Trails & Bike Paths
About North Port's Trails
Located in the heart of Southwest Florida between Tampa and Fort Myers and within easy access of Interstate 75, the City of North Port offers an extensive amount of “off the beaten path” experiences beyond the community’s commercial centers. North Port’s unique natural environment can be experienced in a wide range of activities, including canoeing and kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, golfing, and cycling. This community has a trail system to fit just about every lifestyle.
Horseback Trails
Amid the 105-square-mile community, North Port is home to the North Port Estates with homes tucked beneath thick oak and pine tree forests. Many of the homes, which sit on three acres or more, have horse stables.
Directly in the heart of the North Port Estates is the City of North Port’s Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. The 163-acre park includes winding wooded trails that weave throughout a moss-draped oak canopy. The trickling Myakkahatchee Creek runs through the center, and visitors can experience a variety of vibrant, native flowers and trees of all species. Deeper in the park, wild, natural orange trees decorate the pathways of the park’s trails. The park also offers several boardwalks as a great place for observation and relaxation. Many visitors trailer their horses into the park, which lends itself to a full or half day of riding and plenty of scenic picnic spots. The park also is ideal for mountain biking, hiking, and bird watching. Nonprofit organizations can camp at the park with a permit.
However, other horseback opportunities exist inside the City of North Port.
Located in the southern portion of this southern Sarasota County community, just off River Road, is the 8,000-plus acre Myakka State Forest. This vast forest is home to several miles of natural trails and opportunities for viewing wading birds and other Florida wildlife. The forest includes approximately 2.5 miles of frontage along the Myakka River, which is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water and a Wild and Scenic River. The Myakkahatchee Creek flows for 1.5 miles through the forest and provides an additional water resource. Communities near this state forest also are home to horse stables. It is not uncommon to see horse trailers parked in the grassy parking lot for a full day of riding.
Mountain Bike Trails
For mountain biking enthusiasts, the City of North Port’s mountain bike trail along the Myakkahatchee Creek is one of Southwest Florida’s most intense. Carved by mountain bikers themselves, the trail offers winding twists and turns for the more experienced rider. For those who prefer not to mountain bike, the trail is ideal for a high impact hike.
The pristine canopy is filled with ancient oak trees and associated flora. The bike trail follows the length of the Myakkahatchee Creek. Although a busy city life is just beyond the think oak canopy and brush, the creek’s thick natural buffer cuts off all sense of traffic and city life. Accessible by the City of North Port’s Oak Park, the roads to get to this pristine trail make visitors feel they are truly leaving it all behind.
Trails by Foot or Bicycle
The City of North Port also offers an extensive roadway network. With more than 800 miles of local roads and an ever expanding web of sidewalks, the City of North Port is an ideal place for an evening stroll, a walk to one of the City’s many neighborhood pocket parks, and a Sunday morning bicycle ride. City improvements to the community’s Interstate 75 roadways (Sumter Boulevard and Toledo Blade Boulevard) have created linear walking paths that stretch for several miles. These linear paths are like parks and feature gazebos, decorative street lights, benches, concrete stamping, signage, and other amenities. The paved trail network in the City of North Port is ideal for rollerblading, cycling, walking, and more.
Golf Cart Trails
North Port is also home to trails that were built specifically for golf carts. Home to three prestigious courses, North Port, Florida is an ideal spot for many golfing enthusiasts. These golfing communities offer a system of golf cart paths that weave amid lush green grass bordered by the City’s rich oak and pine canopy. In several of these communities, golf carts are able to used in place of cars on the private streets.
Trails on the Water
From Marina Park off Chancellor Boulevard, North Port residents can access the lower portion of the Myakkahatchee Creek and take it to the Myakka River. The waterways are ideal for saltwater fishing, watching manatees, catching glimpses of dolphin, and more. Motorized boaters can also access these blueways.
The City of North Port is also making improvements to its canal system to open up more blueway trails.