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Stretching from Orlando’s densely populated outskirts to the sleepy bedroom communities of Oviedo, Winter Springs, and Lake Mary, the 29.4-mile Cross Seminole Trail provides crucial residential links in this automobile-dominated region. Throughout the day it's often enjoyed by locals using it to get around town or simply for exercise.
About the Route
The southern end of the trail starts on the northeast corner of the Aloma Avenue/Howell Branch Road intersection on the Seminole/Orange county line. (Signs for the Cady Way Trail mark the opposite corner.) The trail follows Aloma Avenue northeast though a largely urban setting, coming to Oviedo Boulevard in Oviedo, where there is a short gap in the trail. The trail picks up again in about four blocks to the west on N Central Ave.
The trail extends northwest from downtown Oviedo to Winter Springs. From the intersection of Railroad Street and North Central Avenue, it enters a pleasant wooded area and wend through several quiet, upscale neighborhoods. After 3.5 miles, it reaches the Black Hammock Trailhead, which offers the only sufficient parking along this section. There is a beautifully constructed concrete pedestrian bridge that crosses Route 434. From there, the trail passes Winter Springs High School and Central Winds Park, Seminole County's premier public park, as it threads through peaceful neighborhoods.
From Old Sanford-Oviedo Road in Winter Springs, the trail runs 3 miles along a utilities throughway and through Soldier's Creek Park. The trail crosses U.S. Highway17/92 via a nice overpass and comes to Big Tree Park in historic Longwood.
The northern 4 miles of the trail are quite different from the rest. The largely urban path parallels busy Reinhart Road in Lake Mary for much of its length. Headed south from Route 46A to Greenwood Boulevard, it follows a bustling business corridor with many road crossings. For a break from high-volume traffic, simply hop on the connecting spur to the Seminole Wekiva Trail on the west side of Reinhardt Road at the Oakland Hills Circle intersection.
Nearing its northern end, the trail connects with the Sanford Riverwalk, which heads east along the edge of Lake Monroe. Crossing St. Johns River to end at Lake Monroe Park (975 S Charles Richard Beall Blvd, DeBary), the Cross Seminole Trail also connects with the Spring to Spring Trail.
Connections
At its northern end in DeBary, the trail connects to the Spring to Spring Trail.
At the intersection of Rinehart Rd and Postal Dist. Ctr. in Lake Mary, the trail links to the Seminole Wekiva Trail via a connecting spur.
At its southern end in Winter Park, the trail connects to the Cady Way Trail.
The Cross Seminole Trail runs between Lake Monroe Park (975 S Charles Richard Beall Blvd, DeBary), where parking is available, and the intersection of Aloma Ave & Hall Rd (Winter Park).
Parking is also available at:
There are numerous parking options along the route, visit the TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
We rode this trail December 16&17, 2022,
Day#1. I got confused and parked at Gemini Springs Park instead of Gemini Springs South Trailhead. Worked out OK-rode sidewalk about 1.5 miles and joined up with trail. Immediately you cross a bridge over the water and take a right turn to start the trail. If you just go straight you start on the Sanford River Walk. Thats really better! Great ride along the edge of the lake. We did about 5 miles on the true trail. Not really fun. Lots of street and business driveway crossings. Unless you need to be there I would skip this part of the trail.
Day#2. Parked at Greenwood Lakes park on Greenway Blvd. Rode the trail for 10 wonderful miles thru Big Tree park and the Preserve. Just beautiful. Turned around at the Howell Creek Bridge Trestle. There were two street crossings but there were trail signs! So helpful! Other than that all nature and the trail in great shape.
Decided to travel to this side of the state to try out the paved bike trails in Seminole, Orange & Volusia counties & we started with the Cross Seminole Trail at the Big Tree Park trailhead. We rode down to The Cady Way trailhead and then back which gave us about 36.85 miles for the day. A lot of intersections to cross so be careful! Stop in Winter Springs for a cool drink!
Finally the connection of the second and third section is near completion at mile marker 14.5 where the trail dead ended into a recycling dump before. In addition they are constructing public restrooms along the trail at the Winter Springs High School sports complex. This turns the trail from a 4 to a 5 star bike trail, though it still has many road crossings and certain sections get quite busy on weekends. People are overall polite and cooperative when you announce yourself and communicate well with drivers at the many 4 way stops. I love this trail since a lot of it runs through shady wooded areas, especially between Longwood and Oviedo.
