Central West County, Florida
Suncoast Trail
For its entire route, the Suncoast Trail follows its namesake Suncoast Parkway, a toll-road highway that stretches between FL-44 in Lecanto and W Lutz Lake Fern Rd. in Upper Tampa Bay.
The trail passes through a mix of suburban, agricultural and natural areas, along which trail users will find rest areas and interpretive signs that illuminate the trail’s historical significance and identify the local ecology.
One of the most impressive features along the route is the nearby Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve, with beautiful waterways and scenic views of natural areas.
Starkey Park Trail
Experience this 13.1-mile out-and-back trail near New Port Richey, Florida, called Starkey Park Trail. This is a very popular area for road biking, running, and walking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
The paved trail in Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park stretches across the preserve for about 6 miles. Well-spaced shelters along the trail offer pleasant places to rest in the shade; many are even furnished with ice water. The park, a short distance northwest of Tampa, is one of the largest natural areas in Pasco County. A mixture of pine woods, wetlands, and palmetto scrub can be experienced here, and recreational opportunities include hiking, biking, birding, horseback riding, and camping.
Good Neighbor Trail
The Good Neighbor Trail is a beautiful paved trail that starts at Russell Street Park and joins up with the Withlacoochee State Trail.
Following a former narrow gauge railroad corridor, this is a linear paved bike path.
It spans from the former main line at Croom, which is now the Withlacoochee State Trail, to a depot in Brooksville dating back to 1885.
The corridor dates back to the heyday of lumberjacks felling the “yellow pine,” as long-lived longleaf pines were known, and sending them off to sawmills.
Narrow gauge trains facilitated the process, in this case, the Southern Railroad.
It was later taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line and rails widened to accommodate standard gauge trains.
Now, the Good Neighbor Trail provides a crucial connector in the Coast-to-Coast Trail across Central Florida.
Open daylight hours only. Leashed pets are welcome. Please pick up after your pet.
Tri-County Trail
The Tri-County Trail is a connector trail on the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, touching on Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough Counties. The trail connects to the Pinellas Trail at the intersection of East Lake and Keystone Roads, runs along Keystone Road, and then north to the Pasco County line where it meets the Starkey Gap Trail. Running the roadside and then past a nature preserve, there’s little to no shade.
Withlacoochee Gulf Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Chiefland Area Chamber of Commerce
Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce
Florida Coast to Coast Trail
The Florida Coast to Coast Trail (C2C) was conceived as an ambitious effort to create a continuous paved multi-use path across the state from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, the first state trail of its kind in the United States. It will span approximately 250 miles and is currently more than 80 percent complete. The trail will link communities between St. Petersburg and Titusville along its entire length, allowing residents and visitors to explore Central Florida by bicycle or foot. This corridor includes most of the 51-mile East Central Regional Rail Trail, the longest single rail-trail corridor ever acquired by the Office of Greenways and Trails. The trail links all or part of several existing multi-use trails and will be managed by a broad range of communities and agencies.
Info: General info link
Map: Google Maps link
Pinellas Trail
The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail is a linear trail currently extending from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs and is a multi-use trail everyone can enjoy. The Trail, created along a portion of the abandoned railroad corridor, provides a unique, protected green space for walking, jogging, skating, and biking. Pinellas County Parks & Conservation Resources is responsible for the Trail’s maintenance and operating costs.