Suncoast Trail

Today we had the afternoon free, so we drove to the nearby Suncoast Trail which follows the western side of the Suncoast Parkway (toll road) and is paved, and we biked 16 miles. Since it is not a rail-to-trail, it is not flat, and though they graded the tollway so it is fairly level, the bike trail follows the contours of the Brooksville Ridge in this area, one of Florida's highest sections at 140 feet above sea level. Of course, this is Florida so it isn't that challenging a pedal! I assumed that since the trail followed the toll road, that would be the predominant feature along the trail -- and it was -- but it was nicely landscaped in many places and had trees lining much of the western side of the trail. Below shows the tollway to the left...



... and this photo shows trees lining both sides of the trail.


Bridges or traffic lights take bikes/pedestrians safely across the bigger cross roads. Rest benches with canopies appear at regular intervals and trailhead parking areas are beautiful, with washrooms and picnic tables and landscaping. The prettiest segment is adjacent to the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park. This section crosses various rivers and creeks, including the Anclote and Pithlachascotee, and provides views of beautiful natural communities.

Trail map here