Where to Bike Ride in Deland, Florida

If you are looking for a nice, safe path to take your family bicycling, Deland, Florida has several to offer. The bike trail we recently enjoyed is on the west side of Deland, at the end of West Plymouth Avenue, by the Humane Society. It is a three mile route that is pretty, paved and well off the road. Free parking specifically for the trail is available right near the Humane Society. It is a dirt parking lot, but has camera surveillance. You must cross Grand Avenue to enter the paved trail, but the road is not dangerously busy and not as large as the name implies. It is a two-lane country road that is easy to cross. The entrance to the bike trail is clearly visible and close to the place that you cross from the parking area.

The path itself is nicely paved and shaded in many places which should be considered when taking young children out into the Florida heat. There is no place to buy water or drinks along the bike trail, so it is best to bring what you need. There are several significant hills, so water is a necessity. The hills may be too intense for a young child on training wheels. If you bring young children, you may want to pack a lunch so you can walk some portions and take your time.

Standing in the parking area and facing the trail, you are entering at the three quarter mark, so it extends only about a half to three-quarters of a mile to your left (or south), before the off-road path ends. It is still a nice ride to warm-up and double back because the hills are more fun going down than up! To the right of the parking area (north), the bike path goes toward Glenwood, and extends about two miles. It is a shaded country ride with a few spectacular homes and some fenced and pastured goats, horses and dogs along the way. Children will especially thrill to see the sign that warns of bears!

There is the option to make your ride longer by travelling off the path to the Highland Park Fish Camp or the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge which are both about a mile and a half west of the bike trail. If you can handle the extra three mile round trip or are making a day of your adventure, stopping in to fish or to hike in the wildlife refuge might be just the activity you are seeking. The fish camp also has a country store where you can buy food, drinks and other items. Bicycling to these places takes you onto a road that is used by cars but it is pretty quiet and drivers seem willing to go out and around when they see a cyclist.

Eventually, this bike path is intended to connect Blue Springs State Park with Deleon Spring State Park. It is not complete, but the parts that are complete are fun to ride and quite exhaustive for a young family. With a little practice on the trail that exists, families should be physically ready for when the entire ride is available.