Mountain Biking Trails
- Munson Hills Twilight Trail, 21 miles of off-road adventure through the rolling longleaf pine forest of the Apalachicola National Forest.
- Tom Brown (Magnolia) Trail
- Cadillac Trail, Magnolia Trail and the Fern Trail are linked together for a total ride of 11 miles. The ride goes through three Tallahassee Park:. Tom Brown, Governor's Park, and Lafayette Heritage Trail Park.
- Red Bug Trail (Phipps Park)
- Miccosukee Greenway Trail follows along the Miccosukee canopy road, and is a multi-use trail.
- Fern Trail connects from Blair Stone Road, into Tom Brown Park
- Talquin State Forest trails cover 9.5 miles through rolling forest, near Lake Talquin, and is scenic with some ravines and steepheads.
- Lines Tract off-road Trail is within the area of the Bear Creek Educational Forest, and under the Florida Forest Service.
- Most of the off-road trails offer optional jumps and challenge courses for intermediate and expert riders.
STREET BIKING
"Bike Boxes " are beginning to be inserted onto Tallahassee Streets. These "boxes" are painted green and allow bicyclists to wait in front of cars at red lights and then turn or continue straight first when the light turns green. These boxes have been installed in both directions at Stadium Drive and Call Street. Tallahassee is only the second Florida city to install the boxes.
The driving force of this project is awareness and safety for cyclists. It's a constant visual reminder that the cyclist is there. They are not, however, a substitute for prudence. Motorized vehicles can not turn right on red at an intersection with a Bike Box.
In recent years, local government has added bike lanes to almost every new road construction or remodeling. Tallahassee was one of the first cities to adopt "sharrows"--figures of bicyclists painted on the road to indicate to motorists they are sharing the street with bicyclists. Our town has been certified as a bronze level bicycle friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists.
Tallahasse now has an official Bike Route Network. Residents can now turn to roads off the beaten path and others deemed safe for cycling. This network of 490 miles of roadway will soon be labeled with unique bike route signs. It will not only make cycling easier in Tallahassee, but will promote green transportation. A few of the identified routes within the network link Killearn Estates to the downtown connector. Midtown is also now linked to it. Innovation Park has a route to the FAMU connector, while Mission Road connects to the TCC connector. San Luis Park heads to the downtown area, as does Southwood. This network includes 30 designated bike routes with numerous connectors. Further information can be secured through the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning department.
CAPITAL CITY TO THE SEA TRAILS;
This project is envisioned to be a series of paved multiuse trails that will connect various areas from the Cascades park all the way to the Gulf Coast. These trails will provide better connectivity and mobility for residents and visitors to travel throughout Wakulla and Leon County. Eventually Franklin, Gadsden and Jefferson County will be linked. This "route" will include the existing Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, the abandoned Georgia, Florida and Alabama Railroad corridor, US 98 and the Ochlockonee Bay trail. These trails will have a minimum width of 12 feet to allow for moving in both directions. There will be allowances for access to local streets, parks, etc. To stay current as the project progress, check the website at www.CC2ST.com, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CC2ST, or Twitter at @CC2STrails www.twitter.com/CC2STrails.
CYCLING SAVVY
The Florida Bicycling Association conducts classes for bicyclists to learn the best techniques for riding in traffic. It is usually a two day course. Visit www.cyclingsavvy.com for complete details. A video about bike boxes is available. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kel.hfd15zhw&feature=player_embedded
Bike Clubs
Bike Florida, Tallahassee: a statewide nonprofit, concerned mainly with bike safety and education. Has annual spring tours. www.bikeflorida.org
Capital City Cyclists: Does lots of area rides, has ride groups. www.cccyclists.org Click on their calendar to find upcoming events. Also, if you click on the area rides you will find a list of established rides, most not affiliated with the group. If you are interested in a particular one, you can down load the map, and email the ride person to request additional information. You will also find facebook ride announcements through this site. Another source of ride announcements can be found at the Tal-Rides Yahoo Groups. www.//groups.yahoo.com/group/tal-rides/ They will try hard to help you find your place in Tallahassee's cycling community.
