Don't forget, there's a picnic at Hart Springs on Saturday. 

 

For those who like to paddle, Hart Springs has canoes, kayaks and paddle boards for rent for $5 an hour or $15 for 4 hours.   Hart Springs is on the Suwannee river.

 

I have marked the route from Hart Springs to the Nature Coast Trail with orange arrows.  It is not the most direct route, about 5-6 miles, but it avoids most traffic, espcially large trucks.

 

Here are more details:

 

The Gainesville Cycling Club will host a picnic at Hart Springs on Saturday, July 15.  The park opens at 9 a.m., food will start about noon.  Park entry fee is $2 per person.

 

Picnic menu is hamburgers and hot dogs(all beef) and the Club provides soft drinks. Please bring a small side dish to round out the menu.   Please let Chandler know how many people you are bringing and whether they want hamburgers and/or  hot dogs (you can have both!) so Chandler will know how many cows to grind up. E-mail him at chanbike@xxxxxxx .

 

Ride leaders may want to organize rides on the nearby Nature Coast Trail or organize rides from Gainesville to Hart Springs.  County Road 232 (Millhopper Road) goes west and connects with Hart Springs.

 

 Hart Springs is about 4 miles from the Nature Coast Trail.  Chandler will mark the route to the Nature Coast Trail and lead a ride from Hart Springs to the trail at 9 a.m.

 

Gilchrist County is very flat and has many lightly traveled fram roads east of the park.  There is a grid system of roads, lightly traveled and scenic and very, very flat.

 

Hart Springs is on the Suwannee River,  39 miles west of Gainesville.  Take State Road 26 (Newberry Road) west through Newberry and Trenton.  About 8 miles west of Trenton, turn north (right) onto CR 232.  Go 4 miles north and turn west (left)  onto CR 344.