There are plenty of reasons to take the bikes to the beach this summer, and if you’re heading to Amelia Island then you’ll have to be sure to bring them along. With miles of bike paths, from Fort Clinch’s challenging off-road routes to the newly-constructed paved Amelia Island Trail, bike riders of all ages should have no problem finding a road that’s perfect for them. Let’s check out some of the island’s various bike trails in this week’s post.
Fort Clinch State Park
According to the Florida State Parks website, there are approximately 3.3 miles of paved road for bicycling within Fort Clinch, which is situated at the northern end of Amelia Island. The quiet, paved routes are perfect to take your time cruising down, considering there’s not much traffic coming in or going out of the park, especially during the week.
If you’re feeling more adventurous, and decide to bring your mountain bike along, you can give the off-road trails that wind through the interior of the state park a go. Just keep in mind that the trail is marked “one way,” and to be attentive when the trail crosses the paved road in several spots. Remember to bring your helmet along if you want to take a spin off-road; the park requires everyone that is biking off the beaten path to wear one.
Ocean View Trail
Part of the East Coast Greenway, this trail runs along Florida’s A1A Scenic Highway. Spanning a total of 13.7 miles, the majority of the trail is a bike lane that runs along the highway itself, with little time spent on the sidewalk or shoulder of the road. This is a beautiful route to take if you’re wanting to soak up some sun while peddling alongside the Atlantic seashore, but keep in mind that you’ll be spending most of your ride next to a fairly busy road. This is a great way to go for adults and experienced riders, but I wouldn’t recommend bringing the kids along this route, simply because of unpredictable traffic conditions. This rings especially true during the summer vacation months.
Amelia Island Trail
This relatively-new trail opened up for business in May of 2013. Fully paved and currently running over 6 miles (progress and expansion of the trail is still under way at time of publication) the off-the-main-drag trail is the perfect place to bring the entire family along for an afternoon of cycling, riding, skateboarding, or roller blading; whatever you can do on asphalt, it’s worth trying out on this new section of trail. The shady canopy of the live oak trees provide ample cover from intense summertime rays, and the cool ocean breeze making its way from the coastline and through the trees surrounding this stretch of trail make any ride incredibly comfortable regardless of the time of year.
With plenty of parking just off of A1A every mile or so along the trail, this is one that is worth checking out. Just remember to bring $3 for parking if you don’t have a Florida State Park Annual Pass. A lot of hard work continues to go into this trail, so the parking fees are always money well spent.
There are many, many more roads, trails, and routes to take the two-wheelers down, all across Amelia Island. One could spend days exploring new locations across Amelia without every crossing paths twice; that’s why I would suggest hitting these trails up first. They’ll give you plenty of scenery to take in, fill up a couple of days of vacation time, and you’ll get back to your hotel room or condo feeling like you’ve done something productive and healthy that day, as opposed to drinking yourself into a stupor down by the pool.
Of course, that’s always an option.
