Horseback riding, camping, hiking, mountain biking - it’s all here at the Santos Trailhead on the Cross Florida Greenway. Santos offers some of the finest mountain biking you’ll find in Florida and the equestrian and hiking trails are equally as impressive.
You can visit with the intent of only staying a couple of hours, but I guarantee that you will find yourself wanting to stay longer. Load up your bike, bring your hiking pack, running gear, and camp supplies. Everytime I go to Santos, I wish I would have brought along my camping stuff.
We’ll focus on the mountain bike trails in this post since that is what Santos is really famous for. If you ride out here, you’ll get the idea of how nice the hiking is as well. From recreational riders to the most hardcore mountain bikers, Santos has mile of trails to explore. There’s also the Vortex, a freeride area where depending on your skill level, you can have a blast. If you are on the lower end of the skill spectrum and try to hang with the riders out here you might find yourself catching a ride on a medical chopper heading to the hospital. Don’t go to the Vortex thinking you are a better rider than you actually are. I’ll tell you more about that later.
The singletrack trails are well marked and well maintained, the folks with the Ocala Mountain Bike Association(OMBA) work very hard to keep the area in good shape. Come early in the morning for the best experience, as the afternoon heat will have you heading back to the trailhead quicker than you think.
Ok, here’s my “how I got hurt at Santos” story. One time, when I was slightly less experienced on a mountain bike than now I scoffed at the double-black diamond markings and went on into the Vortex. After a little while of just scooting around, I dumped my bike over and sprained my ankle so badly it kept me out of the woods for about six months. Plus I was all scuffed up and bleeding. I was told I had a high ankle sprain, which can be worse than a break. I hobbled around work and home regretting not heeding the warnings for what seemed like an eternity. Don’t end up like me, a bruised and broken wreck…
Check out some pictures in the gallery.
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