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Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 166 Google reviews · Running trail in Tallahassee, Florida · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- 22 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad 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.
Paved trail for hiking, biking & skating following former cotton trade railway route for 20.5 mi.
What runners say about Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
“The trail feels very safe, is well-maintained, and even has clean bathrooms along the way (which is a huge plus).”
“This was the first rail-trail in Florida's system of greenways and trails to be paved, providing a scenic experience for running, walking, bicycling and skating.”
Fantastic trail! I could ride this trail every single day. Using the Tallahassee–St. Marks Trail, the Coastal Trail, and the Florida Trail, you can enjoy a scenic 22-mile loop through the beautiful floodplains of the St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers along Florida’s Big Bend.
We do biking and love this trail. Paved and not hilly. Facilities always clean. Trail is always clean. Super sweet lady we see early in the morning cleaning off the trail if necessary. Always waves and tells us have a wonderful day. Have entered the trail from different spots and have enjoyed each one.
The Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail runs 16 miles from Florida's capital city to the coastal community of St. Marks. Through the early 1900s, this historic railroad corridor carried cotton from the plantation belt to the coast for shipment to textile mills in England and New England.
Fantastic trail suitable for road bikes. Smooth path and well maintained, but could do with some more water fountains along the way. From the car park to the end is 25km, so 50km for the return , which is pretty good. A few stores at the end to refuel and done lovely views.
Trail conditions & character
“This was the first rail-trail in Florida's system of greenways and trails to be paved, providing a scenic experience for running, walking, bicycling and skating.”
“This was the first rail-trail in Florida's system of greenways and trails to be paved, providing a scenic experience for running, walking, bicycling and skating.”
“The trail feels very safe, is well-maintained, and even has clean bathrooms along the way (which is a huge plus).”
“You can get some good miles under your belt on this path (it also connects to Munson Hills off-road bike trails which are gorgeous).”
“Marks Trail, the Coastal Trail, and the Florida Trail, you can enjoy a scenic 22-mile loop through the beautiful floodplains of the St.”
“Great trail, mostly level; neat stuff to see along the way.”
“Straight, smooth (mostly, some root growth), benches and some restrooms along the way.”
“Marks State Trail is a completed section of the developing, 120-mile Capital City to the Sea Loop corridor and is a destination along the Big Bend Scenic Byway.”
“Smooth path and well maintained, but could do with some more water fountains along the way.”
Plan your run at Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Loop distance22 mi back to where you parked. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms, water — reported by runners
- Websitedep.state.fl.us
- Phone(850) 245-2081
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Tallahassee
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
St Marks Historic Railroad State Trail - North Trailhead
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