Connector will soon be opened.
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Starkey Blvd
At the "T" junction of Hwy 54 and Starkey Blvd proceed north along adjacent bike trail for 4.5 miles or 7.3 kms to Starkey Wilderness Blvd then turn right into Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park.
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Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park
At the intersection of Starkey Blvd and Starkey Wilderness Blvd proceed east riding 7.5 miles / 12 kms through the park to Suncoast Trail.
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Suncoast Trail
At the eastern edge of Starkey Wilderness Park turn north on Suncoast Trail which parallels Suncoast Parkway. Peddle 23 miles or 37 kms to Springbrook Hospital at Hwy 50.
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Hwy 50/50A - gap
Ride bike lane east on Hwy 50 (Cortez Blvd) 4 miles and continue straight on Hwy 50A (W Jefferson St) into Brooksville until you reach Ponce De Leon Blvd. Total distance along 50/50A is 5.7 miles or 9.2 kms. *This is considered a gap which the state eventually plans to develop.
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Brooksville - gap
In Brooksville ride south on Ponce De Leon Blvd for a 3rd of a mile and merge onto S Broad St. Continue on S Broad St. another 3rd of a mile then turn left onto W Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Peddle uphill for almost a mile then turn left on S Main St. Ride 1/4 mile until you cross railroad track then look for Good Neighbor Trail on your right. *Eventually a developed trail through Brooksville will connect the Suncoast and Good Neighbor Trails.
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Good Neighbor Trail
This recently expanded trail now runs 10 miles or 16 kms from the Train Depot Museum in Brooksville to Withlacoochee State Trail. Constructed along an old railway line this trail is straight as an arrow.
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Withlacoochee State Trail
Withlacoochee State Trail is part of Florida's larger trail network. During my ride on the Good Neighbor Trail I met up with avid cyclist Erik Hougland who I biked with 4.7 miles or 7.6 kms south on Withlacoochee to Hwy 50. After chatting along the way this Vietnam Veteran was kind enough to offer me a lift in his truck across the only remaining large gap on the C2C.
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Sumter Connector - gap
This 25 mile or 40 km gap is the primary obstacle remaining to complete the C2C. The route is still under review and will likely not be completed for years to come? Many who take on the C2C close this gap by following roads like Hwy 50 through Tarrytown, Linden, Mabel, Mascotte and Groveland to meet up with South Lake Trail. For me, I hitched a ride with Eric Hougland who was kind enough to transport me and my bike across the gap in his truck. Thanks Erik: https://www.facebook.com/eriks.hougland
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South Lake Trail
This is a beautiful section of the C2C traversing 13.5 miles or 22 kms along the south shore of Lake Minneola where it changes to West Orange Trail at the south end of much larger Lake Apopka.
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West Orange Trail
The section of West Orange Trail included in C2C runs from South Lake Trail northeast 13 miles or 21 kms over gentle rolling hills and picturesque scenery. West Orange Trail is very popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists alike as it passes through communities like Oakland, Winter Garden and Paradise Heights.
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Clarcona Ocoee - gap
In Clarcona where West Orange Trail meets N Apopka Vineland Road, rather than cross this road to continue on West Orange Trail head 1/4 mile south on N Apopka Vineland Rd to Clarcona Ocoee Rd. Ride 3 miles or 5 kms east on Clarcona Ocoee Rd. to N Pine Hills Rd. This is a small gap in C2C which must be cycled with caution; I chose to ride on the sidewalk for much of this section.
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Pine Hills - gap
This is another small gap of 2.2 miles or 3.6 kms which must be negotiated along shoulder of roads or upon sidewalks. Where the previous gap along Clarcona Ocoee Road meets N Pine Hills Rd follow Pine Hills north 1 mile to Beggs Rd/424 then turn right and follow Beggs Rd east 1/4 mile to N Orange Blossom Trail/500. This is tricky but find your way onto N Orange Blossom Trail and ride cautiously northwest 3/4 miles under and just beyond John Land Apopka Expressway to Seminole Wekiva Trail.
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Seminole Wekiva Trail
After two previous gaps your back on a well maintained bike trail winding through a mixture of quiet suburban and commercial zones for a distance of 13 miles or 21 kms. A long and beautiful stretch of the trail takes you by hundreds of fence murals painted by local artists. Another unique quality of this trail are two pedestrian/bike tunnels under major intersections: the first at W State Road 434 @ Markham Woods Rd. and the second at W Lake Mary Blvd @ International Pkwy.
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Cross Seminole Trail
Cross Seminole Trail branches off Seminole Wekiva by crossing Interstate 4 via cable-stayed bridge, once over the highway the trail runs northeast 6.5 miles or 10.4 kms to Spring to Spring Trail. On route you'll also cross over St. Johns River via a newly developed sheltered bike lane.
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Spring to Spring Trail
One of my favorite sections of the C2C, Spring to Spring Trail winds its way along the northern end of Lake Monroe a distance of 6.8 miles or 11 kms to Providence Blvd in Deltona. The trail also carves its way through dense vegetation giving a closed in but tranquil experience while benches positioned along the trail provide great places to take a break.
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East Central Regional Rail Trail
Built along an old railway line in Volusia County this trail runs 36 miles or 58 kms from Deltona to Titusville. Totally complete with exception to a 3.5 mile gap along Maytown Rd the trail is comprised of long and straight segments with pedestrian crossings over State Road 415 in Osteen, State Road 442 in Edgewater, and the long gentle-curve bridge recently constructed over Garden Street in Titusville.
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Space Coast - gap
A conceptual plan sees a bicycle path paralleling the A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway across Merritt Island to Canaveral National Seashore. Will this ever happen? Hard to say but if it does it would be years before completed. In the meantime there is already a bike lane across the bridge, and depending on traffic the 13.5 mile or 22 kms to the coast can be quite safe and enjoyable riding along the shoulder of the road.
