As funny as this sounds, Florida was indeed fortunate to have been developed by a railroad tycoon by the 
name of Henry Flagler. He decided early in the state's history to take advantage of the federal government's largesse (free land to railroad companies to build their tracks on) and he built a series of railroads across Florida and all the way to Key West! Back then, those tracks served to move people, lumber and supplies across a wild and difficult land filled with - literally - indians, alligators, and BIG mosquitoes (according to surveyor's field notes from the 1800's).
Today, those same railroad beds serve different modes of transportation, but transporting people none-the-less: by bicycles, rollerblades, horseback and on foot. The "Rails to Trails" program started in the mid 1990's has been a tremendous success in Florida as the Office of Greenways & Trails (OGT) works tirelessly to connect the former railway corridors with our many state parks, wildlife management areas and state forests.
The link below will takes you to the OGT site, with interactive regional maps of the individual trails they mange. A quick visit will and you will be impressed by the trail system being created to provide recreational benefits for Floridians and our visitors.
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/index.htm
The St. Mark's Trail start's in Tallahassee in near the FSU campus, runs along the Appalachicola 
National Forest and down to the town of St. Marks on the St. Marks River. About 25 miles depending on where you pick it up and many ride down and back on the weekends.
Barbara-Jo and Bill wrote recently about the Pinellas Trail, an urban trail, heavily used and the first in the state!
http://activerain.com/blogsview/600990/Pinellas-Trail-Biker-s
With funds from the Florida Forever Program and matching dollars from local programs, cities and counties are adding links to the main trail network and creating their own trails to service their local communities. The West Orange Trail in Orange County is about 25 miles long, connects three towns, is adjacent to three schools, and runs through beautiful terrain. What a great way to give kids the opportunity to get off buses and back on bicycles to go to school again!
The OGT site also has links to their local government partners that have trails or are building trails.
Check out this fabulous this recreational opportunity. You don't have to drive far in Florida to take advantage of this fun and free way to enjoy our state!
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