Trail is scenic and very well maintained. Downtown Winter Springs a good place to stop for a snack or drink. Many parking options and clean restrooms. Look forward to riding this trail again.
This "trail" is so disjointed with all the busy road crossings and sidewalks. Signage is poor, they need to invest in some spray paint for arrows. I came to an ubiquitous end by some heavy industry with NO signs as to how to connect to another part of the trail. They were tearing out some railroad tracks and there was a short piece of asphalt which presumably is part of a trail? Much of it goes through suburban neighborhoods on sidewalks with many intersections. When you press the crossing button you need to wait at least 5 minutes or just cross when all is clear.
On the bright side, there were some nice areas like near the "Big Tree" park. Going up Rhinehart was nothing but busy noisy traffic and intersections. The crossing over I-4 had no marking or signs, so I skipped that & went as far north as it goes.
Unless you're a glutton for punishment & frustration, this trail is NOT recommended.
We began at Black Hammock Trailhead and walked for about a mile before turning around. While I have heard that this trail does cross a lot of roads, the part that we walked was very nice and we will be going back again soon
Some parts are scenic. Others not so much. Watch for sand on the path.
We rode from the Black Hammock Trailhead past Central Winds Park to the Wagner Dog Park. This shady tree lined portion of the trail was great for a relaxing recreational ride. Be sure to follow the driveway from the Dog Park to the lake front. There were many wading birds and gators at the lake. While there are several cross streets and stop signs, there was not much traffic due to the stay at home order currently in place. Loved our ride!!
This is the second portion of the trail. It is wonderfully treed, and essentially flat for a great ride. There are stop signs along the way, so you need to be careful, but the great thing is that they are 4 way stops and so cars tend to wait for you as you cross, giving you a mostly continuous bike ride. Did this during a weekday so wasn’t crowded at all.
I share the same sentiment of many reviews made already. I will take partial credit for not reading the description of the trail in full detail. I had no idea that the trail disconnects in many places and expands through heavy traffic. I also drove an hour to get to this trail, looking forward to 22.8 miles one way as opposed to 22.8 round trip. Very disappointing.
Good shade well maintained but mileage is poorly marked. Boombah softball field is a good rest stop with rocking chairs, shade and clean restrooms. Walking is fine not much of bike path due to all the stops.
If you are in to going fast than use the roads, this is for relaxing rides. Not sure why there are so many complaints, I find the trail quite relaxing and very nice. Not sure where people are riding saying they have to stop ever 1/4 mile. I've been riding this trail since it first opened. I remember walking down the railroad tracks that follow the same path when I was a teenager back in the early 70's.
Not marked very well and lots of stopping for traffic lights
There are many busy intersections. It’s not as shady as Wekiva Trail either, so I can’t go as far with my dog.
I was at first excited to see the length of the trail. However, if you're looking to stretch your legs and fly on your bike, this is not the trail for you. Unless if you're into stopping every quarter mile, always looking for cars, having to dismount to go through a tunnel and dismount to use the overpass, have the sprinkler systems spray onto you as you're waiting for the crosswalk light (longest light in the world) and while riding the trail, having the trail turn from a wide path to a small sidewalk with nonstop back-to-back driveways and store entrances. Then this trail is for you. I will never return to this part of the trail. I started at H E Thomas Parkway jr. and when I reached N Ronald Regan Parkway my patients ran out.
Two recent retirees in good health parked our car at the Seminole County library and picked up the trail across from the post office. Signs suggesting a violation to park in the post office parking lot. Unlike other reviewers, I found it well marked with 3 exceptions. I think the nicest part of the trail is between Oviedo and Big Tree Park which is about 11 miles each way. Hoping to have lunch on Lake Jessup, we took a little excursion down a dirt trail into Spring Hammock Preserve. Can't access the lake and it was a little buggy (no air movement). Enjoyed a short stroll the boardwalk trail in Big Tree Park. Next time, will stay longer. The rest of the bike trail meanders thorough neighborhoods and is not as interesting. We went as far as Derby Park for a total round trip distance of 39 miles.
