Mala Compra Trail is one of the two premier biking & hiking trails in Palm Coast (FL). The trail is…read moreoften overshadowed by it's big brother trail, Graham Swamp, a popular MTB trail just many miles South, where most riders tends to ride more. So what is so special about Mala Compra then? Well, Mala Compra is considered a blue rated trail (intermediate). It has 5.5 miles that loops its perimeter. Along the loops, you will encounter 24 Technical Features, which you can either attempt or bypass entirely. The loop itself is an easy trail. It becomes a challenging loop the more Technical Features you tackle. The loop is great for Intermediate or Advance Beginner riders. Mala Compra, in comparison to Graham Swamp Trail, is a more tamed trail....BUT...BUT... as Sir Bike-A-Lot would say "I like Big BUT and I cannot lie..."... what makes up for Mala Compra's hype is a trail called CLOUD 9. CLOUD 9 is a Double Black Diamond trail that you will find inside Mala Compra's loop. The trail is littered with black diamond (very difficult) and double black diamond (most difficult) trails. CLOUD 9 happens to be one of my favorite trails. It has been the most technical trail I've ridden to date. This is a "Proceed with Caution" type trail. Not that it's dangerous trail, but it just requires alot of balance and technique riding some of its obstacles and features. This is a trail where you do not want to get overzealous with either. One false move and it's SPLAT!!! Some CLOUD 9's features, I am humble enough to say that I will never dare try; I know my limits. But if you're up for the challenge, then be my MTB guest. Additionally, Mala Compra Trails is situated nearby a cool county park called Bing's Landing. Great scenery, has a boat ramp and a cool BBQ joint called Captain's BBQ, which makes for great post-biking feasting. And if you prefer hiking, there's a trail for you inside Mala Compra too. What more can you ask for?

Looking for a little outdoor adventure? This is the place! The trails are well marked and…read moreidentified for mountain bikes, walkers/runners and even horses. We made the trip south of St. Augustine to ride our fat tire bikes on the trails. We aren't beginners but we aren't experts either and the blue trail was perfect for our level of ability. There were some technical aspects on the trail but each one had an option to go around it. There is an option to ride a more technical trail called Cloud 9 but we didn't venture onto it. We'll definitely go back because we weren't able to ride all of the trails. Bonus - there's a great barbecue restaurant across the street from the trails so after you've worked up an appetite you can grab a bite to eat!

Graham Swamp is about a 7 mile trail network, which in my opinion is well suited for intermediate…read moreand higher skilled riders. This trail is pretty technical in some parts and if you are not careful, you can seriously injure yourself. I have heard all of the stories. It is certainly not suited for beginners. This trail is rated as Intermediate to Difficult.   As for me, Graham Swamp is a super fun, challenging trail. It is well marked so you do not lose your way around. And for those that loves to hike, well it also has its own separate trails for hikers. Graham Swamp is certainly one of the favorite places amongst mountain biking enthusiasts. This trail proves that Florida is not flat as people think. You will encounter different elevation changes and it offers lots of climbs and descents. Some parts are twisty and flowy as well. One loop ride around Graham Swamp is enough to gas you.   And once you make your way towards the exit, you will encounter the Vertical wooden down ramps, which in my opinion, is the feature of Graham Swamp. One wooden down ramp is steeper which makes for a fast descent, while the other wooden down ramp eventually leads down and into a nice dirt jump.   One best part about Graham Swamp is the park is well maintained, and majority of the trail is in the shade, which helps block off the heat from the sun, so the trails stays pretty cool throughout your ride.   Happy Trails To You =)

Great hike! Beginners shd note there are many peaks and valleys (small) but uneven. The paths are…read morenot marked well. There are a few on the beginning of the east trail but no real maps or arrows. I used my walking app to see my way back. Great scenery. Great views. Must have bug spray and sun block. Wear good shoes. Many trails to try. Had a great time. We will be back!

