Pinellas trail to Suncoast Trail Directions
 

I'm planning on riding a rails to trail loop tour consisting of Pinellas, Suncoast, Withlacooche & the Van Fleet Trails. Need the best directions from the north end of the Pinellas trail (Tarpon springs) to the JB Starkey Wilderness Park. Plan on camping at the park which has a connector to the Suncoast Trail. Area looks pretty congested so looking for a relatively safe route.

Thanks...........Mike

SR54 to Little Rd. to River Crossing?

Just a wild guess.

This will be a nice ride. Consult your favorite "maps" site for the best directions from one trail to the next. I have done them all from one end to the other but never in a circuit. The Fleet trail is the most boring of the four. All straight and level except for one small turn towards the southern end. From the Pinellas trail I would go to the southern end of the Suncoast. It is about 8-10 miles closer than Starkey wilderness park. From there you can catch the connector to Starkey which is the best trail by far. The Suncoast is okay except for the hiway noise 50-100 feet from your bike. It ends north of Brooksville and from there you can go to Inverness (or more southern points) to pick up the Withlacoochee. Where the Withlacoochee ends at the southern end, it is maybe 5-7 miles from the north end of the Van Fleet at Hwy 50. I would not ride a bike on Hwy 50, but some do. The Van Fleet will take you south to just off of I-4 at the exit where 33 crosses. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks for the input. Looking at the street view on google maps, Hwy 50 looks like it has decent shoulders. given its only 5-7 miles from the Van Fleet I will probably go with it. i still have to fiqure out how to get from the southern end of the Van Fleet back to my home in Bradenton. ....Oh well, should be a fun trip.

Other than WFIN's entry, which sounds real good. Check the leg between Tarpon Springs and the Suncoast Parkway on the Tour de Guava route from 2008 http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=36703 It takes the end of the Pinellas Trail shortly past US-19 and takes side streets over to Keystone Road, then North on E Lake Road N up to Trinity Blvd, then onto SR-54 right past the Suncoast Parkway.

Drews suggestion works-did the Guava route-watch traffic on Keystone...otherwise a good shot...

The tip about Keystone is correct, that can be a pretty busy road with no shoulder, but you won't be on that road too long. If you don't want to ride on SR54 (six lanes with shoulder) you can take Little Road north of SR54 to River Crossing, then right to Starkey Road, left two blocks to the entry to Starkey Park. Inside the park is the Starkey Park trail, 6.5 miles of a nice trail that ends at the Suncoast trail about 4.5 miles north of the SR54 crossing. That is the way I would go as the traffic can be heavy and fast on SR54.

Sounds like a great trip!

Mark