Poor markings as follows:
1. The trail breaks at Layer Elementary School and is NOT MARKED. Go left, then right onto 419, one block and right onto Wade, one block and left onto Old Sanford for 3 blocks. At dead end, go right onto dirt trail (about 200 feet) and then you are back onto paved trail. It's not that big a deal, and it would only take 5 small signs to avoid the confusion.
2. I never saw a marking for the trail leg, that I think takes you across Route 4 and onto another trail.
3. There is no marking at the end of the trail, which is why we ended up at Derby Park.
Overall a Great Trail, paved the entire length except for a 200 foot leg. Will do it again. Maybe next time we will try to tie into two other trails in the area.
2 senior couples rode the central portion of the Cross Seminole Trail in mid-February. We headed west from the Black Hammock Trailhead to the end of the central portion outside of Winter Spring. The Trail surface was excellent. The Trailhead had plenty of parking and a nice bathroom, We had an excellent lunch at MikkiV's Grill at the intersection of Rt. 434 and Tuskawilla Road. Then we rode east to Oviedo for the biggest challenge of the day: finding the connection to the southern portion of the Trail. There were excellent trail markings along the central portion of the Trail. But, the markings were non-existent between the 3 sections, leaving much room for improvement. Careful use of Google and bikeorlando.net helped fill in the blanks. Tip: the best route between the southern and central portions of the Trail are NOT at the ends of those 2 sections. The 4-star rating was downgraded only because of the lack of Trail markings between sections.
My wife and I drove an hour to experience the "award winning" trail system. After cycling the Cross Seminole and the Seminole/Wekiva trails all I can say is that it characterizes the current overall paved trail system in Florida. Lots of promise and potential but falls short on overall delivery.
We started from Trailhead Park in Lake Mary and turned around at the junction with the Cady Way Trail at Aloma and Howell Branch. The trail provided much promise and significant disappointment. There are sections where the scenery is beautiful and the condition of the trail is second to none. Much money has been spent on pedestrian/bike bridges and tunnels with unique architectural treatments which make them extremely aesthetic.
The sections of the trail through Spring Hammock Preserve, Big Tree Park and the area around Black Hammock Trail head are some of the most scenic you will find and the trail is in wonderful condition. Then you have areas such as the section that links to the Old Sanford/Oviedo Road which is 100 yards of washed out rock/gravel followed by a half mile road course. If you don't pay close attention you will miss where the trail picks back up. This is the worst but not the only section where the trail disappears.
Going through Oviedo from Franklin/Myrtle Streets down Central Ave. to just past Smith Street is another "road course". An easy and short section to navigate with nice sections of trail on either end. The most dangerous section is from Ronald Reagan Blvd at General Hutchinson Parkway down Longwood Lake Mary Boulevard to Soldier Creek. You are on a sidewalk or a major roadway and you can easily miss your turn and end up in Longwood instead of Lake Mary.
Overall I will advise that you take in the trail. I would recommend you start at Aloma Ave. and Howell Branch Road (just outside of Goldenrod and a short distance to UCF). You can park in the Winter Park Palms shopping center and head north until you get to Big Tree Park. In all, about 17 miles one way and you only have the couple of blocks of "road course" in Oviedo to deal with and you get the most scenic portions of the trail.
Enjoy - we did.
I read on the FL State site that it was a 23 mile asphalt paved trail-this is not true. I parked at Big Tree park and rode east- after about 3 miles the trail ended with no way to continue and warning signs not to proceed. I turned around and went the other way-about 1/4 mile past Big Tree the trail became a concrete sidewalk with multiple cross streets and many hazardous areas for bikers-this went on for a couple of miles-at that point I gave up. The road parallel to the sidewalk had no bike lane or I would have tried that instead. Don't know if there are better sections but I won't bother trying them.
I have rode the entire trail and enjoyed the 5.3 mile section between Central Winds Park in Winter Springs to Oviedo the most. It is the most scenic, quiet and shaded part of the Cross Seminole Trail. Many other parts of this trail are adjacent to major roadways...can you say noisy and car exhaust?