Chuck Lennon is a Park and MTB Trail that does not get too much recognition only because of the…read moreother well-known MTB parks an hour of its surrounding areas. But this place is definitely worth checking into. The park has amenities; Bathroom, Bike Washing Station, Playground, Soccer Fields, amongst others.   There are enough trails equipped within this trail network to satisfy all type of different skill set riders. The first trail entrance from the parking lot alone leads you to a small pump track to get your blood pumping...then it tails off to the Intermediate, Advance Trails and Jump lines areas as well as some novice, flat trails.   And if that is not enough, just ride across the parking lot, where you will meet a separate trail on its own called Awesome Possum. This trail has some Intermediate trail areas, but for the most part, it is mainly Cross Country (green) trails.   All the trails here are well maintained and well-marked for especially for emergency situations.   The only caveat about Chuck Lennon is it is not an ideal place to ride when it has rained days prior. This is when majority of the Intermediate and Advanced trails would likely be closed due to their slippery conditions.   Other than that, who would not want to enjoy a new trail to visit. So come on by check out what these trails has to offer.

This is a wonderful park and bike trail system! If you are biking- you will have lush green Florida…read moreforest to mountain bike through. The bikers we chatted with love the trails here- we dipped in to look at the maps for future visits. There are 2 small parking areas for biking and then further down the road is a sports complex and playground and a bigger parking lot. For a Sunday afternoon the park was pretty busy- people biking, playing basket ball, pitching a baseball back and forth. The laughter from the playground made me smile! Big open spaces- there is a cattle ranch that borders the road leading into the park- just a breath of fresh air- literally!

Hailes Trails.... I want to call it "HELLS Trails". This mountain bike trail is by far the most…read moredemanding trail I've ever ridden in Florida.   Hailes Trails is a privately owned property located in Newberry, just on the outskirts of Gainesville, FL and it is closely adjacent to Gatorback Cycle Park. The property is opened up to the public only Once/Twice a Year.... Saturday being a pre-ride event to the public and on Sunday, it host Florida State MTB Championship series for all registered bikers. The trail is carefully marked, taped and prepped for such event.   The trails consist of a 2 parts series: 1st trail spanning for 2 miles and 2nd trail being 3 miles worth. All in all, you get 5 total miles of a mixture of rooty, rocky, steep climbs and descents type trails, and some technical turns in between.   The trails runs in and out an old rock quarry, which offers a nice scenic view and numerous elevation changes. It is rated as an advanced trail, but caters to any intermediate skill level riding and beyond. Admission to Hailes cost $5 per person and a waiver is needed to be signed at the time of payment.   Hailes proved to me that Florida IS NOT as flat of a state as you think it is. Lawd have merrsay !!!   But I loved every bit of it and I cannot wait to go back again, so I say Hailes Yass !!!   And if you don't like it... Bike Me =)

Santos is one of my favorites. Nothing crazy, just super flowy and fun…read more The Vortex area is fun to check out, but just be careful, there is some super advanced stuff in there , know your riding limits. It's a blast out there. Have fun!

WHEWWW! This was a world-wind adventure for all mountain biking enthusiasts! Note to all: you have…read moreto be pretty skilled at biking rough terrain to even go on the easy (green) trails. My group loved the black diamond trails which I failed at multiple times but it was so neat to weave in and out of all the different bmx like courses of ramps and drop offs and hills. We all partook in the downward slope one and that was a ton of fun! Again, this is no easy course for anyone. The trails , even the easy ones, all have some degree of difficulty. But the park was super clean, very well managed, and had excelled signage so you knew exactly where you were going and getting into!

for Florida this really ain't bad... so used to seeing all flat trails but we have a few Hills…read morehere. Yes it is a work in progress but a pleasurable change. I'll be back!

