History

Myakka River State Park

Terrain:  15 miles of pancake flat trails and no tree cover.  Super hot in summer.  Boring landscape.

To Get There:  Take I-75 to Sarasota and exit on SR72.  Head east on SR72 for 5-10 miles and you'll see signs for the park.  Turn left (north) and pay state park entry fee.  You can click, pan, and zoom on the map below.

These trails are boring because of the flat terrain and monotonous landscape, consisting of palm fronds and pine trees.  Most trails are out in the open where there is no tree cover, consequently technical skills are not necessary to navigate the trails.  However, there is a lot of sand.  That, coupled with the hot sun, will give you a perspiration soaked workout.  The best riding is clearly in winter, but the biggest problem is that you must ride on designated bicycle trails only.  The "designated" bike trails are essentially fire roads, and did I mention that these trails are very sandy?  On the other hand, biking the paved roads is pleasant and under the cover of trees.  Be sure to pick up a map at the ranger station so you don't get lost.

Myakka has a lot to offer besides bicycling, including canoeing, camping, hiking, fishing, and a tree canopy walkway.  The lightly traveled paved roads offer several miles of tree canopied cycling.  If you're here for the off-road trails, come with appropriately low expectations, adequate equipment, water, and physical fitness!