Suburban Parks: Jacksonville Baldwin Rail Trail
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The Jacksonville Baldwin Rail Trail is a 14.5 mile recreational multi-use path and linear park stretching from Baldwin to Imeson Road in West Jacksonville.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-dec-suburban-parks-jacksonville-baldwin-rail-trail
Great article on a underutilized treasure...
BTW... the "gun club" is WW Sporting Clays... very difficult... very fun!
http://www.wwsportingclays.com/index.htm
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Now we just have to get it connected with the rest of the city by building a usable citywide bike facility network.
This is a great trail to ride on, but the biggest drawback is that you have to drive to get to it.
Agreed... what would be a logical connector?
monster trucks
Quote from: BridgeTroll on December 14, 2009, 09:05:35 AM
Agreed... what would be a logical connector?
Bike lanes are being built on McDuff and West 5th, to Melson. If the path can be extended to W 5th, some sort of way, add a little path or multi-use trail parallel to McCoys Creek and you could tie it into the riverwalk, via Forest St.
Wow! Never knew this existed. Rail to Trail...when I move back to Jax I will work it. 14.5 miles, I know I'll be out of breath and almost 30 miles round trip; boy, that would be a good work out! Now what neighborhood will I move to when I move back to Jax...one thing's for certain, it won't be any southside neighborhoods; Springfield, Riverside, or Westside maybe. A little while yet to think about all of this.
"HU"
The Baldwin Trail is a great ride. Once you get past the first few miles of stop signs and cross roads it becomes very enjoyable. It also has mile markers to help you keep track of your distance and 2 rest stops.
Great shade along the majority of the path. My wife and I have biked it a few times, the first time on beach cruisers. My legs have almost recovered.
Quote from: heights unknown on December 14, 2009, 10:00:46 AM
Wow! Never knew this existed. Rail to Trail...when I move back to Jax I will work it. 14.5 miles, I know I'll be out of breath and almost 30 miles round trip; boy, that would be a good work out! Now what neighborhood will I move to when I move back to Jax...one thing's for certain, it won't be any southside neighborhoods; Springfield, Riverside, or Westside maybe. A little while yet to think about all of this.
"HU"
Yes indeed, many hard won public recreation areas in place,yet often obscure to many.
See also nearby Jennings State Forest,Cary State Forest and Four Rivers State Forest.
Branch out a little to Osceola National Forest.Outstanding easy off road fat tire cycling on the hard packed dirt roads.Excellent ride is to circle Ocean Pond (which is huge) and take a dip at one of the sandy beaches.Great camp sites at Ocean Pond.
Head south to the Suwannee River recreation hubs/
Very beautiful...but also very secluded. How's the crime report?
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bQsuhPJduqQ/SyZqNoEM8bI/AAAAAAAABwM/8Zg9xSggPsw/s400/Amtrak%20Sunset%20at%20Baldwin%20Tower.jpg)
At Baldwin Florida, Amtrak's Sunset Limited bears testimony that the tracks are not gone if you know where to look! (But the Sunset is, victim of Katrina, and Republican horse play in Tallahassee)
I dunno Heights, there is a plan for a similar trail to follow Pottsburg Creek from Arlington all the way to a Julington Creek connection, where it will contine to Mandarin. It will be a beautiful ride but I don't know what the status is.
There is a lot of confusion over the Baldwin-Jacksonville rail trail, every time MJ, JT or JTA mentions rail service to Baldwin, we get the "It's a trail, there are no tracks..." line. Actually there once were TWO railroads to Baldwin, the Rail-Trail is the former CSX nee, Seaboard Coast Line nee, Atlantic Coast Line nee, Jacksonville Southwestern. It was built to serve the sawmills on the north side of Jacksonville and connect them with High Springs. The old ACL used it for nearly a century as the "West Coast Mainline," and many of their famous passenger trains used that line. From Jacksonville Terminal, northwest through Moncrief Yard, then turning westward on the West Coast Main at Grand Crossing, those trains FLEW through north Baldwin, then turned south for Lake Butler, Burnett's Lake, Gainesville, Ocala, Leesburg, Trilby, and St. Petersburg. While it was REALLY "S" shaped, it was never part of or called the "S" line.
