Cycling Itineraries

Inverness Section of the Withlacoochee Trail Map (TrailLink.com)

Inverness is a great place to anchor for some quick day trips. It’s also a spot well-known for centering some multi-day trips. Lots of cyclists like to anchor here and explore other trails in the area because there are so many from which you can choose!

Heading North

One very popular option for a full-day ride is to start at our Apopka trailhead and head north. From the Inverness Trailhead on Apopka, you’ll ride 16 miles north on the WST, and then head straight out of the end of the parking lot up Delmane Dr., turn left on Magenta, right on G Martinelli, left on US41, and right on CR 39. It’s well worth the few extra miles to cross the Withlacoochee and skirt along the Rainbow River. Ride to the end and back to add another 7 miles on your ride (counting the 2.5 miles of the Dunnellon trail and the ~1 each way to get from the Dunnellon Trail to the WST). By the time you get back to Apopka, you’ve gone about 40 miles.

Heading South

For a fun day trip, historic downtown Brooksville can be reached entirely by bicycle by taking the Withlacoochee State Trail south to the 10-mile Good Neighbor Trail.

If you’re in the mood for a slightly longer day trip, you can head south from the Apopka Trailhead and ride down to the beginning of the trail at Owensboro. That full circuit is about 60 miles.The short, but scenic, five-mile Withlacoochee Bay Trail runs along the former Cross Florida Barge Canal from the Felburn Park Trailhead, north of Crystal River, to the Gulf of Mexico. It’s less than 30 miles from Inverness.

Close enough to drive to options:

The 42-mile Suncoast Trail runs along the Suncoast Parkway from Hwy 98 in Hernando County south into Hillsborough County. The Trailhead at 98 North is just a 30-minute drive from Inverness.

Some of our area cyclists like to add some mountain bike time to their trip. When they do, they tend to hit the Santos Trail System in Marion County, which has 85 miles of trail and has received the designation “Epic Ride” from the International Mountain Biking Association. You can access it from the Ross Prairie Trailhead, which is a mere 23-minute drive from Inverness.

Included in the Santos Trail System are 15 miles of paved trail, part of the Marjorie Harris Carr Greenway, accessible from the 49th Avenue, LandBridge, and Santos Trailheads, a 33 mile drive from Inverness.