The Nature Coast State Trail (NCST) is a 31.7-mile long segment of Florida's Statewide System of Greenways and Trails System built along abandoned railroad tracks, and designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Recreation Trail. It has two primary sections following unused rail lines that were originally built by the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

. It includes historic sites such as an old train

trestle bridge A trestle bridge is a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by closely spaced frames. A trestle (sometimes tressel) is a rigid frame used as a support, historically a tripod used to support a stool or a pair of isosceles triangl ...

over the Suwannee River near Old Town and train stations in Trenton, Cross City, and

Chiefland Chiefland is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,316 at the 2020 census. Chiefland calls itself the "Gem of the Suwannee Valley" and was incorporated in 1929. History A village of the Timucua people was once locat ...

. At Wilcox Junction abandoned rail tracks cross and connect with several communities. The trail is available to hikers, cyclists, and horse riders.

History

Florida has many abandoned railway tracks in the Suwannee River Valley. In the early 1900s freight and passenger steamships were replaced by trains that carried crops and timber and also made passenger stops in small towns such as Chiefland, Cross City, and Trenton. The Nature Coast Trail follows this historic route. The 31.7 miles of the Nature Coast State Trail connects several counties and five communities (Cross City, Trenton, Fanning Springs Old Town and Chiefland). In 2010, then-Florida governor Charlie Crist approved the purchase a 9.33-mile corridor, known as the Trenton-Newberry Rail Trail. This will extend the 31.7-mile NCST managed by the

Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government agency responsible for environmental protection. History By the mid-1960s, when the federal government was becoming increasingly involved in initiatives desig ...

. Nearby land and water resources exist in the vicinity of the Nature Coast State Trail. * Suwannee River * Fanning Springs * Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve *

Manatee Springs State Park Manatee Springs State Park is a Florida State Park located six miles west of Chiefland on SR 320, off US 19. Manatee Spring is a first magnitude spring that flows directly into the Suwannee River by way of a short run (though it is the longe ...

* "City of Hawkinsville" Underwater Archaeological Preserve * Andrews Wildlife Management Area * Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve * Waccasassa Bay State Preserve *

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge The Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located near Cedar Key Cedar Key is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 702 at the 2010 census. The Cedar Keys a ...

Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge The Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge (LSNWR) is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located in southeastern Dixie County, Florida, Dixie and northwestern Levy County, Florida, Levy counties on the western coast ...

* Jena Wildlife Management Area * Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area * Goethe State Forest * Fanning Springs State Recreation Area * Andrews Wildlife Management Area * Suwannee River Wilderness Trail *

Withlacoochee State Trail Withlacoochee State Trail is a long paved, multi-use, non-motorized rail trail in Florida located in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. It follows along the Withlacoochee River and passes through the Withlacoochee State Forest. It is the ...

References

External links

Nature Coast state bike trailRailway line may become part of the trail
''Lakeland Ledger'' - May 31, 2004
Newberry railroad bed may become rails-to-trails path
- ''Gainesville Sun'' - Feb 11, 2005

a
100 Florida Trails
Rail trails in Florida Bike paths in Florida National Recreation Trails in Florida {{Florida-protected-area-stub