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I have ridden the trail four times so far and am planning my fifth trip in the next few weeks. First trip was in December of 2014 to celebrate my 70th birthday then every year since. Didn't make December 2018 just because life got busy so doing that ride, hopefully, in March of 2019. There have been improvements every year but the Sumter Gap is by far the biggest and is going to be the last completed. I ride up through Bushnell to Nobleton and pick up the Withlacochee there.
Two more pieces of needed information:
1. From the Max Brewer bridge out to the coast, there is a 'rush hour (I assume Kennedy Space Center back entrance rush hour) ban on bicycles on the road to the coast. I forget the morning hours but afternoon hours are 3-5 PM. I understand it is strictly enforced for safety.
2. Soon after the Kennedy Space Center back entrance, the road becomes an entrance to Cape Canaveral National Seashore. There is an ENTRANCE FEE. Pedestrians & bicycles- $5.00 each. Or if you have a National Park Pass or Senior Pass to show, it is free. (P.S.-the sign says area 13 (beach at parking lot 13 I think) is a nude beach.)
Hey guys, glad this wonderful account of the ride on the c2c trail is here. This is directed to waterfallin and to also david rose and keith workman. Myself and 4 other of my friends are planning on cycling the c2c trail this November of 2020. We already have dates picked out and are beginning our planning phase. We live on the west coast of Florida in palm harbor. We plan on starting from the East coast and heading back here to West coast back to Palm Harbor so when we are finished we are finished and don't have to worry about driving home. HaHaHa. My question to all 3 of you would be that I heard that the Canaveral National Seashore trail is not completed and has not even begun. Bike shop there said prob won't be for several years. We would love to bike there but looks like we will have to start in Titusville on the bike trail there and begin our trek west home. Do any of you know about progress of the gaps on the trails at all? We have quite a bit of trail completed here on the west coast. You can bike from St. Pete all the way to the Suncoast bike trail in brooksville. I was told by local bike shop due to the gap on the suncoast to the good neighbor trail it is best to get off the suncoast at the state road 50 trailhead and bike through brooksville to get to the good neighbor trail. We are looking at google maps now to try and map out routes around the gaps to get us back to the trails where we need to be so any pointer and suggestions would be wonderful.
I have planned and am leading a group of 4 other riders this month. We are riding west to east so i will give you the trails we are using, gaps, and their lengths. I have driven all the road gaps and am pretty confident of the trail connections. We are staying at hotels and doing the ride in 5 days. We are starting the Pinellas Trail at Demens Landing Park at 1st Ave & Bayshore Dr. in St. Petersburg. The Pinellas Trail is 38.5 miles. it connects to the Keystone Rd. Trail 5.2 miles. It connects to the Tri-County Connector Trail 4 miles. It connects to the Starkey Blvd Trail 4.5 miles. (I am guessing only the Pinellas Trail has signage, though the connection is seamless. Keystone and Starkey are wide sidewalks along those road. Tri-County follows a power line easement. Starkey Blvd Trail enters the Starkey Wilderness (park) and connects to the Suncoast Trail which follows toll 589 along the west side but completely separate from the traffic. Turn left on the Suncoast. You will use 23 miles of the Suncoast. Leave the Suncoast Trail at FL 50. Turn right (east) toward Brooksville. At the Cobb Rd, FL 50 and FL 50 A split. Continue straight on FL 50. It is Jefferson St. Going east, it turns right and then left and becomes S. Broad (one way). Coming from Titusville, you would follow FL 50A west (one way) from Broad to Jefferson.
I will turn right on S. Lemon St 4 blocks to Daniel Ave. Left on Daniel will end at S. Main St. Almost across (slightly to the right) is Russell St. As you start into Russell St, the Good Neighbor Trail starts immediately on the right. There is a portapot near the historic depot. The gap from the Suncoast to the Good Neighbor is 5.7 miles. The Good Neighbor Trail is 10.3. It ends at the Withlacoochee State Trail. Turn right on the Withlacoochee. Exit the Withlacoochee at FL 50, using 4.7 miles of it.
From here to east, is the Sumter County gap that is not defined yet. Ride 25 miles to CR 565A. It will be on the left, between the Taco Bell and Burger King at the east edge of Groveland. About 1/2 mile south, the South Lake Trail starts on the left side of the road. It is 13.5 miles long and becomes the West Orange Trail. Use the West Orange Trail for 13.6 miles to the Apopka-Vineland Outpost (a parking lot/trail-head & restroom. Leave the West Orange and turn right on Apopka Vineland Rd. Turn left on Clarcona Ocoee Rd. This is the Clarcona Ocoee Gap. It is 5.4 miles. Use the SIDEWALKS. Ride east on Clarcona Ocoee 3.3 miles to Pine Hills. Turn left on Pine Hills and ride to the end at Beggs Rd. Turn right on Beggs and ride to Rose Ave. Turn left on Rose and ride to Maitland Blvd. Again, i suggest you ride the SIDEWALKS in this gap. Across Maitland is the start of the Seminole Wikiva Trail 13.0 miles. (There are some wonderful murals painted on the fences. There is nothing like this on any other Trail.) At about 12.3 miles
Hey Keith, thanks for your wonderful post. All the help and info is truly appreciated as we are doing the ride this november, 5 of us. We are practicing now with the little bicycle kiddie trailer we bought to haul or gear, snacks and clothing needed. We plan in november riding the route and completing in 4 days, giving ourselves 5 just in case. Staying at hotels along the way. Riding east to west. Was planning on driving it one day just to see how gaps are in the roads. We plan on doing like 60-65miles per day. Cant wait to see your trek across this month. PLEASE post here and give us lots of updates and pics :) By the way are you on FB so we could follow you?
I am on Facebook but rarely post anything.