Just got back from riding the trail. While some of the trail is nice ... The best way to describe it is confusing and a mess. The wife and I got lost a few times trying to follow the trail as it is not continuous with breaks just as you start working up a sweat. I'll be trying the trail as it follows 426 into town and perhaps towards Lake Mary next.
Just watch out for the mess that is downtown Oviedo. Unless you park near the post office you are in for some potentially dangerous "fun" trying to get from one trail to the other.
As a local to this trail, I have bicycled it end to end many times, riding slowly and enjoying the scenery. It is a great mixed use trail for walkers, runners, bikers, skaters and occasional horses. The section from downtown Oveido near the church to Ronald Reagan Blvd in Longwood is beautiful with one exception which is the non connection near the Layer Elementary school in Winter Springs (do a little research first to find a work around-Google Maps will help). The views are great, nice shade, good facilities and great maintenance. The trail passes Big Tree Park in Longwood (nice place for a break).
The section from Oviedo heading to the connection with the Cady Way Trail can be a bit difficult to navigate, though. The signs could be a lot better, I can't count how many different routes I have taken to continue through Oviedo-a different way every time. After that it is pretty smooth sailing to the Cady Way Trail. There seem to be fewer shady spots on this section, especially along State Rd 426 Aloma Ave.
Heading the other direction on the trail is also a challenge to bike. Starting at Ronald Reagan Blvd in Longwood there are many street crossings, difficult to follow signs and a lot of sidewalk travel. With a little patience and research you can make your way into Lake Mary. The intersection at Lake Mary Blvd and Rhinehart Rd has a nice little rest area just below the pedestrian bridge. From there you can find your way to the I4 bridge crossing (make a left off of Rhinehart Road between St. Peter's Episcopal Church and the Postal Distribution Center) which connects to the Seminole Wekiva Trail. I love this trail, but I can also see the frustration it poses for first time users. With its connections to the other trails, your travel can be as long or as short as you like.
If you're looking for a long bike ride or run, this is the path for you. Poor signage is the only down fall especially at critical junctures on the path like Broadway and 419. If you're a member of Trails to Rails you can download a map before hitting the road.
I've been walking the trail to get exercise for months, and just recently pulled out the bike to go a little further. I started out from the parking lot at 417/434, heading down to Oviedo Baptist Church. I do a U-turn at the church, and then head back to Winter Springs High or Central Winds Park, which is flawless. As noted in earlier post, the stop signs on the streets and trails keep riders and drivers in check. Recently I ventured up to Layer Elementary, and tried to find the rest of the trail from using the trail maps. From Layer I turned right onto 419, and then turned right on the first street that turns right (Wade St.) This puts you onto Old Sanford-Oviedo Road, which is an industrial use street. I turned left, and at the end of the road which is a half mile long, I came to a dead end at a salvage/tree/mulch yard, so I turned back towards Winter Springs. Speaking to the owners/workers at Adventure Cycle in Winter Springs and the workers at the Seminole County Ecological Center, I was informed that at the salvage yard, there's a guard rail, and right beside it, there's a "path" on the right, and if I would have followed the path for 50 yards, it would have put me back on paved trail to Longwood/Lake Mary. The next day I set out to find the connection, and sure enough, I followed the path (broken asphalt) for 50 yards, and I was back onto the paved trail. I followed the trail past the Ecological Center and Soldier Park, at which point I was at the overpass for 17-92. I turned around at this point, but this week I'll set out to go a little further to Lake Mary or I-4, which is the beginning of the trail.
As a note for those going towards Aloma Ave./Cady Trail from Winter Springs, when you get to Oviedo Baptist, don't cross 419/434 onto Railroad Ave. Stay on the sidewalk/street, and turn right onto 419/434/S. Central Avenue passing the Townhouse Restaurant which will be on your left and Oviedo Baptist on your immediate right. Stay on 434 and cross over Broadway St. towards The Pet-Bowtique which will be on your right after you cross the light at 434/S. Central and Garden St. This will put you directly back onto the trail at just past Smith Street without going up Railroad Avenue, turning left on E. Broadway to reconnect to Cross Seminole/Florida Trail, which is in my opinion 3 blocks out the way, only to have to double back.
