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Palatka to Saint Augustine State Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 87 Google reviews · Running trail in Elkton, Florida · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 20 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Palatka to Saint Augustine State Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Kid-friendly, paved bike trail with restrooms and picnic tables in a park setting.
What runners say about Palatka to Saint Augustine State Trail
“The scenic diversity and rural beauty make for a relaxing yet simultaneously stimulating journey.”
“Nice restroom facilities with shaded picnic tables on the route.”
“The trip is so quiet and peaceful we even met a group of bird watchers enjoying their sport.”
This relatively new rail trail is rapidly becoming fully integrated with the recent completion of the bridge over Deep Creek near Hastings. So nice to experience this area safely on a dedicated rail trail while riding a bicycle!
Beautiful trail. Can go 60+ miles with a few miles of road riding in Palatka if ya wanted. Hoping they finish it up to St Augustine soon. About 20 miles in you can take a short detour to Ravine State Park. Plenty of food and drink options on this trail. BBQ, Breweries, Fast Food. Even a camping spot in Keystone area.
What a great and safe trail for walking and biking. The main trail is paved and easy to use. Even crossovers on the highway have controlled lights. We parked north of Elkton and biked South 4 miles to the Armstrong Historic Site and Park.
At the far end in Palatka there's significant glass on the path, got a flat. If I rode again I'd turn around at the edge of town. Otherwise it's awesome!
Trail conditions & character
“About 20 miles in you can take a short detour to Ravine State Park.”
“This mostly wooded, paved, and flat trail is just what you need for logging in your longer miles.”
“The scenic diversity and rural beauty make for a relaxing yet simultaneously stimulating journey.”
“There's covered picnic tables, restrooms, a water fountain to refill your water bottle, and plenty of parking.”
“This mostly wooded, paved, and flat trail is just what you need for logging in your longer miles.”
“This mostly wooded, paved, and flat trail is just what you need for logging in your longer miles.”
“The trip is so quiet and peaceful we even met a group of bird watchers enjoying their sport.”
“Very nice trailhead for the Palatka-St Augustine trail.”
“Lights at crosswalks where the trail switches to the opposite side of the highway.”
“There's covered picnic tables, restrooms, a water fountain to refill your water bottle, and plenty of parking.”
Plan your run at Palatka to Saint Augustine State Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance20 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms, water — reported by runners
- Websitefloridastateparks.org
Hours
| Monday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 8 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | 8 AM–7 PM |
Running trails near Elkton
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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Tanglewylde Nature Park
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Boathouse Riverfront Park
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