Ok, will follow you here. Looking forward to hearing about your trek
(Yesterday i was 'cut-off. See beginning above.) At about 12.3 miles on the Seminole Wikiva, turn right at the trail junction, to use the bike bridge across I-4. Continue until you come to another trail junction at Rinehart Rd. That will be the Cross Seminole Trail. Coming from the east, it will be about mile 22.3. Going east, turn left. Going west, turn right here and left beyond the bridge. Going east, the mile markers increase from here. At about 27.7 you will be at the bridge over the St. John River. You will have been on the Cross Seminole about 6.5 miles. At the end of the bridge, the trail ends. Turn right into the Lake Monroe County Campground and boat ramp. Pass the boat ramp and at the end of the parking area is a rest room and the trail turns right onto a boardwalk. This side of the St. John River is the Spring To Spring Trail. It is 6.4 miles. It ends at Green Spring. (Be sure to see it, a short distance off the trail. At the entrance to Green Spring is the beginning of the East Central Regional Rail Trail. It is (by their website) 46 miles long. That includes a 3 1/2 mile gap from Guise Rd to Gobblers Lodge Rd. (Use Osteen Maytown nearby on the left.) At Gobblers Lodge Rd, there is a parking lot and portapot. Further on, you will come to a trail junction . To the left, goes to Edgewater. For the C2C, continue straight. Just beyond the junction is the Maytown Trailhead with parking and a portapot. Just beyond the parking is Vergie's Pit Stop. Maytown is 2 houses and Vergie's is one of them. He provides cold Gator Aid, Cold bottled water, clean ice for your water bottle, some snack bars, and maybe some bananas. There is a canopy and a picnic table. It is run on the 'honor' system. Be generous as there is NOTHING else between Titusville and Osteen.
At Titusville, the C2C goes thru town as a green bike lane on Main St. The bike shop/welcome center, restrooms is several blocks south, between the north & southbound lanes of US 1 (each one way). The Max Brewster Bridge (very high and long, with a separated area for bikes and people) is about 1 mile long. At the end of the bridge is 1/4 mile trail, before ending. Beyond here, there is no trail and no plans soon. From there to the beach is about 12 miles. NO BICYCLES ALLOWED from 6-9 AM & 3-6 PM, Mon-Fri. because of the Kennedy Space Center traffic. It is 7 or 8 miles to their entrance. I assume that is the end of the no bikes, because shortly after is the entrance to the Canaveral National Seashore. Entrance fee is $5 per bike or if you have a Park Pass or Senior Pass, it is free. The beach is 4-5 more miles.
Enjoy the trip.
Keith, I just finished ,between Christmas and New Years, my fifth trip across the C2C going East to West. I will probably make a few posts here as I review your proposed route. My first suggestion is to rethink your trip from Brooksville to Groveland going across SR50 (I did that my first year) is not a safe route, in my opinion. Further the northern route through this part is some of the most fun. I will take and reverse my route for you... take the Withlachochee to Edgewater Dr. in Nobleton then right on Nobleton Croom Road 8 miles to Bushnell (this is my least favorite part of this segment) then out of Bushnell take Route 48 thru Center Hill to CR702 (landmark is the "Snowbird South RV Park" CR702 becomes "Youth Camp Road" and then "Austin Meritt Road" to SR 33 (that part is really nice Florida country) go South on SR 33 to Left on Simon Brown Road to Villa City Road to L on Bible Camp Road to South on SR19 to SR 50 .... which then connects with your current plan. I actually spend the night in Bushnell at the Microtel they have a Sonny's BBQ and a Beef O'Brady's in easy walking...... this is a little longer but a much more enjoyable ride.
Keith, I would also suggest doing the Orange Gap a little differently. This is actually part of my training rides all year long. I don't feel as strongly about this suggestion as I do the South Sumter gap. Up to Begg Road I agree with you but I turn left at N. Apopka Blvd. and then right on Brownell (both just short blocks) then L on 441 about one quarter of a mile under 414 then pick up the Wekiva Seminole Trail immediately N. of the 414 off ramp. It looks a little scary at first glance but like I said I ride it several times a month and it isn't bad at all. (you do need to be careful with the left turn on to 441).
schoor58. I ride east to west but I start at the Max Brewer Bridge instead of the National Seashore. I live in Orlando so come home the first night. The second day I ride to Bushnell and stay at the Microtel then the third day is a short day and I stop in Brooksville just past the Suncoast/Trail at the Holiday Inn/Express. Then from there it is all Trail. I spend the next night at the Comfort Inn in Tarpon Springs. Glad to give you more details or you can actually download my route day by day on "RidewithGps.com".
David, I looked at the FL 50 suggested replacement. Can you tell me the distance from the Withlacoochee at FL 50 to SR 19 at Groveland, compared to straight across FL 50? It does look like a nice route.
You actually don't go to SR50 & Withlacochee. Where my path departs from yours is when I get to the Withlacoochee on the Good Neighbor I go north. I went to www.ridewithgps.com and actually mapped out both routes , by the way you can find my routes day by day there, and the difference is a little less than I thought - mainly since the Good Neighbor Trail is now finished. Anyway my route from the intersection of the Withlacochee/Good Neighbor is 42 miles your route down the Withlacochee to SR50 and across is 31 miles. So it is an additional 11 miles. I have ridden across 50 once and the other route six different times. It has never occurred to me that I might like to use 50 to save a few miles. If you will take note the original author of this thread hitched a ride with a stranger in a pick up truck when he realized what 50 was going to be like.
Where are you spending the nights.... I know my spots and have thought about riding west to east but can't make the motels line up right...
Well the problem is we are spending the night at the Holiday Inn at Brooksville and the next night in Winter Garden, so that makes over a 60 mile day I think.
Keith Workman, Actually a slight correction my route is 42 miles since I spend the night in Bushnell and go north a mile to the motel.... so going straight thru Bushnell it is only 40 miles.
I hear you. The motels are few and far between. That is how I ended up doing SR50 my first trip across.... you might consider staying at one of the motels at SR50 and I-75. Instead of the Holiday Inn at the Suncoast. Then instead of taking the Good Neighbor to the Withlachochee picking up the Withlacochee at SR50, just a mile from the hotel. There is a Cracker Barrel there for dinner. The ride across 50 to I-75 isn't too bad. Four lanes and some sidewalk. I did that for two or three years, until the Good Neighbor was finished.