I AGREE WITH MULTIPLE REVIEWS.. SIGNAGE IS POOR.. PARKED AT CVS ON RED BUG LAKE RD.. WAS NOT SURE WHICH WAY TO GO AT THE TRAIL AND 426.. SIGN SAID GO LEFT BUT YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO GO STRAIGHT.. I ENDED UP RUNNING UP 426.. WILL BE GOING BACK AGAIN TODAY AND CHECK OUT THE REAL TRAIL..
It is amazing to me that millions of dollars were spent on this trail, including some very expensive, awesome bridges, only to cheap out with signage. It's ridiculous and frustrating trying to 'fill in the gaps' after being unceremonously dumped onto the road with no clue where to go. This happens at least 3 times. Are you kidding me? You can spend all that money and not throw up some signs too? somebody needs a good spanking.
Tried to ride from the west, starting in Lake Mary, nice trail head parking just east of I4. Pleasant urban trail but after initially excellent signage, lost trail at Ronald Reagan Blvd. Ended up following 427 turning south and riding very nice quiet road (Pine Way) and the bike path next to East Lake Mary Blvd through the Lake Jessup Preserve skirting the entire south side of Sanford Airport. The following day I looked up the trail map and found that you had to cross 427 and turn immediately down Gen Hutchinson Pkwy. The next few miles are perfect, well-paved, and very scenic, past the Big Tree Park (stop to see the giant Cypress), across a very nice pedestrian bridge over 417, then past Soldier Creek Park and along the power lines, but then it dead ends into a recycling station and an ugly busy industrial neighborhood without any signs where the trail continues, so I gave up on it.
Most of the trail/path is beautifully done. Wide smooth asphalt trail with numerous multi million dollar bridges. Other sections though were nothing more than sidewalk. While the sidewalk sections weren't great they served their purpose in tieing the trail together. It was sometimes difficult to differentiate between the sections of the trail that were sidewalk and the rest of the sidewalk in the area. A little signage would have went a long way in keeping people on the right path.
If I lived here, I would use it often as a way to get out of traffic. There are many street crossings but that's normal for such a trail. Most drivers were courteous at those crossings. It was a little tricky between sections. My TrailLink mapping app came in handy.
The pavement was insanely smooth once crossing I4. Unfortunately. speed bumps and intersections would often interrupt my groove when skating at full speeds. If "Route A1A" (glorified sidewalk, but awesome scenery) gets 3 stars, I give "Cross Seminole Trail" 4 stars - Nice pavement, sweet bridge (however...I do not recommend the zig-zag portion of the bridge at high speeds)
Disappointed with the lack of coordination between various government departments. They just spent a bunch of money upgrading the RR tracks for the new SunRail. They could have thrown in a little bit more and completed that less than one mile stretch between Ronald Reagan and Greenway. They could have run the trail right alongside the train tracks. Now they will say that it costs too much to complete at present. Sad.
I love riding on this trail. Just wish the last couple of sections were done.
This would be a great trail if all the gap were connected. The sidewalk areas on Longwood/Lake Mary Rd are dangerous.
i bike 7.5 miles to the cady way trail, ride the length of it to the cross seminole trail and i too get lost in oviedo and end up just turning around and going back. i just rode the west orange trail, in combination with the south lake trail and wow what a wonderful experience, challenging hills and winding. beautiful i want to try the seminole wekiva trail next,
We park our car at the 417/434 trailhead. We rode to the Big Tree Park and back. I love that the trail as long stretches of open riding - less stop and go. Plus it was away from the road enough in some spots too. I don't mind the part that I have to carry my bike to connect the trail - but wish it was paved. Today we rode up to the Cady Way Trail - it was OK - but there were more stop and go points. Still a nice morning ride.
I live nearby and still I get lost every time in Oviedo. Signage is terrible. Also I just received the RTT guidebook and it is terribly out of date.
You have to stay on the Oviedo /Winter Springs side to stay on the woodsy part. I usually park in downtown Oviedo and start behind the church. It's wonderful for about 6 miles, so I get a good 12 miles in. Today I parked at Soldier Park. It was beautiful for about 15 minutes. Then it was all sidewalks by very busy roads. I'm going to stick to my Oviedo route.
