Withlacoochee State Trail
| Withlacoochee State Trail | |
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Sign at the entrance of Citrus Springs Trailhead
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| Length | 46 mi (74 km) |
| Location | Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties, USA |
| Trailheads |
Gulf Junction South Citrus Springs Holder Hernando Inverness Floral City Istachatta Ridge Manor Trilby Owensboro Junction |
| Use | Hiking/Biking/Horses |
| Hiking details | |
| Hazards | Steep embankments, swampland |
| Withlacoochee State Trail | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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| Location | Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties, USA |
| Nearest city | Dunnellon / Trilby |
| Coordinates | 28°31′23″N 82°13′05″W / 28.52306°N 82.21806°WCoordinates: 28°31′23″N 82°13′05″W / 28.52306°N 82.21806°W |
| Area | 46 mile length |
| Governing body | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Withlacoochee State Trail is a 46-mile (74 km) long paved, multi-use, non-motorized rail trail in Florida located in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. It follows along the Withlacoochee River and passes through the Withlacoochee State Forest. It is the longest paved rail trail in Florida.
The original railroad line was formed sometime in the 1880s as the Inverness and Brooksville railway. It connected with the Florida Northern Railroad in Citrus Springs and with the South Florida Railroad (SFR) in Dade City.
In 1892, the Silver Springs, Ocala and Gulf Railroad (SSO&G) built an extension through Inverness and Hernando, and in 1893 the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) acquired the SFR as well as the SSO&G. In 1946 ACL built a bridge over the Seaboard Air Line Railroad tracks and the newly aligned US 301.
In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroads merged to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. In 1987 CSX decided to abandon the 47 mile railroad. In 1989 the state bought the railroad for their "rail-to-trails" program.
The southern terminus is at U.S. 98/301 south of Trilby. The trail goes 6 miles (9.7 km) north to a crossover of U.S. 98/SR 50, a mile east of I-75 and 40 miles (64 km) north past the Silver Lake Campground in the Withlacoochee State Forest, close to the Withlacoochee River. The trail runs under I-75 as it continues north through Nobleton, Istachatta, and then crosses the Hernando-Citrus County Line into Pineola, the site of the Great Train Wreck of 1956.
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Wikipedia