Cant wait to see and hear both of your experiences on here before we go in November this year. We are all in the planning phase right now and are looking forward to doing this.
Good luck to all. I truly enjoyed the experience, a ton of logistics coming in from Canada but it was well worth the effort. May the weather be on your side during your ride.
Do you guys know if there is a bike path in the max brewer memorial parkway and is it a descent road ( (bike lane)
I actually start my ride at the east side of the Max Brewer bridge. (There is a cute little public park there.) This year they extended a trail half a mile east of the Max Brewer bridge but that is all.
It is a decent toad (asphalt) but no berm nor bike lane. Also, no bikes M-F, 6 -9 Am and 3-6 PM. $5 fee to enter the Canaveral National Seashore beyond the Kennedy Space Center rear gate to get to the beach.
Thanks for all the information. My wife and I plan to bike the C2C trail the first week in April. Question, what is the best type of bike to ride on this trail Road, hybrid or mountain? We would prefer road bikes, if possible. We will be staying in motels. Thanks for your help! Phil and Kathy
Either would work but since most of the route is paved I feel a hybrid or street bike would be best. Enjoy your ride.
I have may the ride once on a hybrid and five times on a road bike. So obviously prefer a road bike, though Trek wasn't crazy about me putting a rear rack on a high end road bike. From my perspective it is a matter of personal choice between a road and hybrid. Which direction are you riding?
Thanks for the advice. We are planning on riding west to east. Probably leap frog with our van so we will be getting in 500+ miles. Will probably start the first week in April. We will be coming from Annapplis MD. Thanks for the advice avoiding FL 50.
If you are staying in motels you may want to reconsider your direction. Motels are not available for long stretches along the trail. Riding east to west they line up with some degree of order for the ride, I have thought about riding west to east but haven't given it a lot of thought because my first instinct is that I couldn't make the motels line up to make any sense..... I know it seems like if it works one direction you would just reverse it, and I guess you could but that puts the short days on the first part of the ride and the long days the last two days...... just a thought.
Thanks. About finished making our cue sheet from west to east. Haven't looked at lodging yet. Will definitely consider the east to west route as we plan for lodging. Any other advice? Blessings, Phil and Kathy
David how do you get home from St Petersburg?
My wife drives me to Tittusville and picks me up in St. Petersburg... another option would be to rent a pick up in St. Pete and drive back to Tittusville and your van; if you wanted to keep the trip to a single cross of 250 miles. Enterprise rents pick ups probably other car companies do also. If you dropped in Titusville you would probably have to pay a drop charge but you could drive it back to St. Petersburg you would avoid that and mileage charges so end up paying very little for the rental. My route is on "Ridewithgps.com" by day.... "Day 1 2019" etc..... My first day is back to Orlando (67miles) you might want to stop in Deltona/Debary depending on your starting poiint. Second day is to Bushnell (67 miles) third day is Brooksville (37 miles) a bit of a rest day then on to Tarpon Springs (47 miles) that used to be longer but the Trail is finished now and the distance shorter then Day 5 to the St. Pete pier is (35 miles or so). Of course you are likely stronger riders than I so could move that around some but part of it is determined by the availability of a place to sleep and eat.
I rode from east to west and it was an excellent 4 day ride with 25 hours spent in the saddle. Without the trail map It would have been very difficult because at times sign posting is poor. Scenery was lovely on some of the trails and the only bad stretch is the 25 miles you have to ride on route 50 to get past the gap in the trail through Mascot and Tarrytown
Do not stay at the Budget motel in Brockville on route 50A, a mile from the trail, was dreadful but the Greek restaurant on the other side of the road was excellent.
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I rode from east to west and it was an excellent 4 day ride with 25 hours spent in the saddle. Without the trail map It would have been very difficult because at times sign posting is poor. Scenery was lovely on some of the trails and the only bad stretch is the 25 miles you have to ride on route 50 to get past the gap in the trail through Mascot and Tarrytown
Do not stay at the Budget motel in Brockville on route 50A, a mile from the trail, was dreadful but the Greek restaurant on the other side of the road was excellent.
drpkellett, Where can I get a trail map? I have made a detailed cue sheet using mapmyride and ridewithgps
I am not aware of a "trail map" and the trail is not yet marked as the Coast2Coast so there are some points where it isn't 100% clear where you should go. My best suggestion is my maps on ridewithgps.com and possibly you can access them on MapMyRide.com. Again I strongly suggest not taking SR50 between Brooksville and Groveland. The other route through Bushnell is further but it better aligns with the eventual final alignment, is mostly really beautiful "rural Florida" and most importantly is much SAFER.
Hi David, Thanks for the info. We are planning on taking the route through Bushnell.
Pkdalby, when are you riding the cross florida trail? We are going to ride it the end of october. Would love to see and hear of your experience
pkdalby you still riding west to east?
We are planning on the C2C Trial April 17-27 going west to East. 10 days as we will be leap frogging with our van. So we will ride ~ 50 miles a day we will only make good 25 miles of the trail. My wife is about 2 and a half years our from a bone marrow transplant that she had to treat leukemia. She is doing great but we like not being over a couple of hours from our transport.
Pkdalby, please post on here your adventures so we can follow you unless you are posting somewhere else as well. Any new updates on trail progress would be great.
David e rose, how do you access your trail maps going east to west? We are looking at options of going around the 25mile trail gap that is currently there. Also, looking for route option to get across the river that is in the croom area
David e rose, what is your username for ride with GPS or map my ride so I can access your maps
We are currently in planning for our ride in October on the C2C looking at trying to find a SAFE route to ride the 25mile gap that is currently between the withlacochee trail and van fleet trail. I have heard state road 50 is NOT bike safe
User name for ride with gps is: pkdalby. What is your name for MapMyRide is: pkdalby@gmail.com. We are avoiding rat 50 gap. We still have some errors on our ride with gps route that we are in the process of correcting. We are making our own cue sheet in a word document. If you would like a copy send me an email asking address
Oops the last sentence was supposed to say... at the address above.
ceasterbrooks: I seriously advise against the SR50 Route between Brooksville and Groveland. I don't actually see the Van Fleet Trail (in fact the final alignment just touches it). The route I use goes north thru Bushnell. On "ridewithgps" I think you can do a search for "Day 2 2019" and "Day 3 2019". Since I spend the night in Bushnell that portion covers two days.