#ThankYouThursday…read more My BIG PROPS goes to SorbaJax, The City of Jacksonville and to all those people and great minds that made Aterro Park to what it is today. Aterro Park is newly opened to the public and it's the newest park addition to the city of Jacksonville. Jeremy's Hill is the park section named for the MTB and the Hiking & Walking trails. The caveat... the park is situated on a former landfill which hasn't been used in many decades. So with careful approach and relentless planning, Aterro Park came into mind. It's located in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville. It is now the closest bike trail for me. And what not to love what Jeremy's Hill has to offer...plenty of elevation (which no trail in Jacksonville can comparatively offer), nice trail flow and nice decent descents. It definitely gets your heart and blood pumping riding this place. The trails measures to a total of 6 miles with future expansion of many more miles.

This is one of my favorite national/state parks…read more Lots of armadillos. It goes without saying but watch out for snakes

This is the north beach parking area. You have to park and walk across the street to go to the…read morebeach but they have lights to notify drivers there are pedestrians. There are signs to pay for parking and it's really easy to do.

Beautiful park, very nice area. Loved the view of the water. There are a few trails and all pretty…read moreeasy to do

I had a great walking trail experience here for my first visit. This place offers a little of…read moreeverything for all walk and riding skills from armature to professional. From young to old. I can see where riding through the woods is very exciting with different obstacles found along the paths. Trails are well marked with measures and difficulty and there are sections for persons of all abilities. Nice and wide, undulating, and mostly shaded it is perfect for family's with kids on bikes or scooters. Go for a walk and enjoy the peace and quiet combined with a beautiful water view on one end..

Spent two and a half hours here walking half the circumference of the park. Beautiful scenery and a…read morenice bit of challenge in the difficult trails - watch for spiderwebs and/or wear a hat and bring some water. There are hiking trails , biking trails and easy walking paths inland and on the beach. Parking is spacious, didn't use the bathrooms but there is also a nice size park for the kids. Military and vets (& family of for that matter) entry is $2.50/person with ID. One of the few places honoring the discount.

One of our favorite parks to visit. Enjoy seeing wildlife and felt proud to see the Navy…read morehelicopters flying over doing their maneuvers. Proud to be in American. The neat thing was that we were taking a bike ride the OWL flew down right in front of us, then flew up into the tree directly above and sit there waiting & posing for me to take his picture for a good time because I had to get my phone out and open the camera. Glad he was patient and didn't turn his back on me. He was a big hoot!!

11 miles of trails, some really neat scenic country (plus Little Shoals which is very worth…read moreexploring). Great chances for seeing wildlife and trails are overall well-maintained. However, a note: it is easy to get lost, easy also to get confused where to park and end up as I did on non-biking (but hiking) trails over on the other side of the highway at Little Shoals instead. Easy, for that matter, even to end up on random dirt roads to someone's hunting cabin or on the Florida Trail which also cuts through here. So watch where you are, remember how to get back where you came from. And enjoy it: though not technically challenging, it's a lot of fun and once again, the chances for wildlife sightings are probably better than in many of the more-trafficked State Parks.

Gar Pond Trail is the least known trail amongst the surrounding trails in White Springs (FL). It is…read moremainly a flat trail great for biking, hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. Most of the Gar Pond biking trail are single tracks. Gar Pond is estimated to be a 4.75 mile trail respectively, but that all depends on which trails ends you ride into as it covers more acreage. There are sections of the trail that are scenic. Some of the biking trails are well marked, and some are not. So one wrong turn and you will find yourself riding and riding for miles. There is not much continuity from one trail end to another in some area. I feel that first time riders or hikers may find themselves lost in these trails. The main lure of this trail is Jacob's Crossing, a wooden bridge that crosses about, which is cool to ride on and cross. Additionally, Gar Pond Trail is a trail used for an event called IDIDARIDE, a 50 mile off-road challenge ride that occurs annually. The Gar Pond Trails is calculated to be a 6 miles for the event. Other than that, if you like light riding or hiking and are into new trail exploration, then this is a nice trail to venture to. Happy trails to you.