St. Augustine

Guana River State Park

Terrain:  About 10 miles of mostly beginner and some intermediate scenic trail.  Completely flat.

Skill
Beginners will be right at home on these trails.
Intermediates will find trails to be easy, fun to ride in large groups, and good for introducing beginners.
Experts: You're going to the beach anyway so you might as well get a short ride in!  Not challenging at all.

To Get There: From the South:  Take I-95 North and exit East on SR 207.  About 7 miles later you'll need to head north on US 1 and then north on SR A1A.  From the North:  Take I-10 to I-95 South.  From I-95 South, exit on SR 202 and head South on A1A from Ponte Vedra.  There are several signs for Guana River State Park, but you want the main entrance (not the beach area).  Pay the entrance fee and park on the west side of dam.  No, there's no shade.

These trails are half way between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, but I thought these trails would be more appropriate under a separate heading.  There's no potable water and no facilities, so plan ahead.

Trailhead with lots of people fishing in the background:

Pick up a trail map if available, but it is not needed because intersections and paths are well marked.  All trails are easy, but just because they're all easy doesn't mean it is not fun to come here.  The orange loop is the only singletrack and it is the most fun.  You can go really fast on the wider paths.  Banana spiders like to hang out in the paths during the warmer weather, especially when the trails are fresh in the early morning!  So keep an eye out.  The mosquitoes are only a problem if you stop, but not if you're near the water and there's a breeze.

The area is pretty, offering views of the intracostal waterway.  It is possible to do all loops in under two hours.

Julie enjoys the second mountain bike ride of her life.