We rode our bikes to this trail from a motel in Lake Mary. Rode it north and crossed I-4 to do the Seminole-Wekiva trail one day. Next day rode south to Ovieto. Yes, there's some drudgery in riding on sidewalks along busy roads, but most of the time it's peaceful and in the woods. A local rider had to tell us about the detour north of Winter Springs. There's absolutely no signage but it's only 1/2 a mile detour once you know where to go. We thoroughly enjoyed this trail and it's one of the reasons we left brutal Chicago to ride in warm weather. We stayed in Lake Mary twice and returned specifically to ride this trail a second time. Withlacoochee is much better, but this is worth it if you are in the Orlando area and have done West Orange.
First time on this trail. All busy streets for the first 10-15 miles. Signage is not very good. Alot of sidewalks bumpy ride to say the least. We couldnt find the trail at one point and just rode around. There was one sign that pointed the direction out but after that no sign that we saw showing the direction of the trail when it went into the woods. Very disappointed.
A nightmare, plain and simple. Too much traffic, too much noise, no enjoyment!!! I love trails too much to recommend this!
Re: mick_nm's item #2 below: Where the trail joins Aloma north of the Red Bug overpass, the trail actually makes a left turn (as the sign indicates) and runs alongside Aloma for a few hundred feet and then makes a 90 degree right turn at Oviedo Marketplace Blvd. (There is no sign indicating the right turn.) At that point there are ramps on both sides, a well-defined crossing, and a traffic light control. If you had continued diagonally across Aloma there are curbs on both sides of the street, no traffic control, and heavy traffic traveling 55 mph+.
construction dates appear to have been moved back another six(6) months.
00187759 CST MISSING LINK
Project Type: Trail Projects
Project Manager: David Martin - 407-665-5610
Status: Active
From: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
To: 1A & 1B
Scope: CONSTRUCTION OF .6 MILES OF RECREATIONAL TRAIL FROM LAYER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO JUST NORTH OF OLD SANFORD OVIEDO ROAD IN WINTER SPRINGS (ALONG S.R. 419).
Phases:
Construction Start: 7/2014 End: 11/2014
Aid To Govt Agencies - Design Start: 1/2012 End: 9/2013
info: http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/pw/locateproject.aspx
construction dates appear to have been moved back 2 months.
Scope: CONSTRUCT CROSSING OF SR 434 AND EXTENSION OF APPROXIMATELY 0.5 MILES OF 14 FOOT WIDE TRAIL WITHIN FDEP CORRIDOR TO OVIEDO BLVD AND CONNECTION TO THEIR TRAILHEAD .
Phases:
Design Start: 1/2012 End: 9/2012
Construction Start: 8/2013 End: 12/2013
info: http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/pw/locateproject.aspx
I visited the Cross Seminole Trail today between Oviedo and Winter Springs. Let me say as an inline skater it is clear to me the difference a city makes! The city of Winter Springs takes great pride in the trail and IT SHOWS!!!!! AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME section!
I ripped Lake Mary's section for the poor maintenance and the fact that it literally was the trailer park of trails. The Winter Springs/Oviedo section was the exact opposite.
The trail was virtually spotless! I could skate at full throttle and not be concerned about debris. The overpass at 434 was straight up and straight down, allowing me to point my toes straight downhill and let the skates do their thing.
Road crossings were a joy thanks to the fact that both autos AND trail users had stop signs! The ADA required mats were a non-issue because I could hit them at speed.
This trail is now on my good guys list for inline skate training. The trail was closed at the Gee Creek Bridge for maintenance but that should be cleared up soon.
I give this section a HUGE A+ for inline skaters!!!!!
I've used this trail a couple of times so far. Overall, it is an excellent trail with some extremely nice areas. My favorite part of the ride is the northern part from Oviedo to the Layer Elementary school. The trail connects to the Cady Way trail in the south, and to the Seminole-Wekiva trail in the north, via a pedestrian bridge over I4.
A few areas of concern:
1. There are a lot of stops on the most northern part of the trail along Rienhart Road. Every little break in the path has a stop sign. It seems like overkill to me.
2. When traveling northbound, shortly after crossing the new overpass at Red Bug Lake Rd., you come upon W. Broadway St. (SR 426). The sign at the end of the trail indicates that the trail continues to the left. However, the trail actually continues straight across the road. The sign is extremely confusing.