My user name is "David.Rose@Realtor.com" but not sure you need that just the ride name. Also I can send you a turn by turn. This is really the best part of the ride in terms of seeing some of rural Florida.
David E Rose, ceasterbrooks: Here is how we are avoiding SR50 between Brooksville and Groveland. This is David's work around. Does this look right?
18. Brooksville - gap: In Brooksville ride south on Ponce De Leon Blvd for a 3rd of a mile and merge onto S Broad St. Continue on S Broad St. another 3rd of a mile then turn left onto W Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Peddle uphill for almost a mile then turn left on S Main St. Ride 1/4 mile until you cross railroad track then look for (Russell St turn right) and look for Good Neighbor Trail on your right. Porta Potty is near the Historic Train Depot. Total gap is 5.7 miles
19. Good Neighbor Trail: This recently expanded trail now runs 10 miles from the Train Depot Museum in Brooksville to Withlacoochee State Trail. Constructed along an old railway line this trail is straight as an arrow.
20. Withlacoochee State Trail: Turn left onto the Withlacoochee State Trail.
21. Take the Withlachochee to Edgewater Dr. in Nobleton 5.5 miles then right on Lake Lindsey Road (ROUTE 476) go 8 miles to Bushnell (least favorite part of this segment)
22. Out of Bushnell take Route 48, 8 miles thru Center Hill
23. Right on CR 702 Go 2 miles (landmark is the "Snowbird South RV Park")
24. CR702 becomes "Youth Camp Road" 2miles
25. Then becomes "Austin Merit Road" 2 Miles
26. Right on SR 33 5 miles (that part is really nice Florida country)
27. Left on Simon Brown Road 1.5 miles
28. Right on Villa City Road 2.75 miles
29. Left on Bible Camp Road 1 mile
30. Right (South) on SR19 1 mile
31. Left on Crittenden Street ½ mile
32. Take SR 50 east 1 mile
pkdalby & ceasterbrooks. That looks right to me... I have ridden that route several times usually going east to west. I stop in Bushnell for the night so a little - but insignificant - detour there. Obviously map it out yourself before you ride but that should work perfectly and I think you will enjoy the ride. If either of you have any other questions just let me know. The Orange county gap is also a little tricky but not as bad as it might appear at first glance. Also the turn off to the I-4 overpass when you change from the "Seminole-Wekiva Trail" to the "Rinehart Trail" is easy to miss if you aren't using a Garmin or other navigation device.
David E Rose & ceasterbrooks. Thanks. We are using your cues on the Orange County gap as well as the Rt 50 gap. We will make a note on our cue sheet regarding the I-4 overpass as we will not have any Garmin devices. just iPhones. Thanks for all your advice.
David e rose, sorry I cannot seem to find any of tour routes on ride with gps. I am typing in day 2 2019 in the search bar and day 3 2019. But, cannot seem to find it. Rides come up from all over the us and beyond. Any other way its typed in?
Ceasterbrooks: I went and worked with my RidewithGPS account and now think you can find my stuff easy (not sure if you need to be a Premium member). Go to the "Jump to" pull down menu at the top then click on "Friends" you should come to a search page. Enter "David Rose Orlando, FL" and you should get only my account. Click on that to find all my stuff. Do remember that on Day 1 I come home for the night so my route through Orlando is modified for that ;.... otherwise my routes follow the eventual alignment of the Coast 2 Coast really closely.
If that doesn't work let me know and I will get the information to you other wise....... once we become "friends" on RidewithGps it should be easier....... pkdably you can do this also.
Report on C2C Trail
I led a group of 4 other riders from St. Petersburg to Canaveral National Seashore, February 21-25, 2020. We took 5 days and rode about 246 total miles and stayed in hotels. The hotels we used were: Hampton Inn, 80 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg (the most expensive at over $250 a room; Holiday Inn Express 2125 Corporate Dr, Trinity; Holiday Inn Express, 30455 Cortez Blvd, Brooksville (at I-75 and SR 50); Historic Edgewater Hotel, 99 Plant St, Winter Garden; and Hampton Inn, 308 Sunrise Blvd, DeBary. (If you like history and antiques, check out the Edgewater Hotel online.) My wife shuttled the luggage each day and shuttled us back to Orlando at the end of the trip. The Trinity hotel was 1 ½ miles off route, east on SR 54 at the end of the Tri County Trail and the hotel at I-75 was 1 mile west of the Withlacoochee Trail at SR 50. There are ‘online’ maps available (that can be printed) for each of the trails listed EXCEPT Keystone Road Trail and Tri County Trails. The busiest trails were the Pinellas and the West Orange.
The Pinellas is listed as 38.5 miles. Mile markers are painted on the asphalt. Look at their website, to see where there are water or restrooms. Food is available right on the trail, at Clearwater, Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. Once you leave Tarpon Springs, there are no services on the Trail until those listed below at Starkey Wilderness Center. The Pinellas Trail ends at the intersection of Mellon Rd and Keystone Rd.
The Keystone Rd Trail is 5 ¼ miles long. However, at the intersection of Keystone Road and E. Lake Road, the trail switches from the north side of Keystone to the south side. DON’T FOLLOW E. LAKE RD, as there is some other trail that goes south there. There are no signs designating Keystone Rd Trail, Tri County Trail, or Starkey Blvd Trail. You just need to understand when you are along Keystone Rd, you need to FOLLOW Keystone Road (wide sidewalk) until the trail clearly turns into a field, which will be the start of the Tri County Trail (unmarked).