The current line, and the one that will be used by Amtrak, and owned by CSX, runs straight west from Jacksonville Terminal, through Marietta, White House, Baldwin... From Baldwin West to Los Angeles, South to Lakeland (Tampa), or North to Callahan and beyond. This nearly arrow straight route alongside Beaver Street is very much alive and well.
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: sandyshoes on December 14, 2009, 10:53:23 AM
Very beautiful...but also very secluded. How's the crime report?
Really good actually, Grannie Crime's dog had 5 puppys the other day. Daddy Crime has spent the weekend fishing, while Bubba and Earnest Crime have been busy down at the still. Yeee HawwwOCKLAWAHA
Quote"The ROW is flat and passes through rural areas with abundant plant life, wildlife and trees."
Well, relatively flat. There are some up and down grades that you definitely feel when biking the 30 mile round trip! :D
When I last rode it several years ago, I don't recall having seen any signs for Camp Milton. Are there signs on the trail today pointing the way? If not, a missed opportunity that needs to be corrected.
This trail is a great asset to Jax and is known nationwide to trail lovers. We need a few hundred miles more of these throughout the City. They could be transformational to our way of life if we pulled it off. Imagine commuting around town on scenic bikeways, immune from traffic hazards. Great exercise and less auto traffic. Another example of City leaders lacking vision.
I don't know if i'd consider that a "trail".
A paved road, with powerlines, railroad tracks, development, etc.
Seems more like a typical small road to me.
Quote from: stjr on December 14, 2009, 12:04:33 PM
Another example of City leaders lacking vision.
What city leaders?OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: fsu813 on December 14, 2009, 12:12:49 PM
I don't know if i'd consider that a "trail".
A paved road, with powerlines, railroad tracks, development, etc.
Seems more like a typical small road to me.
The old railroad tracks end where the trail begins and the active railroad mainline is about a mile south of the trail. It is very much a first class trail. Just as Camp Milton is an excellent high caliber site from our Confederate Heritage, one that has been handled with a great deal of respect and attention to detail, for those on both sides of the war. OCKLAWAHA
How safe is the trail?
Are there a lot of people on it on the weekend?
Before football season started I was riding there almost every weekend from around 10-12 in the morning, and there were always other people around. On some mornings there are so many people there that the parking lot is maxed out, and you have to park out along the main road. My girlfriend and I really enjoy this trail, and from Riverside, it is a quick car ride over there. As someone said earlier, once you are through the first few miles there are few stops so you are able to keep a nice pace.
Also, almost the entire trail is shaded, so even on a hot day in the summer it is still fun to ride on.
Quote from: fsu813 on December 14, 2009, 12:12:49 PM...........I don't know if i'd consider that a "trail"..........
A paved road, with powerlines, railroad tracks, development, etc. .........Seems more like a typical small road to me.......
Mountain bikers and backwoods hikers would be dissapointed by the rails to trails venues. For that matter serious road cyclists are a little disappointed too. It's dangerous on weekends cause all the casual walkers and riders. You never know what they are going to do.
I've ridden the St Marks trail and had several near misses.
The serious road riders ARE the danger on the weekends. It is busy with all kinds of users; roller blades, walkers, family cycle groups and older people out for a nice ride in the country (me & wife!)
Go out on a weekday morning and you will regularly see Jaguars players breaking the twenty-five MPH speed limit. Nothing like a three hundred pound lineman on a dainty road bike. Awesome!
They parks department maintains the trail very well. The verges are kept mowed and the are leaves blown off daily. A patch of wet leaves will take you down in a heartbeat!
"How safe is the trail? "
We've ridden it many times with no problems. I have heard that there have occasionally been problems with cars getting broken into, so don't leave your iPod on the seat. The biggest safety hazard we've experienced is my bike falling over. I got rid of the clipping pedals and problem solved.
"Are there a lot of people on it on the weekend? "
Yes. It's great to see a park getting so much use. Not so many people that it becomes a problem though. They are spread out over 14.5 miles after all.
We just love the Jax-Baldwin trail, and we try to get out there a couple of times each month. What many riders don't seem to have discovered is that a 1.2 mile detour in Baldwin takes you to 90, where there are two nice breakfast/lunch spots, Everybody's Restaurant and Toot's Restaurant.
I enjoy this trail and have been out on it several times. I've never had any issues, although I have heard from a lot of people that there have been several cars that have been broken into in the parking lot. I wouldn't let that deter anyone from trying it out, but you may not want to leave things out in plan view in your car...which should be obvious there or anywhere.
