Florida gets treated as a paddling state, and fair enough. But it also has one of the longest paved rail trails in the Southeast, and it runs straight through six natural communities and a handful of small downtowns.
The Withlacoochee State Trail covers 47 miles from Citrus Springs south to Dade City, crossing Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco counties. It’s asphalt, it’s flat, it’s free, and it’s a National Recreation Trail.
It’s built on a rail line Henry Plant laid down in the late 1800s, and sections of the railroad are still standing beside the pavement. Cement mileage and whistle markers survive along the route.
Among the non-hiking trail roundup picks, this one is the easiest to ride in short pieces. Downtown Hernando and downtown Inverness sit right on the corridor, so you can plan a ride around lunch…