The Tri County goes ‘cross country’ from Keystone Rd to Trinity Rd to SR 54 where it ends across from Starkey Blvd. It is 4 miles long. (There a couple hotels and several restaurants 1-1 ½ miles east on SR 54. Then the (unmarked) Starkey Blvd Trail follows Starkey Blvd. north, to the entrance to the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Center. It is 4 ½ miles long. The trail first passes a few houses before entering the Wilderness Center. It passes some rental cabins, a tent camping area, and restrooms before the trail starts an approximate 7 ½ mile route thru the wilderness area. It is all paved (asphalt) but just continue straight, (there are some paved side trails) unless a sign tells you to turn. There occasionally are 5-gallon insulated water jugs for hikers. You will end up at the Sun Coast Trail (along the Sun Coast Toll Road). Turn left.
There are also insulated water jugs occasionally along the 23-mile-long section of the Sun Coast Trail that the C2C Trail uses, but only one restroom, at a park 18-19 miles from where you turn onto the Sun Coast Trail. There are some restaurants, along Spring Hill Dr where it crosses the Sun Coast Trail near Spring Hill. (Traveling north, you can see a Target store across the toll road.)
The C2C Trail leaves the Sun Coast at SR 50. The Sun Coast Trail will go up and over SR 50 on a bridge, so you need to leave the trail at the restroom/drinking fountain/ parking area and follow the side streets, to get to SR 50. Turn right.
There is currently no trail between the Sun Coast and the Good Neighbor Trail. There is a 7 Eleven along SR 50 and a Hardees at the intersection of SR 50 & SR 50A. There is a berm along SR 50, but we rode the sidewalks all the way along SR 50A until we turned off on Lemon St. You can use the address of 50 Russell St, as an address for the start of the Good Neighbor Trail. There is a port a pot at the depot at the start of the trail.
The Good Neighbor Trail is 10 ¼ miles l
(Continued from Review.) About a half mile beyond the traffic light, is the entrance to the Canaveral National Seashore, which is a national park. The entrance cost is $5 per bike (or a National Park pass if you have one). It is about 4 more miles to the beach. The Park closes about 5:30 PM. There are I believe 13 different parking lots, along the dunes at the beach.
If you want to camp while riding the C2C Trail, here are the places I am aware of. All except one you, will have to pay for. Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Center has tent camping available. I believe they have showers and MAY also have cabins. If you are riding the Sumpter County gap between the Withlacoochee Trail and the South Lake Trail, using the back roads north of SR 50, I believe there is an RV campground at Bushnell. North of the West Orange Trail (on Lake Apopka at Magnolia Park boat ramp, 2929 S. Binion Road, Apopka, FL.) there is supposed to be camping.
Near DeBary, there are three camping places. At Lake Monroe County Park and boat ramp, there is a RV park with showers. Tents are permitted. One of the sites is listed as ‘trail camping’. On the Spring To Spring Trail, between the Lake Monroe campground and Dirksen Dr there is a FREE camping place south of Dirksen Dr. The camping sign is most visible coming from Titusville. There is only a shady area under the trees and a picnic table but no porta pot. Then just east of that is Gemini Springs Park, which also has tent camping. I don’t know if they have showers or not. Those are the places you could investigate, if you want to use a campground. Of course, trailside camping is probably not encouraged but may be possible.
Enjoy your trip.
Keith: Nice review and hope you enjoyed the ride. I think your post left off the middle of the trail - you jump from the end of the Good Neighbor Trail to the Canaveral National Seashore, Not sure what route you rode from Brooksville to Groveland but sounds almost like you went north on the Good Neighbor and then came back south on the Withlacochee, judging from your motels. Which means you must have taken SR50 from I-75 to Groveland. I prefer to go north through Bushnell. Would love to read more about the middle of your trip.
Great review Keith. I would also like to hear more about your trip. Sounds like you guys had a great trip. Like david said, I believe the middle section of your review/route was left out and that is a spot I am anxious to hear about as well since that is the biggest gap. I am curious what route you took and how the traffic and route was. Was it a bus you road, safe road? We are planning on staying at hotels all along the way. Do you have a site that you posted pi tires of your trek along the way? Facebook???
I wrote a 4 1/2 page report and posted it as a review but it was too long and the site cut it off. So I posted the rest as a comment above.
We rode SR 50 on a Sunday morning, the least traffic day. 30 miles. Still quite busy. When we stopped for a rest break, we met (I believe it was) David Rose, who suggested that about a mile past the Van Fleet Trail, we turn right on Sloans Ridge Rd and follow it till it ends at a T. Turn left on S. Bay Road and we would come back into Mascotte on SR 50. We did and it was excellent road, almost no cars and only added about 1 1/2 miles.
Mascotte, Groveland and Clermont all run together and the traffic was bad. When the berm ended, we rode the sidewalk to the left turn on CR 565A. Watch for Dunkin Donuts. Since our hotels were all set I was stuck using SR 50 but if you could work out the lodging using the back roads north of 50, it would be less traffic route.
I did not post any pictures but one of the women in our group post on Rails To Trails of Wayne County, which is our local Ohio group and who the fundraising ride was to benefit, so if you can find that site, there are a few pictures there each day, but mostly people.
If anyone wants me to email the report, my email is keith2786@gmail.com
And I’ll answer any specific questions you have.
Keith, thanks but it wasn't me that you met but I would have given you similar advise. The backroads south of SR50 from the Van Fleet to Groveland I have ridden two or three times and that is a nice view of rural Florida. Thanks for confirming on here for people that the route from I-75 across SR50 is a busy highway and not much fun to ride. Out of Groveland (or for me coming the opposite direction into Groveland) I take the sidewalk on the north side of SR50 to SR565a then pick up the South Lake Trail. Again thanks for the detailed review ! !
My 12 year old son wants to do this ride with me. It seems to be some road riding. I fee that he can do the ride. His safety is my number one concern. Is there a way to make this a safe trip for him? Is there a way to find hotels to stay in ahead of time so we have set stopping points? Any assistance would be appreciated.
