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.
Related posts:
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Here’s a video clip of a group hike at Gold Head Branch State Park on National Trails Day. As usual, the Florida Trail Association folks put on a great event. Not a Florida Trail Association member? Visit www.floridatrail.org and join today!
Never mind the slightly strange video intro. Hey, don’t act like you sing and get [...]
Located at the southern end of Clay County in Keystone Heights, Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park (that’s the official name) features a fantastic stretch of the Florida Trail that makes for a perfect day hike. It’s only three miles, but offers some of the best hiking in the area, and Gold Head Branch is [...]
Yep, there are caves in the Withlacoochee State Forest. This particular cave, dubbed “Vandal” cave due to all the graffiti, is the largest of the Dames Cave system. As you can tell by the video, it’s a pretty popular place. Since it’s near a highway, some people think it’s a great place to spend the [...]
You can’t travel to White Springs without going over to Big Shoals State Park. Well, at least I can’t, and such was the occasion on a weekend back in February when this video was taken. The water was slightly higher than during the recent Florida Hiking Festival, and I pretty much just hung out by [...]
Since it’s just a few days away from the Florida Hiking Festival, I’d thought I would smash up a bunch of clips from downtown White Springs to get you excited. If you have never been to White Springs, you are in for a real treat. Outstanding hiking, biking, and paddling make White Springs one of [...]
Here’s some video from a couple of the short hiking trails at San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park in Gainesville. The Moonshine Creek Trail and the Creek Sink Trail are located on CR 232 (Milhopper Road).
Both of these short trails are reminiscent of hiking in the foothills of the Appalachians, with sizeable chestnut oaks, limerock [...]