Volusia County blazing
new trails
While
road construction is evident in Volusia County, the creation of new
trails may not be as visible, but is equally important. In fact, the
Volusia County Council has made the creation of trails a priority,
underscoring its commitment by developing a Trails Plan that creates
a comprehensive trails system throughout the county.
“We
receive many requests for information about trails,” said John
Harper, Facilities Manager for Volusia County Leisure Services, a
division of the Volusia County Growth and Resource Management
Department. “Birders, paddlers, riders, joggers… they all want to
experience our area from the vantage point of a trail.”
One of
the favorite trails is the Spring-to-Spring Trail, a 1.3-mile trail
along Mansion Boulevard and Dirksen Drive that links historic DeBary
Hall with Gemini Springs Park. People can stroll, pedal or skate
through canopied oaks along oleander-lined streets in a park-like
setting. Eventually, the trail will connect northerly to Blue Spring
State Park and then on to DeLeon Springs State Park. To the south,
it will extend to Lake Monroe Park and then connect to the trails
system in Seminole County.
Lake
Helen, which is careful to maintain its small-town character, long
has recognized the importance of trails. It has created a three-mile
trail from its downtown area to its eastern rural wetlands. A
1.3-mile trail also runs from Lake Helen to Cassadaga through the
woods surrounding Lake Colby and could be extended by several miles
in the future. Lake Helen officials and bicycling enthusiasts will
open the Florida Discovery Bicycling Center, the first year-round
permanent bicycling school in Florida this fall, a facility that
will have strong appeal among cyclists, as well as fitness and
ecotourism enthusiasts.
Birding
enthusiasts have been supportive of The Great Florida Birding Trail.
When complete, it will have become a 2,000-mile highway trail
unifying existing and new birding sites throughout the state. The
West Volusia Audubon Society adopted Lake Woodruff National Wildlife
Refuge and oversaw donations and construction of a wildlife
conservation platform. It leads seasonal tours for beginning
birders.
Those
who prefer to commune with nature from the vantage point of the
river are fortunate to have many opportunities for paddling trails
in Volusia County. These include inland waterways on the east side
of the county and the St. Johns River on the west side, including
the Hontoon Dead River Paddling Trail, which is more than 10 miles. Other paddling trails include Bulow Creek State Canoe
Trail, Wilbur Rose Paddling Trail, Spruce Creek State Canoe Trail,
Mosquito Lagoon Paddling Trail, Gemini Springs Paddling Trail and
Tick Island Paddling Trail. All are a part of the Volusia County
Trails Plan.
The
Volusia County Council identified six showcase trails as part of the
overall Volusia Trails Plan, a program that receives $1 million
annually from ECHO program funds. Among them are The World’s Most
Famous Beach Trail in Daytona Beach, the West Volusia
Spring-to-Spring Trail, the Lake Monroe Loop in Southwest Volusia,
the Cross Volusia Trail linking the east and west sides of the
county, the Kings Highway Trail from Ormond Beach to New Smyrna
Beach, and the Southwest Segment of the East Central Regional Rail
Trail.
The
Greenway movement is a partnership among the White House Millennium
Council, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the Office of Greenways and Trails in
cooperation with other agencies and organizations. Under this
initiative, more than 2,000 trails across the nation will be
enhanced or built, including many here in Volusia County.