As to hotels, absolutely. Having planned destinations each day is essential. If your son is well disciplined and you both do the needef training I dont know why you couldn't. Which direction would you be traveling and how many miles a day are you comfortable riding?
Here are my suggestions, to add to David’s.
1. Get good flashing front (white) and rear (red) lights at the bike shop, for when you are not on trails.
2. FL 50 is dangerous. Somewhere above in this discussion, someone suggested a route north of FL 50. I looked it over and think it is a lower traffic route, if you can work out the hotels. There is still a short distance on FL 50 but not the 30 miles we had.
3. Absolutely reserve your hotels well ahead of time, based on the distance you can ride in a day.
4. David uses East to west. We used west to East and had bad head winds 2 days. Your choice. But we used sidewalks, where ever possible, when there were no trails. For us it was from Suncoast Trail thru Brooksville to the Goid Neighbor Trail; FK 50 at Groveland; and the Ocoee/Pine Hills gap.
The 3 1/2 miles on Osteen Maytown Rd wasn’t too much traffic. There was however a good bit of traffic from Titusville to the beach. However we had our support van behind us.
While we had our luggage shuttled each day, I personally have done self supported multiple day rides carrying clothes and using restaurants and hotels. You can use Google maps to plan your lodging and food stops. Carry some energy bars and sports drink, for times when there is no food near when you need it.
Thank you both for all of that valuable information. He has done rides up to 90 miles with me but everything up until now has been mostly one day rides. We would be traveling West to East from the Clearwater area. Thank you both again for the assistance.
I feel pretty comfortable with him riding 50 miles with me but am considering 30-40 to lighten the workload for him.
Get your lodging booked well ahead of time. The night we were in Trinity (SR 54 northeast of Tarpon Springs) we found out the hotel was booked solid when we arrived. There were 3 weddings in the area we heard.
If you can do a 70 mile day if needed, you should be able to work out your lodging.
When I do ‘self contained’ I carry 2 changes of riding clothes, plus the one I start out in and 1 set of clothes for restaurants in the evening. If needed, you can usually find laundry facilities in a hotel to do laundry once. Look at ‘hotel amenities’ at the hotels.
Are you going to start in Clearwater? If so that makes the motel issue a bit different, maybe better. How many days you planning on the shorter rides make for more days but that could be great for you and your son. Keith mentioned laundry, I try and stay in motels that have guest laundries and wash my riding clothes every evening. Your biggest section on the road is from Brooksville to Groveland. I take a northern route through Bushnell and most of the roads are quiet country roads but there are a few miles that are a little busy..... I can share details. I have made the ride six times. If you are on "RideWithGps" you can see my rides there, just "friend" "David Rose Orlando FL".
Let me know your starting point and how many days you are willing to invest along with your starting point and I will make some more detailed suggestions.
Thank you so much. I am in the early stages of preparing. We will be riding in mid June so that is another reason I am thinking shorter trips. I’m shooting for 6 days. A couple big days to start off and cut back later in the week. Definitely will be doing laundry at each stop as well. I will download that app and review your routes so I can plan accordingly. We will be coming from Largo, getting on at Walsingham Rd. I really appreciate all of your assistance.
I am thinking Brooksville for the first night.... good spot at SR50. Mileage might be a bit to high just doing it my head so far, will map it and get back to you.
Brooksville may be too far for you at 66.8 miles. It is 100% Trail though, a trail actually runs right in front of the motel, and there are lots of restaurants in the area for dinner. Your next day will likely be Bushnell which is just 32 miles from this point. The last portion of the Day 1 ride for you runs along the Suncoast Highway and there are numerous cross streets at each exit/entrance to the Highway. There is a likely hood you could find a suitable motel not to far from one of those intersections. I haven't looked but will if I get a chance. Anyway that is my current thoughts for you first two days. Will talk more about Day 2 later.
My son seems confident that we could do that the first day. My concern, If we fell short the first day, it would make for a rough rest of the week. I think I need to start mapping. Is it mostly rural in Pasco otherwise? I sure appreciate all of your assistance.
If you do decide to go to Brooksville your first day - the second day is an easy 32 miles. The motel in Brooksville is about a quarter mile west of the Trail, Holiday Inn Express, and has a decent "free" breakfast".
Thank you. I plan to map it this weekend.
I am planning to ride this trail east to west with some friends. Would anyone be willing to share their cue sheets with me? Thank you.
I know that this is a post about riding a bike. However I would like to run this trail. Or run at least 200miles of this trail. Is this possible? Are their long stretches of isolation? Or is it pretty rural the entire way? I’m sorry if I’m asking questions that have already been answered. I just stumbled on this chat group this morning. Thank you in advance. Know anyone who has run it? I assume running or biking it is the same, just running takes longer.
It would be good for running with exception to the continuous paved surface which could possibly take its toll on your joints. Trail runs primarily through rural development however it does pass through a few urban and remote areas as well. Why not ride it first and determine for yourself if it’s suitable for a run. Enjoy either way🚴👍🏃🏽👍
Hello everyone. I am planning this ride for me and 5 other adults from Maryland. Starting November 2nd in Cape Canaveral and ending St. Petersburg Beach. I am pretty confident in where we have made overnight accommodations, Deltona, Clermont, Brooksville, Tarpon Springs and St Pete Beach.
The iffy part is connecting the multiple trails. I just downloaded app Ride With GPS and signed up for this site, wondering if there is a link to find a detailed trail map from one of you ? Waterfallin, you seem to be the most familiar, can you help?
This custom Google Map may help. Good luck on your ride. https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=1_qLcljRo8Qrcyf6t6ybtPUX-TdQUIG26&hl=en
nupief: I have made that ride six times in the past six years. My routes are "public" on "Ridewithgps" not sure how that works but you should be able to access all five days. They are titled "Day 1 2019" , etc. The trickiest part is from Clermont to Brooksville. Judging from your planned night stops you are thinking of riding straight across SR50. That is a VERY dangerous route. Very busy two lane highway with an amazing number of trucks. I did that the first year but NEVER again. Better to make a 20 mile bypass through Bushnell. That is "Day 2 2019" I think the link should bring up that segment . Good luck ! ! I would be happy to help with any routing issues.
