Seminole Wekiva Trail

Great trail for walking or biking! Mostly shady and large enough for bikes and traffic. Some nice scenary and great art by artist John Demshock that makes it really fun. This trail goes from Altamonte all the way to Lake Mary which is about a ten mile run. With just a few intersections to cross (many you avoid via tunnel) this is a great scenic way to be outside and excercise!

Looking for a beautiful, shaded running trail on the north end of town? This is your trail.
This is my go-​to trail for marathon training long runs. Start at the San Sebastian Trailhead (located with parking and facilities on 436 just east of 434 in Altamonte) and run north. The trade is natural and well-​shaded to keep it cool. It has slight gradual hills, but it is mostly flat and goes through safe areas. You’ll pass historical markers, little monuments to loved ones, ginormous homes, and an incredible pop-​culture fence painting mural project as you make your way north.
If you’re looking for a place to walk, run, or bike, give it a try.

I was visiting in Lake Mary and was delighted to discover the Seminole Wekiva trial near my hotel. The trail was a welcome respite from the highways and major roads that circled the area. The trail seemed most popular for the bicyclists, who sped down the hills of the trail.
The trail is well paved and good for exercise for people of all ages. I didn’t see any road markers, so pedestrians should be careful to walk along the shoulder to not collide with the bikers.
I only saw 4 miles in the middle of the trail, but appreciated the variety of the landscape and the opportunities to view wildlife.

We usually start at the Sanlando Park entrance to the trail and unfortunately have never made it farther than the Panera Bread in Lake Mary, but the distance between those two areas is pretty decent so I still feel comfortable reviewing this trail. Whenever my wife and I are on it we always end up taking a lot of pictures of nature and the animals we run into. We are also constantly stopping and looking at some sort of critter, whether it’s the turtle that we’ve seen on numerous occasions or just birds that we don’t normally get to see on a daily basis, or even occasionally a snake or two. The tunnel that goes underneath 436 is pretty cool, however bikers love to speed through there and if you’re on the wrong side of the trail and they come around the curve you will get hit. Pretty much anywhere on the trail you’re going to run into bikers who love to zoom by. Some of them are friendly; a lot of them seem to think that the trail is strictly for them, and that people walking it shouldn’t be there. On numerous occasions we have been yelled at because we were apparently too close to the middle of the trail, or were supposedly on the wrong side of the trail (we weren’t, and I’m sure that they knew that we weren’t, but they were just trying to be difficult). So anyways, if you are a walker, be ready for bikers to treat you like dirt. But even still, this trail is well worth it and I highly recommend that if you have a free afternoon you spend it here. You could park in Sanlando Park and catch the trail right there and not have to worry about leaving your car in some shopping plaza’s parking lot.

This trail is a great ride, mostly shaded and a very well kept trail. trailheads are placed very well and have water at the stations. My fiancé and I do close to a 15 mile round trip and it’s great. Very little inclines are good for the novice rider. Of course Panera Bread is the highlight of the trail. I cannot wait until the underpass for the trail is completed under Lake Mary Blvd at International Parkway. Highly recommended path.

What I love about this place is that in the middle of the trail there is a Panera Bread. It’s my motivation every time I go to this trail. I love to ride and then stop by somewhere where I can have a little treat. It feels safe, minimal contact with the roads, very family oriented. On Sunday you can often catch a glimpse of the Heathrow cycling races.

Trains
trees
and
tortoises
The Seminole Wekiva Trail is a multi purpose trail that was converted from the old Orange Belt Railway. The rail was built waaaaaay back in 1888 and at one time was the longest narrow gauge railway in the world. The trains are long gone and rail service was discontinued in the early part of the 20^th century and the path laid dormant until some progressive minds decided to put it to good use.
The whole length is about 14 miles long so with a 28 mile round trip the journey can give you a decent workout on a bike. One thing that became very apparent is the absence of hills. The whole stretch is very flat and straight which means it’s a very easy ride and a great place to hit the afterburners and really move in the areas where the traffic is light. The bike trials in New England have far more hills and turns.
The whole area is paved and the surface is in absolutely great condition. Hardly any made bumps or nasty holes to make you fall off your bike and smash your face. Again, I’m use to the paths in the north where the frost heaves and buckles the pavement every winter. This was such a pleasant and smooth ride and the miles just seemed to fly by and the ride over far too quickly.
The path goes through some populated areas and crossing the streets can be a pain but it also means that you pass some places to get food and treats. There are even some water fountains and bathrooms on the path and lots of benches and cool spots to take a break or look around. Very convenient and all the folks that we met on the path were friendly and extremely nice. I didn’t notice any areas that made me fear for my life.
The scenery in many parts was beautiful with funny looking trees and plants, small lakes and many types of birds. We even saw a big tortoise crossing the path in one point. Someone we talked to along the way warned us about gators occasionally crossing the trails but unfortunately we didn’t see any of these.
I’ve heard that eventually they plan on expanding the path and connecting it to other trails to make it much longer. That would be great but like the rail trails here in the north east, such plans usually take a lot of time and money. At 14 miles the Seminole Wekiva Trail is still one very pleasant and enjoyable ride.

If looking to bike or run this is a good choice. The drawbacks are crossing some streets that can be rather busy. The trail is rather rural and scenic. Feels very safe and has a Panera Bread on one end of the trail and a Starbucks toward the other end. Two great stops for water. Think it is about 5 miles between the two. Park at Starbucks and take the tunnel underneath I-​4 and go to Panera in Lake Mary for a good 10 mile turnaround.

This is a great trail for running, or biking if that’s your thing. It’s paved, so it’s nice and even, no worries about stepping on a twig or rock along the way. The route is nice and there are little landmarks along the way. Want extra incentive? There is a Panera close to mile 7 — so you can get a sweet reward for all the hard work. The trail is actually almost 14 miles long, but even making it halfway is an accomplishment. Remember — you do have to get back!

Just biked this trail on Sunday. Very enjoyable ride. Most of the trail is covered by trees so the shade will keep you cool. It starts near 436 and 434 and goes out to Sanford area. Where the trail meets Lake Mary Blvd. there is a Panera with several bike racks. We stopped to eat lunch there to break up the trip. Note that the last section from about International Dr. in Lake Mary to the Sanford Trailhead is not nearly as shady, so if you would like a more leisurely ride start in Altamonte and turn around at Lake Mary Blvd. There are some water fountains at the Trailheads, but not as many as I’ve seen on other trails such as Econ. The route is mostly flat with some shallow inclines. There is a tunnel under 434 so the only main roads you have to cross are Lake Mary Blvd. and Internation Drive in Lake Mary. On a Sunday we encoutered relatively little traffic. I have biked the Econ and Cady Way and I enjoyed this one the most out of all 3.

The Seminole Wekiva Trail is a 13.5 mile trail winding its way from 436 in Altamonte North along Markham Woods Rd. and towards the Wekiva River. The trail is wide, paved, and in many parts covered by a beautiful treed canopy. The trail is scenic and feels very safe; it never goes through any rough neighborhoods and you are never as secluded as you feel. There are plenty of trash cans, benches, water fountains (even for dogs!) and even educational plaques along the way. The trail is great for walking, running, cycling, skating or horseback riding. There are several trailheads to access the trail; one of my favorites is Sanlando Park which offers ample parking and restrooms.