Destination Trails: The Cross Florida Greenway
“The ibis Flyer” highlights some of our great cycling trails in Florida. We call them Destination Trails, because they are worth traveling to for the cycling experience. This post highlights The Cross Florida Greenway in north central Florida.
Estimates indicate there are over 2,000 miles of connected paved trails in Florida. Plans are in the works to add another 2,000 miles of trails in the next 5-10 years. That is good news for cyclists.
Withlacoochee Bay Trail
Destination Trails include paved, gravel and MTB. While many avid cyclists are still on the roads, many are migrating to trails for safety and the fun of being off-road.
We’ve done the research for you, so you don’t have to. This Destination Trails blog series provides links to more information, including websites, maps and videos
The Cross Florida Greenway
This mile-wide and 110-mile-long corridor across North Central Florida was once meant to be a sea-level ship canal during the Great Depression and then a lock and dam barge canal in the 1960s to expedite shipping across the peninsula. Instead, it’s been preserved for recreation and wildlife habitat that traverses a significant portion of the upper Florida peninsula.
The Greenway starts at the Gulf of Mexico near Yankeetown and runs in an easterly direction just south of Ocala. From there the corridor turns to the northeast and follows the Ocklawaha River near Silver Springs until it meets the St. Johns River near Palatka. It encompasses 70,000 acres.
Riding the greenway is worth a day trip or overnighter, as it features a 110-mile linear park more than a mile wide in places.
It’s a 90 minute to two-hour drive from Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Daytona Beach to a trailhead.
This greenway is ideal for road, gravel, MTB, and e-bike enthusiasts.
Here’s a link to an interactive map by the Florida State Park system that will show you the entire Greenway route. Find the map at the bottom of the website page. The interactive map shows you trailheads and interesting sights along the trail.
Santos Trails – MTB Mecca
Mountain bikers and gravelers flock to Santos within the Greenway. Santos Trails offers some 80 miles single track. Standard trail markings are in place - yellow for beginner (good for gravelers), blue for intermediate and red for advanced MTB. Trails range from flat and rolling to rocky and steep. Make sure to have a map and compass with you.
The large network of trails can make it easy for the uninitiated to get lost. The trail network is so extensive that you can spend a couple of days here and never tire of riding the ever-growing miles of singletrack.
Santos and the full Greenway are part of the Florida State Park system. Go to ibisrides.com for a listing for both with links to sites for more information
A big thanks to the Ocala Mountain Bike Association (OMBA) for constructing and maintaining the trails and technical features at Santos. OMBA hosts the annual Santos Fat Tire Festival (FTF) at the trailhead the second weekend in March. You’ll see it listed on ibisrides.com when the 2025 date is set. It includes demo rides, clinics and a vendor village.
Much of the Cross Florida Greenway is tree covered making for a comfortable ride even in summer. It could be a nice mid-week or weekend getaway.
If you want to take a refreshing dip, stop at Silver Spring State Park. Swim, bring your kayak, explore a museum, and walk through the gardens. Have lunch at the Spring Side Café; it’s open daily from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Just southwest of Ocala is the I-75 Landbridge over the interstate. It’s a first of its kind in the United States. Built and landscaped specifically for trail users and wildlife to cross I-75 for the Cross Florida Greenway through a partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation.
Find links at ibisrides.com for the Cross Florida Greenway, Santos MTB trails under the tab “Routes”. Under the tab “Club Rides” find Ocala Mountain Bike Association and the link to their website for some excellent maps of the Santos Trails.
Hope you discover and enjoy exploring something new on your bike by riding on the Cross Florida Greenway.
Ride often. Ride safe.
Bruce | Lead ibis