Withlacoochee State Trail

Denise the Exploring mama

Just can't say enough about this trail absolutely love it.

Mark Weber

Great road cycling or running trail. Old railroad. You can get over 50 miles from Dunnellon or 100 round trip. Connects to Blue Run of Dunnellon Park. That portion of the trail is the nicest in my opinion - more shaded, picturesque but just a few miles. Withlacoochee is prettiest in the Inverness section. It's all a straight, well paved trail with room enough to ride fast and pass safely. The trail undulates with the terrain but no really steep climbs. Grades are subdued as is usual with old rails but still you can tell when you are going up and when you are coming down. In a 62 Mile ride we had about 980 feet in elevation on our stats.

Allen B

Fantastic bike ride. I parked here and rode the 40 miles (80 round trip) up to the trail terminus. The entire trail is GORGEOUS, with lots of gems along the way. You'll pass through Hernando, Dunellon, and my favorite, Floral City. Get ready to experience these town up close and personal from a bike. There are other trail parking lots as well if you don't want to ride as far as I did. If you have a bike you should definitely get on this trail!

Ross Statham

I ride this trail four or five times per week, usually putting in at Ridge Manor trailhead and riding 15-25 miles north and returning south. But have ridden the entire trail in its entirety, and familiar with all portions of it. I currently ride a recumbent bicycle and know many of the "regulars" that ride it often. In short-- I know this trail and many that ride it. It's very safe, very friendly and very easy to ride. Here's the good and the challenges for you to consider: The good: - It's wide, relatively flat, and mostly shady. - It's patrolled by the police and by volunteers and is, as far as you can make a public trail, safe. - It's extremely well maintained and is in excellent condition. - There's plenty of wildlife to see, especially if you go very early AM. Cardinals, turkey, tortises, racoons, deer, and yes-- the occasional snake. Keep your eyes peeled. - Lots of beautiful, wild scenery almost every mile. Amazing. - The mile markers are painted in large yellow letters on the side of the pavement starting from both ends. (There are old concrete railroad markers showing miles from Richmond, Virginia as well as markers telling the engineer to blow the whistle for crossings. Very cool.) The challenges: - The park recommends you wear orange so that hunters can see you. So get an orange dayglo polyester shirt, readily available everywhere. You don't need a fancy cycling jersey anyway. Use polyester-- it wicks. - There is little water on most portions the trail. I recommend you carry two quarts. - Few restrooms. It's wise to carry toilet paper and hand sanitizer in a ziplock bag at all times. - Long stretches of the trail are... wild. No crossroads, no phone service, no anything. Bring your own repair kit and don't be surprised when your phone stops working. - Many users of the trail wear headphones and don't hear approaching cyclists. (I recommend you don't for lots of reasons.) - A few cyclists don't indicate out loud they're passing you ("on your left") as they should. (Most of these are newbies.) - Be careful at road crossings. Most of the road crossings are relatively simple with sporatic traffic or even traffic lights, but all require your undivided attention. - There is no speed limit-- some cyclists are moving slowly, some quickly. Keep that in mind. Most "power cyclists" are traveling between 15-20 mph. That's fast enough for someone to get hurt. Here's my recommended list of minimum equipment to carry on every ride: - Two quarts of water - Spare bike tubes (one for each tire-- trust me on this one) - Air pump & patch kit - Tools to include hex wrenches, screwdrivers, small crescent wrench - Nylon rain jacket - Toilet paper & hand sanitizer (keep close at hand) - Bug spray. They'll only bother you when you stop riding, but... Here are some of my "extras" that I recommend for any trail ride: - SPF 30 lotion - Compressed/folded spare tire - Long sleeved orange polyester shirt - "Da Brim" wide nylon helmet brim; provides excellent sun protection (thanks, George!) - Bike bell or bike horn (to pass other cyclists, runners, walkers) - Bike lights front and rear Hope you find this review to have been comprehensive and helpful. See you on the trail!