Look at it from the car breakers point of view. You are out on the trail in your spandex shorts and shirt. Where is your wallet or purse? Better be locked in the trunk!
Oh, you drive an SUV with no place to lock things in? Tant pis!
Quote from: Overstreet on December 14, 2009, 01:05:54 PM
Quote from: fsu813 on December 14, 2009, 12:12:49 PM...........I don't know if i'd consider that a "trail"..........
A paved road, with powerlines, railroad tracks, development, etc. .........Seems more like a typical small road to me.......
Mountain bikers and backwoods hikers would be dissapointed by the rails to trails venues. For that matter serious road cyclists are a little disappointed too.
I know what you mean. I always drive past that Black Creek Trail by Green Cove on my way down to hike in Ocala. I decided to try it out one day and it was something similar to this. It's great for a Sunday stroll, but to call it a trail is a misnomer to me. Trails are dirt and mud and rocks. If you're looking for good sections of hiking trail within a couple hours drive I'd recommend Osceola (especially heading west from Ocean Pond), anywhere on the Suwannee River, and Okeefenokee is also fantastic especially if you get away from the boardwalks where the crowds are. It's short, but I also enjoyed doing the FT at Gold Head Branch. Also, Payne's Prairie in Gainesville is fantastic for wildlife, but justifiably crowded. I'll always love the Appalachians, but Florida hiking is very cool in its own way too.
Guana River State park has several miles of great and scenic dirt trails also. Some are suitable for all-terrain mountain bikes as I recall. Beware of snakes and wild boars! Frontage along the intracoastal is as good as it gets.
I think in Park Department usage a "trail" is anything you aren't allowed to drive a car on.
Walking on the trails at Guana is awesome! It is on the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds and spring and fall you might see almost anything.
Quote from: Dog Walker on December 15, 2009, 03:18:35 PM
I think in Park Department usage a "trail" is anything you aren't allowed to drive a car on.
Walking on the trails at Guana is awesome! It is on the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds and spring and fall you might see almost anything.
Note that Guana is 'split' in to two seperate jurisdictions and approaches in the field: The State Park south of the dam and the Fish & Wildlife Commission Management area to the north.
It is possible to walk a lot of the 'marsh' right on out to the Intracoastal.
This was a hard won Conservation Lands purchase episode.The first "CARL" project for Northeast Florida.Former Gate lands.And a nice post-closing challenge with private lease for the Boy Scouts,and 800 acres retained for the 'Lodge".But we 'won'. Enjoy.
Want more "real trails" like the Western states have? Push for my previous idea of creating J.E. Davis National/State Park using the Davis properties held by their holding company, DDI. See the previous MJ thread at:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,6223.0.html
Yea i rode this once...felt kinda outta place, if you know what i mean.
Quote from: Omarvelous09 on December 15, 2009, 06:18:30 PM
Yea i rode this once...felt kinda outta place, if you know what i mean.
I know what ya mean...Try going to FCCJ downtown campus >_>
??? You lost me. What do you mean?
I too am lost. Please enlighten us. I think the trail is a pretty good outing.
Quote from: stjr on December 15, 2009, 05:42:45 PM
Want more "real trails" like the Western states have? Push for my previous idea of creating J.E. Davis National/State Park using the Davis properties held by their holding company, DDI. See the previous MJ thread at:
Who will pay to import the mountains to Jax?
Quote from: DavidWilliams on December 16, 2009, 10:01:16 PM
Quote from: stjr on December 15, 2009, 05:42:45 PM
Want more "real trails" like the Western states have? Push for my previous idea of creating J.E. Davis National/State Park using the Davis properties held by their holding company, DDI. See the previous MJ thread at:
Who will pay to import the mountains to Jax?
Aside from the mountains and snow, it would have everything the West has and a few extras, including better weather, swamps, and gators. And, be in our backyard. :D
Screw Disney...I think Sally Corp. could handle it and they are right here in Downtown. :)
Florida trails are a delightful alternative to the "real" trails of the 'West'.
Likewise Florida Kayak/canoe opportunities.
Fact is,Florida is a giant "mountain bike" state-better termed 'fat tire'.
We have surpassed Boulder Colo. in area conservation lands acreage.Go on the Boulder trails and then compare.
For some nothing beats mountains,but that does not diinish Florida's appeal....and potential.