Tallahassee Mountain Bike: has a series of informative safety courses, rides, get togethers. www.tallahasseemountainbike.com
Higher Ground does a "Happy Hour" bike ride every Thursday at 6:30 pm. Go to their bike shop located next to Momo's within the Market Square district. This is an easy 10 - 12 mile ride. It began as a way for new cyclists to learn while enjoying the shady streets of the Killearn neighborhood. It has evolved into a nice "social" ride since it is slow enough to talk and meet and greet. It is definitely a great way to relax and unwind after work. For further information, contact the shop.
OUTSIDE TOWN BIKING/HIKING TRAILS;
Our incredible state parks all have trails designed to explore and enjoy nature and wildlife. Go to www.floridastateparks.org Click on the Greenways and Trails component to locate same. Each Greenway has information and maps to assist you. This area in 2008 was designated the Best Trails State Parks in America. Also, the information at the Get A Little Park On Ya ! is a fun site, offering 50 ways you can Get a Little Park on Ya. Check out the Events segment. You need to click on the Northwest tab, and then explore all the different options for outdoor enjoyment.
The recently completed Ochlockonee Bay Bike Trail is an 11.63 mile bicycle/pedestrian trail that extends from the Mashes Sands Trailhead along Mashes Sands/Surf Road to the intersection of Surf Road and US 319 in the community of Sopchoppy. The Mashes Sands Trailhead is about 2.2 milles east of the Tide Creek Bridge.The Wakulla Chamber of Commerce can help with more detailed directions.
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park has eight miles of trails of ever changing scenery. And, the trails hook up with the Red Bug trail at Phipps Overstreet Park, which adds lots more miles. The trail around Lake Overstreet is popular and it includes a huge eagles nest with a mating pair.
Some of the most scenic sections of the 1,400 mile Florida National Scenic Trail can be found in the Big Bend area. These include the Aucilla River and Aucilla Sinks, where the river repeatedly goes undergound and resurfaces in a series of unique sinkholes. It drops down into the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, where you get to hike/bike through several different ecosystems. The "Cathedral of Palms" is a section with a thick canopy of sabal palms that leads to a wild emerald spring. The trail enters the 500,000 acre Apalachicola National Forest. You can slog through the Bradwell Bay Wilderness area, or look for the two largest Ogeechee tupelo trees, the largest in the world. Our excellent regional parks, and state parks and forests have a multitude of trails to enjoy.
The Apalachicola National Forest has established a new motorcycle trailhead south of Tallahassee. The Springhill Motorcycle Trailhead provides opportunities to ride on public lands, enjoying the beauty of the forest while doing so. The entrance has ample parking for trailers, so there's plenty of room to offload motorcycles and equipment. The trail has an aluminum bridge connecting the forest's northern and southern motorized trails. The Fisher Creek Bridge is a single span bridge with an overall length of 90 feet, and replaces an older bridge. The Tallahassee trail Riders along with Red Hills Power Sports were active in all components of this newest trail.
Once your outdoor endeavors are complete, toss your togs into the dryer for 15 minutes before you wash them. Water doesn't zap ticks; high heat does.
Check the archives of the Tallahassee Democrat for a story re "mapping out" safe bicycle routes through the city. Jan. 23, 2013 issue noted that a group of cyclists exploring 15 miles from Lake Ella going all directions. Midtown was not yet deemed user friendly, and Thomasville Road had no designated bike lanes. Los Robles was easy to ride as was all parts of the St. Marks trail. Be careful on Gaines St., while Martin Luther King Blvd. has some pretty features and dead-ends at the city's cemetery.
A fun event to start the year, and get you ready for sitting in front of a screen watching Super Bowl, is the Urban Gorilla mountain bike ride, held on Super Bowl Sunday. Meet at 9 am in front of City Hall. You'll ride mostly on off-road trails, including Fern Trail all the way into Tom Brown Park, and will also do the Alford Arms Greenway, along with the Miccosukee Greenway, and, as always, Goose Pond Trail. Included also is the power lines trail, Forest Meadows, Lake Hall, and more. You end up back at City Hall, ready for whatever the day brings.
