Belleview

Established around Nine Mile Pond in 1884, Belleview is one of the older communities in Marion County.

With the Cross Florida Greenway hugging its northern boundary, and the famed Santos Trails for mountain bikers, it’s a destination for outdoor recreation. It’s also a Florida Trail Gateway Community, within walking distance of the Florida Trail at Santos.

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Trails and Parks near Belleview

Biking Santos - Biking the Santos Trails for the first time this fall, I opted to leave my vintage Cannondale at home and try a rental bike for my first spin through these famed off-road trails south of Ocala.
Carney Island Conservation Area - At Carney Island, the breeze carries the scent of orange blossoms from some of the northernmost remaining commercial groves in Florida. Lake Weir is a palatable presence, even though the trails stick to the oak hammocks
Cross Florida Greenway - Stretching 90 miles from the St. Johns River near Palatka to the Gulf of Mexico, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a mile-wide recreational corridor with hiking, biking, and equestrian trails as well as paddling and boating access.
Florida Trail, Cross Florida Greenway - 43.8 miles. A prime destination for backpacking and day hiking south of Ocala, the Florida Trail follows the Cross Florida Greenway through woodlands between the Withlacoochee and Ocklawaha Rivers
Florida Trail, Land Bridge Trailhead to Santos - 6.7 miles. Between the Land Bridge Trailhead and Santos, the Florida Trail winds its way around horse farms to meander through stands of oaks and pines.
Florida Trail, Santos to Baseline - 5.1 miles. History is on display along this segment of the abandoned Cross Florida Barge Canal, from a town demolished nearly a century ago to agricultural land undergoing habitat restoration.
Florida Trail, SW 49th to Land Bridge Trailhead - 3.6 miles. Bookended by soft sand pines and ancient oaks, this particularly fascinating hike along the Cross Florida Greenway includes a massive dune-like slope and the Land Bridge over Interstate 75.
Florida Trail, Western Corridor - 241 miles. With segments linking Withlacoochee State Forest and the Cross Florida Greenway, the Western Corridor provides access to wild spaces between Tampa and Ocala
Historic Ship Canal Trail - The shortest trail on the Cross Florida Greenway interprets nearly a century's worth of efforts to dig a canal across the Florida peninsula and split it in two.
Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area - At Ocklawaha Prairie, east of Lake Weir and south of Marshall Swamp, trails lead to some of the best birding in the region from levees along the extensive marshes of the river basin.
Santos Trails - With miles of twisting, winding off-road bicycle trails that dip into old limestone pits, the Santos Trails south of Ocala are a mecca for cyclists who enjoy riding through the woods
Sunnyhill Levee Trail - At Sunnyhill Restoration Area, the Levee Trail provides a scenic stroll atop a levee paralleling both the Ocklawaha River channel and its vast marshes favored by wading birds.

More near Belleview

The Over 80 Across Florida Hike (Sep 2017) - In 2007, a group of senior hikers made Florida hiking history by successfully completing a backpacking trip from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico via backroads, the Florida Trail, and the Withlacoochee Bay Trail. All were over age 80.
Biking Santos (Dec 2016) - Biking the Santos Trails for the first time this fall, I opted to leave my vintage Cannondale at home and try a rental bike for my first spin through these famed off-road trails south of Ocala.
Cross Florida Greenway History | The Land Bridge (Dec 2012) - A landmark along Interstate 75 near Ocala, the Land Bridge remains one of the more popular destinations for hikers, bikers, and equestrians on the Cross Florida Greenway.
Cross Florida Greenway History | Finding a Route (Dec 2012) - A visit to the Barge Canal Diggings near I-75 after 13 years of the Florida Trail on the Cross Florida Greenway reveals steady changes over the years, shown in a series of photos.
Cross Florida Greenway History | Bridge to the Future (Nov 2011) - The history of the Cross Florida Greenway's birth and the building the Land Bridge - and the Florida Trail - across this new stretch of public land in Central Florida in 1999.
Kenneth Smith Trail dedication (Sep 2011) - At 8 AM this Saturday Oct 1, long-time Florida Trail volunteer Kenneth Smith – the man responsible for the successful routing of the Florida Trail on the Cross Florida Greenway – will be honored by the city of Belleview and his peers at a trail dedication ceremony at the new Kenneth Smith Nature Trail. The …
Early Birds on the Greenway (Jul 2006) - The Land Bridge section of the Florida Trail has a special place in my heart since I helped create it under the tutelage of Kenneth Smith, 'Mr. Greenway,' who retired last year from being a section leader.