Alafia River State Park Trail (Lithia, Florida)
Trail Work Day: The Saturday just before the club ride, 8:30 am (see calendar) The State Park fee is waived for volunteers who send early RSVP.
Alafia Trail Boss: Jeff White, e-mail RSVP to: trails at SWAMPClub dot org
Guided rides: 9:00 am on the third Sunday of most months. See the ride calendar for details.
Entrance Map: Park entrance map (For driving directions) ($5.00 per vehicle, 2-8 people)
Trail Map: Bike Trail Map found on the SWAMP message forums
The Alafia River State Park trail is one of the most favored off-road biking choices in Florida. Skilled riders are traveling from all over the state to ride this collection of scary drops, off-camber hillside ledges, high speed banked turns and intimidating ridge top trails. This single-track is built on the rugged terrain of what was once a phosphate mining site. Currently there are about 20 miles of trails at Alafia.
The easiest (Green) loop is called Sand Pine and can be ridden as an out-and-back three mile ride or as a two mile loop riding back on the levee. The other Green trails are River Loop and Rock Garden, and are for experienced beginners. Although both are only three miles long (with bailouts at one-mile intervals), it feels longer because the trail has technical sections where roots or tight turns slow the pace and challenge the rider.
The intermediate (Blue) sections are Bridges, NorthCreek and RollerCoaster. These are really fun trails with lots of medium-sized hills, some short and steep, with others more gradual, for speedy downhills. There are several very challenging optional sections along the blue trails (for experienced riders) and the sudden drops, climbs, twists and turns are just plain fun to ride. Look for the Hard / Easy signs.
The RollerCoaster and Moonscape trails (Black) form a 4-mile loop. Gatorback and Rabbit Ears (black trails) are very difficult shorter loops off Bridges and Sand Pine, respectively. These sections all include steep roller coaster type dips, technical rocky sections and very difficult climbs and drops. Many of these have a steep, straight line descents followed by a short valley before the trail climbs rapidly up the opposite side. It is a roller coaster sensation that takes your breath away and gives extra "G" forces as your swoop suddenly transitions from a dive into a climb. Not all of these are a straight line down and up. Some drops have relatively sudden turns. Knowing what to expect and controlling your speed accordingly is necessary here.
Several of the trail designers got together and laid out trail so extreme they had to come up with a new designation; "Double Black Diamond." These "extreme" sections are definitely fun for the more experienced rider.
The address for the main entrance is 14326 South CR 39 Lithia Florida 33547. The admission fee is $4.00 per 1 person vehicle or $5.00 with 2-8 people. Camping is $22.00 per night which includes electric. The bathhouse has hot water for showers. These bath facilities are for registered campers only. Visit Reserve America or call 1-800-326-3521 to make reservations.
All trails have been marked, cut, and groomed by SWAMP trail crews and public volunteers.
Please note: With so many trails and so much overgrowth, we can use your help maintaining and repairing the trails. We ride some, work a little, play a lot, then ride some more. Trail work is more fun than you expect, and very rewarding. Call to find out how you can help or send e-mail to Trails at SWAMPClub dot org.
Trail Work Day: SWAMP hosts Alafia work days on the Saturday before the club ride of most months at 9:00 am.
For info contact the Alafia Trail Boss: Jeff White at: trails at SWAMPClub dot org
- SWAMP's photo gallery
- Alafia Fat Tire Festival 2010 video and 2009 Fat Tire Festival by Wes Eubank.
View an Alafia FTF 2011 video.
Join the Alafia River Bike Patrol (enter your e-mail address below). Members of SWAMP, in association with the National Mountain Bike Patrol, have created a Yahoo! Group for this trail system. This Yahoo! e-group is open to anyone interested in these trails and trail conditions.
Enter your e-mail address in the box to the left and click the Join Now button to join the Alafia River Bike Patrol group to receive ride and trail condition reports. Patrollers who also report trail conditions and incidents receive volunteer hours for the patrol group.