Nature Coast Trail Ride -

This weekend was a classic example of our members trying to get outside, ride and have a good trip despite the weather which seems to have been an issue all winter.

On the weekend of Jan. 29th thru 31st we were scheduled to ride different segments of the Nature Coast Trail both Sat. and Sun. with camping at Manatee Springs. After some cancellations only three of us arrived on Friday night and after getting our tents set up went for some good local Bar-B-Que, followed by a real small campfire.

Saturday morning we rose to the sound of thunder and eventually the rain followed. After breakfast we unanimously agreed riding was out of the question and to make the best of the day and decided to go on an excursion to Cedar Key, about a 45 minute trek, but well worth the drive to visit the small, historic, seaside town. After arriving we walked around town, visited a museum to learn about some of the extensive history behind Cedar Key, and then indulged in some of the best seafood this town is known for.

The rain eventually stopped early in the afternoon so we headed back. We decided to make a quick detour to Shell Mound to see the new campground and boat ramps and did some hiking on the newly renovated trails. Then it was time to hit the road again. We still had some daylight left when we got back to Manatee Springs so we took a walk down to the head springs to see the manatee and then meandered down the wooden boardwalk to the Suwannee River. We topped of the night with another campfire and called it a night.

Sunday we broke camp early and were ready to do some serious riding on this chilly, but sunny morning. We ended up combining both days into one, starting at the Trenton Trailhead and riding the rail trail thru farm lands and woods to an old wooden bridge which crossed the Suwannee River. From there we road past the Fanning Springs Trailhead toward Chiefland. On the way Clark suggested we look for the off road trails of the Andrews Wildlife Management Area he had read about. We found the Preserve not too far off the beaten path, but being ‘off road’ we decided to come back another time with the proper bikes for exploring these trails for a possible future WT adventure. At this point we decided to call it a day and head back to Trenton. Round trip totaling 32 miles, it was a full day. Perhaps next time I’ll combine the Nature Coast Trail one day and the off road trails of the Andrews Wildlife Preserve the next day.

Trip host - Carol Noll