Flagler Trail, an unpaved pathway in east Seminole County under a thick canopy of trees, gives hikers and mountain bikers a quiet getaway from the concrete jungles of urban areas.
But it has a problem: the 14-mile path has gaps that can leave unfamiliar users feeling they’ve come to a dead end — not knowing where the trail picks up again.
Now the county has applied for a $2 million federal grant to help fill the missing spaces and slightly realign it to connect with trail networks in neighboring Volusia and Orange counties.
“It’s a beautiful trail that has long been on our radar to fix,” said Seminole Commission Chair Jay Zembower, a longtime horseback rider who often enjoys trails in rural east Central Florida.
If awarded the money by the federal Department of Transportation, Seminole would kick in an additional 20% — or $400,000 — to plow ahead with preliminary plans to determine the timeline and costs for the project.
The bulk of grant funds would go toward closing a prominent 2-mile gap that exists between North County Road 426, just south of Buck Lake, and State Road 46.
County officials said they should learn in the coming weeks if they’ve received the grant, which is part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. If Seminole doesn’t, it will look to other funding sources.
The trail stretches between East Second Street — just south of Walker Elementary School — and the Lake Harney Wilderness Area near the St. Johns River and the Volusia County line.
Along the way it cuts through the Little-Big Econ State Forest, the Geneva Wilderness Area, and the historic rural communities of Chuluota and Geneva. A wooden bridge built about two decades ago allows hikers to cross the Econlockhatchee River.
Even so, trail supporters say the quiet pathway offers a respite from the din of cars and trucks.
“Everybody has to have areas that they can go to to comfort their soul,” Commissioner Lee Constantine said. “And so by having trails, paths and nature areas, it gives people a way to just wind down. And that is very important to the general health of the community.”
Flagler Trail is mostly an abandoned railroad bed that was a branch of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) running between Jacksonville and Key West in the early 20th century. Henry Flagler, an industrialist and founder of Standard Oil, was a major developer of the FEC.
After the railroad stopped running in the 1950s, Seminole acquired the right-of-way in 1984 from the Florida Department of Transportation, according to county records.
Today the trail connects with the Cross Seminole and Florida Scenic trails. Zembower said after the connections are completed, ambitious hikers could feasibly trek from north Volusia to Osceola County — roughly 60 miles.
In the coming weeks, the county plans to have community meetings to show plans for trail connections and receive public comments, said Richard Durr, director of Seminole’s parks and recreation department.
Durr said in areas where there are more homes than wilderness, portions of the trail could be paved.
East Orlando residents Chris and Carla Garcia visit Flagler Trail at least three times a month.
They started off Monday morning on their usual hike from the trailhead parking lot off Snow Hill Road.
“I think that would be great,” Carla Garcia said about filling in the missing gaps. “We enjoy seeing the nature and the trees.”
mcomas@orlandosentinel.com
