PARKS & OUTDOORS
Withlacoochee State Trail
Hernando County · Gulf Coast
The longest paved rail trail in Florida, 46 miles from Trilby to Dunnellon, running through Hernando County on an abandoned railroad.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
The Withlacoochee State Trail runs 46 miles through Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties and is the longest paved rail trail in Florida. It follows a railroad that began in the 1880s, with sections built in 1892 by the Silver Springs, Ocala and Gulf Railroad and the South Florida Railroad. By 1902 the Atlantic Coast Line had joined them into the DuPont to Lakeland line, and passenger trains ran until 1957. Mergers carried the line to CSX, which abandoned the 47 miles in 1987, and Florida bought it in 1989 for the rails-to-trails program. The trail runs from Trilby in the south to Dunnellon in the north, passing through Istachatta, Floral City, Inverness, Hernando and Citrus Springs, following the Withlacoochee River and the state forest of the same name. The Hernando County stretch runs through Withlacoochee State Forest and the small settlements along it. The surface is asphalt and carries walkers, cyclists and horses, with steep embankments and swamp in places. Ten trailheads give access, several with parking at state forest campgrounds
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