Sorry for some reason links won't show up in my posts. Go to your "ride with GPS" account and search under "Find" for my routes. Set the criteria to within 250 miles of Orlando, FL and then key word "Day 1, 2019", etc.
Thanks David Rose, but I had no trouble finding day 1 but can't find day 2
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HI,
Just completed the route in 2 days on 11/13/20-11/14/20. I was with a group of Randonneurs () so long distance cycling is simply how we roll. Of course, I do not recommend this since we ended up riding in the dark because we missed our goal of getting to Clermont area by 7 p.m.
I thoroughly enjoyed the route and plan to do it again soon! Thank you to all who are working so hard to make this happen.
Here is my route map link. I made some changes after we did it but I think it is up to date. Your thoughts appreciated! (It is not ready as a navigation/Garmin file yet; I need to check the detail.
Thanks for all the tips - very grateful!!
Lisa Portelli
Chairman, Bike Walk Central Florida
My Ride with GPS links won't show up either. Route is public Coast to Coast Connector 2020
Took a look at your route.... same as I ride. Of course I take twice as long. Yes that gap from Bushnell to Clermont is big and no place to stay in between. If they ever do finish the Sumpter Gap not sure how I would manage the stops.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Wish I was on the trail now. Freezing our buns off up here in Canada. 😆
Lisa Portelli, I saw that you recently rode this trail last year. We are riding east to west this March. Drive gaps in our car today across 50 and 50 was AWFUL, not safe road and LOTS of construction going on.. i saw that you went around the state road 50 gap and went thru Bushnell, looks like it adds about 10 miles which we are ok with for safety. I was wondering how safe or trafficked the roads were that you traveled on after you veered off 50, like 476? How was that route you took off 50 as far as road condition, bike safety, was there a bike lane or not or was there sidewalk on 476 and Tuscanooga rd? Could you help me out with this? We may drive those road via car to check them out. I don't care that it adds 10 miles if its safer than 50 all the way to the withlacochee trail
Great write up and comments on the C2C. Thanks to all.
Any tips on primitive camping along the way? We are planning a trip starting at Starkey Park but other than that don't have any spots lined up.
Can anyone tell me how to personally send someone a message on here? Trying to contact lisa
After reading all these inspiring trail rides I need to add it to my bucket list to ride C2C. I live in clearwater is there anyone doing this ride in the near future? I'm looking to join up with a group if interested.
My wife and I plan on biking the Florida C2C trail starting around April 10. We did most of our planning and que sheet last year but then decided not to ride due to COVID-19. Does anybody know if there are significant differences in the trail since last year? Thanks, Pail and Kathy
pkdalby My wife and I plan on biking the Florida C2C trail starting around April 10. We did most of our planning and que sheet last year but then decided not to ride due to COVID-19. Does anybody know if there are significant differences in the trail since last year? Thanks, Pail and Kathy
does anyone have a route they used going west to east? I am starting to plan, and would like to see what others have used... specifically when it comes to avoiding SR50 and going north to avoid. Any tips appreciated!
thanks
Hi all,
I plan doing this ride at the end of June and have a few questions if I may.
1. Is it best to go East to West, or West to East? Are the winds any better one way or the other?
2. Can anyone tell me if there is gpx file for the route?
3. Are there places to camp along the way? And if so, - how far apart?
Thanks in advance,
Boruch.
I would like to ride this trail, all the way, between mid-January thru mid-February, 2022. I would like to ride with someone, or a group, that has completed it in the past.
I am 63 years old, very confident I can average the 50-60 miles per day, which seems to be about the norm. Riding with similarly aged participants with interesting backgrounds would be great!
Please let me know if something like this would work for you, bobstefan@
Thanks, keep peddling!!
Bob
Thank you for the helpful information and the ridewithgps files. I'm planning to bike-pack the 250 mile FL C2C connector in November (probably east to west). I intend to include the 46 mile withlacoochee (92 miles OAB) & the 29 mile van fleet trail (58 miles OAB) along the way for a total of 400 miles. Should be quite an epic adventure!
I realize there are some gaps remaining so I hope I'm able to locate the withlacoochee & van fleet trails as the routes David Rose & Keith Workman utilized appear to go a bit farther north to bypass the dangerous and unsafe FL50 section. Here's my e-mail if anyone has advice or recommendations. mrkslater52@
Thank you for your help and consideration!
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Really admire Florida’s commitment to establishing great cycling and hiking trails.
The C2C was excellent. Some gaps and signage could be clearer. Over all a REAL BUCKET LIST Trail. Once the C2C is all connected it will be certainly a TOP Destination Ride.
Are there camping sites along the route? Has anyone done this with bikes and a tent?
We're hoping to do this in January 2022, pulling a cart with our camping gear.
Ro and Jo cycling momas plan on riding this Feb on the C2C trail. same questions as above - Is it better to ride East to West re:the winds, we usually ride 40-50 miles/day taking our time...are there any cabins on the or near the trail? any shuttles that could take us where the gap starts in the middle or do you think 2 ladies in their late 60-70's could handle the road riding?
I have ride with GPS and will check out your posts, David Rose.
Thanks for any information!!
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has posted. I completed a solo supported ride November 22, 2021. I rode west to east. The dialogue and conversation were enormously helpful. After a taste of Hwy 50 / Cortez Blvd. into Brooksville, I opted for the 41-mile alternative to the 25-mile stretch of Hwy 50 that represented the Sumter Connector gap. I look forward to returning in the spring and revisiting some of my favorite sections.
I appreciate this posting it is quite helpful. If I started in Titusville and headed West what trail segment would get me closest to Orlando as my end point?
What is the 41 mile alternative to the 25 mile stretch that is mentioned by rfm03838? I leave on Labor Day from west to east and would probably rather go with safety over shorter