Is Your Town a Trail Town?

As part of Florida’s trail network there is now a program to promote trail towns – which act as the gateways to our parks and trails. Florida’s emerging Trail Town program continues to expand with the addition of three new towns that were recently designated by the Florida Greenways and Trails Council. Several other towns are currently working with the Office of Greenways and Trails on Trail Town applications.

These three join the first two designees, Dunedin and Titusville:

Malabar, located at the southern end of Brevard County along Florida’s East Coast, was designated due to its vigorous efforts to establish walking, bicycling and paddling trails through its conservation areas. The town has an active Trails and Greenways Committee that works to connect their trail system to neighboring towns and they came together to build an impressive trail shelter, an ideal spot for a rest break or picnic or to take refuge from a storm.

Vilano Beach, located just north of St. Augustine along Highway A1A, has developed a wide range of amenities for bicyclists on the East Coast Greenway and paddlers on the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail. The town has wide paved trails on both sides of their main boulevard along with directional signage on every block.

Clermont, located at the halfway point of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, provides numerous amenities for trail users such as restrooms, shade, information kiosks, way-finding signs, water fountains and showers. A “Meet in the Middle” trailhead is planned and will be complete in 2019. In addition, motels, restaurants and a pedestrian-friendly downtown can easily be accessed from the trail.