East Central Regional Rail Trail
East Central Regional Rail Trail is a recreational trail (and former rail trail) in Volusia County and the Space Coast that constitutes a part of Florida's Coast-to-Coast Trail. A paved trail, the route is popular with cyclists, as it crosses a variety of ecosystems and scenic areas including cypress groves, forests, and pine flatwoods. The trail is approximately 50 mi (80 km) from its westernmost point in Enterprise (near Deltona) to its easternmost point in Titusville, and is open to hikers and cyclists.
Understand
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The trail is part of the Coast-to-Coast Trail, a project started in the 2000s, to construct a paved, multiuse recreational trail from Florida's Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Ocean. For funding and logistical purposes, the trail was split into several smaller trails with cooperation with local county and regional authorities. The East Central Regional Rail Trail is among the longest of these trails and is one of the earliest completed segments, with 50 mi (80 km) of trail constructed and dedicated in the 2010s.
As its name implies, the rail trail follows the route of one of the many railroads that historically crisscrossed Florida during its agricultural boom of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Much of the route parallels the Osteen-Maytown Road and therefore includes multiple parking lots/staging areas to access different parts of the trail. Notably, the trail fork into two tributaries about halfway along its route, with the southern fork going to Titusville (providing a link to the Intracoastal Waterway and Canaveral National Seashore) and the northern fork going to Edgewater.
Prepare
[edit]Visit during the winter because heat in summer makes cycling or hiking on this route difficult. Much of the path isn't under shade, and the pavement gets heated by direct sunlight. Consider distances; some parts of the path are longer than they appear on a map, but there are signs along the way that indicate half-mile markers, distances to different segments and parking, and region maps.
Get in
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All access points to the trail are parking lots accessible by car. The nearest passenger train station is the 1 DeBary Sunrail Station. US-17 connects the station to the 2 Spring-to-Spring Trail, which accesses 3 Gemini Springs and the East Central Regional Rail Trail.
For more information on the Coast-to-Coast Trail, which includes the Spring-to-Spring Trail and the East Central Regional Rail Trail, see the Florida Department of Environmental Protection website. However, this map lacks information regarding staging points and access areas to the trail and shows only the route, with completed parts of the route in green and incomplete parts of the route in dotted purple. Volusia County provides a map of access points as of the path's planning stage in 2009.
Go
[edit]Parking lots with access, from west to east, include:
- 4 Thornby Park, 110 Providence Blvd. The westernmost point of the trail, allowing access from Deltona. The parking lot is a few minutes' walk south of the paved path.
- 5 I. Walter Hawkins Veterans Memorial Park, New Smyrna Blvd (turn southeast on New Smyrna Blvd from FL-415). Direct access to the trail near the FL-415 bridge in downtown Osteen.
- 6 Gobblers Lodge Trailhead, Gobblers Lodge Rd (turn south on Gobbers Lodge Rd from Osteen-Maytown Rd). Direct access to the trail east of Osteen.
- 7 Maytown Trailhead, Maytown Spur Rd (turn south on Maytown Spur Rd from Osteen-Maytown Rd). Direct access to the trail in Maytown. This trailhead is close to the division between the Edgewater and Titusville segments. There is a pit stop south of the trailhead where you can buy water and snacks.
- 8 Aurantia Road Trailhead, Blounts Ridge Rd/Aurantia Rd. Direct access to the trail between Maytown and Titusville.
The easternmost point of the trail is 9 in central Titusville. There is parking in downtown Titusville but no parking at the specific site.
Other points of interest along the route include:
- 10 Edgewater/Titusville Trail Fork. If approaching from the west, the trail forks into two segments here: the northern fork continues to Edgewater while the southern fork continues to the Maytown Trailhead and from there toward Titusville.
- 11 Kurt Eichin Memorial Trail. The trail from this point (at the Volusia/Brevard County line) to the south was designated in 2019 with a memorial plaque and roundabout.
The best options for food and lodging along the route can be found in Deltona, Sanford, and Titusville.
Stay safe
[edit]Alligators and bears are common wildlife along the route. Alligators typically inhabit waterways and won't be dangerously near as long as you stick to the path. Black bears are more of a concern; see dangerous animals for further information.
Some parts of the trail aren't close to public view or emergency services. In particular, the segment of the trail on the Maytown Spur between Maytown and Titusville isn't adjacent to any public roads or access routes.
Go next
[edit]- Canaveral National Seashore is a nature preserve to the north of the Kennedy Space Center with wildlife drives, hiking trails, and public beaches.
- New Smyrna Beach is a beach town to the north of Edgewater. While there is no direct link from the Edgewater trailhead, the beach at New Smyrna is open to the public with free and permited parking options and 13 mi (21 km) of beaches.