• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Biking in Edgewater

Exploring the Edgewater Bike Path

On a ride to discover how close the bike path in Edgewater is to completion, John discovers this connector to the state-spanning C2C is almost ready for riders

August 2, 2015    John Keatley

258 shares
Biking in Edgewater
Tunneling down the new bike path in Edgewater. See more photos on Flickr.

Last week, I began my quest to make sense of the Coast to Coast Connector (C2C), a series of bike paths that will eventually lead you around and across Florida, from one coast to the other.

Connecting a series of existing trails, the C2C will take you from Titusville to St Petersburg. It will be a ride completely across the state, without forcing cyclists out to the road. It will be a true “motor free” long distance trail for bicycling and pedestrian use.

My first ride was a spur of the C2C under construction in Volusia County east of I-95. This bike path will link Edgewater (just south of New Smyrna Beach) to the C2C leading to Titusville.

I have driven along Old Mission Road between New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater many times, but I never realized that there was a hidden railroad crossing. Earlier in the year, I noticed a sign announcing that a certain intersection along Old Mission Road was to be improved. On a later trip, I saw the old railroad tracks protruding from the edges of the road surface. They had been long covered by asphalt, so any trace of an old railroad grade has been hidden from view.

In January, crews cleared the old railroad grade in Edgewater
In January, crews cleared the old railroad grade in Edgewater

As I watched the progress of the intersection improvement, clearing began along old railroad right-of-way, creating a tunnel through the woods in both directions. Heading towards I-95, the pathway disappeared around a bend. Heading east, the pathway toward US1 was easy to check on by taking the side roads. I witnessed the surface preparation and then paving of the pathway as it was completed. So I decided that it was time to grab the GPS and camera and find out what was going on.

North end
The north end of the trail is currently at Dale Rd, along Park Ave

The east end of the trail currently ends at the intersection at Dale Rd. But it’s a very short, mostly sidewalk ride from Rotary Park on Park Avenue in Edgewater to get to the newly paved bike path.

Crews were still working on the curbing at two of the roads, and Old Mission Rd was being repaved at the crossing. I walked my bike around where they were working and continued. A couple of fellows asked me “how far are you riding?” I told them I was headed to where the pavement ended, for now.

Curbs going in at Air Park Road
Curbs going in at Air Park Road

At this end of the trail, the bike path is nearly completely under the cover of a canopy of trees. I could see concrete pads in place for future benches, and as I rode down the path, I met another group of workers pouring concrete as I approached SR 442.

Crossing at Old Mission Road
Crossing at Old Mission Road

There are some places along the bike path where you look into people’s back and side yards. But there is a wall of green for most of the ride. There are still a few places where concrete and asphalt will be added. So it is not quite ready for general use, but it is getting close.

Nice stretch of trail closer to I-95
Nice stretch of trail closer to I-95

For over a year, I’ve watched construction of an enormous bridge for the bike path over SR 442 right within view of I-95. It looks to be nearly complete, but the bridge is still closed. I am sure that it will open soon.

Bridge construction over SR 422
Bridge construction over SR 422 in January 2015

I am not sure what I’ll find on the other side of the bridge. That will be the next journey.

Ride

This was an 8-mile round-trip ride from Rotary Park to SR 422 and return.

Category: Articles, Central Florida, CyclingTag: Bike Path, C2C Ride, C2C Volusia, East Coast Greenway, Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

CENTRAL FLORIDA OVERVIEW
East Coast Greenway. Florida Trail

Brooksville. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. Kissimmee. Lakeland. Leesburg. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Orlando. Sanford. St. Petersburg. Tampa.

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.
Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Lengthy boardwalk heading towards mangrove flats

John R. Bonner Nature Park

John R. Bonner Nature Park
Boardwalk framed by live oaks and saw palmetto

George McGough Nature Park

George McGough Nature Park
Leaning sand pines in scrub

Balm Boyette Nature Preserve

Balm Boyette Nature Preserve
Dock edged by mangroves

Maximo Park

Maximo Park

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact