Tallahassee - St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
The Tallahassee - St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail is a paved multi-use
trail that runs for 20½ miles from from Florida's capital city to the coastal
town of St. Marks. It follows the abandoned railbed of the historic Tallahassee
- St. Marks Railroad, built in 1837 to transport cotton from plantations to the
Gulf Coast for shipment.
Our map marker and navigation instructions (see below) will take you to the
Wakulla Station Trailhead. From there the trail extends for 9 miles north along
the old railbed, and then continues another 4 miles north into Tallahassee.
South of Wakulla Station, the trail runs 6½ miles to the town of St. Marks. In
addition to the 12 foot wide paved trail, which is suitable for walking, biking,
or rollerblading, there is an adjacent unpaved trail for horseback riders.
Parking is available for horse trailers at the Wakulla Station trailhead, as
well as at the Capital Circle trailhead at Tallahassee.
The Wakulla Station trailhead has a large parking area, picnic tables, and a
pavilion available for public use on a first-come, first-served basis. There is
also a large children's playground, designed to be handicap accessible for
children of all abilities. Parking and access to the trail is provided at
multiple locations along its length. And there are restroom facilities every few
miles.
Mountain bikers are welcome to use the paved trail. However, they might find it
more interesting to explore the 21 miles of Munson Hills/Twilight mountain bike
trails located in the Apalachicola National Forest, and accessible from the
Capital Circle trailhead of the Tallahasse - St. Marks Historic Railroad State
Trail. These off-road loop trails are maintained by the United States Forest
Service.
The Tallahassee - St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail was Florida's first
state trail. The portion of the trail south of highway 98 is also designated as
a portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail. Many residents and tourists
enjoy riding south on the trail to the quaint and historic town of St. Marks, at
the confluence of the St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers, where there are a variety of
interesting restaurants and points of interest.
Activities & Facilities
Playground
Picnic shelter
Dogs allowed
Short hiking trails
Long hiking trails
Paved bike trails
Mountain bike trails
Horse trails