3. In downtown Oviedo, the trail breaks up for a few blocks. At either end of the breakup, there is no signage or any indication whatsoever as to how to find the other section of the trail. A couple of signs with a "you are here" map showing the other trail section (and possibly highlighting some other businesses) would be extremely helpful.
4. Currently, the trail is closed from Layer Elementary school to east of the Gee Creek bridge. A sign at each end says that this section will be closed until 6/17/13. There is no marked detour, and the Seminole County parks website says nothing about this closure.
I highly recommend the Townhouse restaurant in downtown Oviedo. Enjoy the ride.
This trail is so fractured and so poorly maintained I would advise anyone but families avoid it. I skated the section from Big Tree Park to it's end gap and it was a virtual minefield of debris, poorly planned road crossings and some astounding railroad crossings. If I were to grade this section I would give it a B- for families because of the EXTREMELY dangerous road crossing with no pedestrian stop light at Silkwood Ct. Fitness cyclists and inline skaters don't waste your time. I would give a failing grade (E-) to this section for any serious fitness athlete. Too short, too dangerous and not a fun experience. Inline skaters where bubble wrap, you will need it...
I ride my bike from winter springs into Oviedo and a good portion of it is shaded. Lots of rabbits and squirrels running around and it's very clean.
At least not the first time. This trail is plagued with terribly placed signs and trails that just end and all of a sudden your on a 55 m.p.h. road.......Good luck in Oviedo where the trail breaks, finding the other half is like trying to find Waldo.
I ended up turning around and coming home because I was tired of playing where did the trail go? I even stopped to ask a parks and rec officer where the Cross Seminole Trail picked back up and he replied "Cross Seminole Trail?"
Yeah so. . . . . . Ride at your own risk.
I have ridden this entire trail in recent weeks. It is possible to ride the entire 23 miles, but there are two gaps still existing. The 3/4 mile-or-so west of Layer Elementry School can be traversed (going from west to east) by using a short dirt trail, Old Sanford Oviedo Rd, Wade St, and a short distance on BUSY SR 419. It requires some "pathfinding" skills.
In downtown Oviedo, there is a 4-block gap along SR 434 (Center St) which includes crossing BUSY SR 426 (Broadway St). I strongly recommend that you walk your bike across Broadway.
The gap shown on the map at Red Bug Lake Rd/Mitchell Hammock Rd no longer exists, thanks to the overpass which opened a few months ago.
There are at least two places that I can think of where you need to pay close attention or you might miss the trail: At the intersection of SR 426 and Oviedo Mall Blvd, where the trail crosses 426; and along Rinehart Rd (if you are linking up with the Seminole Wekiva Trail via the I-4 overpass).
If you link up with the Seminole Wekiva and Cady Way Trails, it is possible to go approximately 39 miles one way.
As a Winter Springs resident I am an avid user of the Cross Seminole trail. I have done century rides using the Cross Seminole to connect to the Cady Way trail and the Seminole Wekiva trail. It is well marked and easy to follow - ( with the exception of a little less than a mile by Layer elementary school where you need to follow the hash marks for the Florida Scenic Trail )and has several bridges and tunnels ( if you do the full century circuit). As an avid bicyclist I highly recommend it --
Took a quick spin from Oviedo to the county line / Caddy way trail, just so I could try out the new overpass. Very nice straight line accent ( no switch backs) THANK YOU Seminole county. a very big step toward making the Cross Seminole trail a showplace trail we can show off to the world. bye ......... 1happyreader
Good news !! the overpass looks great,,, can't wait till they install the railings and let us on ! whoo hoo !
Bad news.... the missing link looks like it has been pushed back a year ???
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heh,,, if the completion of this trail was in Oviedo ,, we could have a ribbon cutting party with speeches and photo opp. Invite local and national bike groups,, have a ride event with free lemonade... hint,, hint,,, nudge nudge.
