|
SANTOS - The Florida Department of Environmental
Protection’s (DEP) Office of Greenways and Trails
recently received the designation of “epic ride” for its
Cross Florida Greenway Santos Trail System from the
International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). One
of three sites designated this year, the Santos trails
join an elite list of only 40 rides named as “epic” by
IMBA since 1999.
“The Office of Greenways and Trails is proud to be
recognized for our unique trail system on the state’s
premier greenway, the result of hard work by many,” said
Jena Brooks, Director of DEP’s Office of Greenways and
Trails. “This award is a tribute to the volunteers, who
have contributed almost 1,900 hours in trail maintenance
and outreach just this year.”
Recognized in the Fall 2006 issue of “IMBA Trail
News,” the Cross Florida Greenway Santos Trail System is
described as being “designed and built for mountain
bikers by mountain bikers. Santos offers a model for the
world to follow – it’s that good.” The Cross Florida
Greenway contains more than 115 miles of trails for
mountain bike riders with attractions for all levels of
expertise, from an extremely popular skills development
area to a new freeride area offering extreme drops and
other challenges for more advanced riders.
Working cooperatively with the Office of Greenways
and Trails, the Ocala Mountain Bike Association
volunteers have contributed hundreds of hours in trail
maintenance and outreach, and recently formed a bike
patrol to help educate and assist trail users on the
Santos Trails. Since the completion of the freeride area
in early 2006, visitor participation has increased by
close to 50 percent.
“We are very excited about our ‘epic ride’
designation from IMBA, and I consider it top honors for
all the volunteers that have built Santos to what it is
now,” said Renee Blaney, President of the Ocala Mountain
Bike Association. “The trail has been upgraded to suit
all riders of all levels. Ocala has become a premier
mountain bike destination.”
The Santos Trail System is near the Historic Santos
Recreation Area on the Cross Florida Greenway,
preserving a significant piece of Florida’s
African-American heritage. The Recreation Area
commemorates the site of Santos, a predominately
African-American community that was displaced by the
Cross Florida Barge Canal in the mid-1930s.
The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a
unique conservation and recreation project managed by
DEP’s Office of Greenways and Trails. Traversing Citrus,
Levy, Marion and Putnam Counties, the 110-mile greenway
occupies much of the land that was formerly the Cross
Florida Barge Canal. Florida’s premier greenway, the
Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway stretches
from the Gulf of Mexico to the St. Johns River,
encompassing a variety of habitats and ecosystems and
offering an array of trails and recreation areas for
visitors.
The Office of Greenways and Trails manages eight
state trails, including the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross
Florida Greenway, and five rail-trails, which are
railroad tracks restored and converted to recreational
trails for hiking, biking and skating. Through Florida
Forever, the state’s premier land acquisition program,
$4.5 million dollars is spent annually to purchase land
for future trail areas and build and maintain Florida’s
greenways and trails.
To learn more about IMBA, visit
http://www.imba.com/.
To learn more about DEP’s Office of Greenways and
Trails, visit
www.FloridaGreenwaysandTrails.com. | 