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00229204 ALOMA AVE AT RED BUG LAKE RD PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS
Design Start: 4/2011 End: 9/2011
Construction Start: 5/2011 End: 4/2012
Road Construction Start: 5/2011 End: 4/2012
**************************
00187762 CST-DOWNTOWN OVIEDO TRAIL CONNECTOR
Design Start: 1/2012 End: 8/2012
Construction Start: 9/2012 End: 6/2013
**************************
00187759 CST MISSING LINK
Construction Start: 3/2013 End: 7/2013
Aid To Govt Agencies - Design Start: 1/2012 End: 7/2012
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Project info: http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/pw/locateproject.aspx
I feel badly for ploiselle's (apologies if the name is wrong!) difficult experience recently. I live in Baldwin Park, Orlando, and regularly ride the Cady Way trail to connect to the portion of Cross-Seminole that heads to Oviedo - though as yet it doesn't get there. The trail as such currently terminates at Red Bug Lake Road, and I well understand the travails of crossing that road - my wife and I have yet to try! But connecting the part that is a proper trail to Cady Way produces a decent ride. Just be prepared for the crossings - it is "quasi-urban".
I've had the opportunity to ride other parts of the Cross-Seminole and - in my experience - it's a fine trail. The portion along Rinehart Road may be uninspiring, and a few miles are basically widened sidewalk (though well done at that). But there's a fine ride through a nature preserve, a delightful bridge over I-4 (wave to the drivers!), and I'll always remember seeing a space shuttle launch from a ride on the Cross-Seminole.
I'll also note that the aforementioned bridge connects the Cross-Seminole to the Seminole-Wekiva, another fine (quasi-urban) trail. This link was used when RTC rode to the national AAA office (here in Orlando) to petition for their renewed support of trail funding.
Finally, I'd like to say that - in my opinion - Seminole County has done better in recent years than neighboring Orange County when it comes to bike trails. That includes two tunnels to avoid bad intersections (like the one at Red Bug Lake Road) on the Seminole-Wekiva. I won't claim intimacy with the county's plans, but I would be surprised if there weren't significant progress on the Cross-Seminole (including closing the "missing links") in the near future. I hope RTC riders will give the trail a try.
I am sure this will be a nice trail someday, but until someone does a better job of marking it, I will never ride it again. I made my second attempt to ride it in two years. I have ridden several dozen trails on the east coast from Maine to Florida and this is the most poorly marked trail I have ridden.
After waiting more than 5 minutes for the light (multiple cycles) to change for pedestrian to cross Red Bug Lake Road, we almost got hit crossing. It appears even though you have the right of way, a green arrow allows cars to enter the crosswalk.
After crossing, the path turns into a sidewalk. There was not even a hint as to if we were going in the right direction. We finally turned around and headed back. If you are going to set up a trail DO IT RIGHT. At least mark it. I can ride on a sidewalk almost anywhere.
Also, the directions to an unnamed trailhead on the TrailLink.com map is wrong. Why can't the trailheads on the map be named? How about listing the longitude and latitude of the trailheads for GPS use? Typing in the address of the trailhead listed on the map in our GPS, we wound up in a condo complex.
A very disappointing and very short ride. Someone needs to get their act together.
Paul
yeah,,, we are on the list,,,
should make a 20 mile link ??
thank you Seminole county.
PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS
00187759
CST MISSING LINK
Project Type: Trail Projects
Project Manager: David Martin - 407-665-5610
Status: Active
From: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
To: 1A & 1B
Scope: CONSTRUCTION OF .6 MILES OF RECREATIONAL TRAIL FROM LAYER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO JUST NORTH OF OLD SANFORD OVIEDO ROAD IN WINTER SPRINGS (ALONG S.R. 419).
Phases:
Construction Start: 1/2012 End: 6/2012
The public works site in Seminole County has scheduled a new trail head project at Big tree Park that is NOT listed on the trails and greenways page.
#00187757 Construction Start: 2/2010 End: 6/2010
but there are two missing sections bracketing the new trail head.
1. (Layer Elem. School Old Sanford Oviedo Rd) project is not scheduled its TBD (to be determined).
2.The utility right of way project connecting (Greenway blvd ,Bay Meadow rd, Ronald Regan blvd) no longer appears on the trail map. It can still be found on some 2008 maps.
to a layman these are short length, low Engineering, low cost, low manpower/equipment, utility right of way projects.
We watch and wait, hoping that the new trailhead means that these projects are in the works and just not updated or on the counties website.
gone2orlando@yahoo.com
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