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BIKING ROUTE
Total
distance: 4 miles roundtrip, back to starting point (or add more
miles, see below):
On
this route you can explore historic downtown, several parks and the
oceanfront at Main Beach: Starting
point:
Historic downtown, Centre
Street.
Your
best bet is to explore downtown by foot. Then hop on your
bike and pedal out of the downtown historic district, starting at around
the 8th St. intersection. Centre Street turns into Atlantic
Avenue. Ride on the sidewalks all the way from downtown to the
opposite side of the island.
Ending
Point: When you hit the Main Beach at
Atlantic Ave. and Fletcher Ave.
Points
of interest along the way:
Central
Park with playground/picnic area, Egan's Creek Park with playground/picnic
area, Fort Clinch State Park, and
Main Beach Park with picnic area,
restrooms, and outdoor shower.
Note:
if you ride into Fort Clinch, you will add approximately 6 miles to your
bike route (3 miles into the park on the main park road, 3 miles leaving the park). |
A nice way to get around Amelia Island is
by pedaling. An excellent short bicycle
ride (with the extra safety provided by riding on sidewalks), is cycling
from the historic downtown area of Fernandina Beach (the harbor side of
the island at Centre Street), to the beaches on the opposite side of the
island (Atlantic Avenue). On
this sight-seeing bike route, you can explore historic downtown Fernandina
Beach, several parks, and the oceanfront at
Main
Beach.
This is a really nice route for the
occasional cyclist and a family group taking a bike ride together.
If you're able to rent bikes downtown, or if you bring your own bike(s)
and park your vehicle downtown, the roundtrip ride suggested is
close to 4 miles.
The starting point of
this recommended bike
route, is historic Centre St. and 8th Street. We suggest you explore
the main corridor of our historic district (Centre Street) by foot, first.
Browse the quaint shops, visit the Chamber of Commerce on Centre Street by
the railroad tracks and collect some brochures. See whether the
Chamber has a supply of bike maps, "Bike Ways of Northeast
Florida," particularly useful for bike enthusiasts who are
physically-fit and can cover a lot of mileage.
When you're done visiting downtown, hop
on your bike and pedal out of the downtown district. Centre Street turns
into Atlantic Avenue which takes you across to the Atlantic Ocean at Main
Beach Park. It's a straight ride, fairly flat most the way, and
you'll pass two of the island's public parks, so you can stop if you need
a rest.
Both Central Park and Egan's
Creek Park are on this route, with playground equipment, so if you're
riding in a family group, the kids may like to stop and play awhile.
These parks also offer picnic tables, so you can pack a picnic lunch and
make it a nice outing, while you get a little exercise, too.
Plus, at the end of the route, when you arrive at the beach, you'll find another
large public park right at the oceanfront,
Main Beach Park.
Riding Bikes at
Fort Clinch
An added bonus to this bike route on
Atlantic Avenue is the entrance to Fort Clinch State Park (toward Main
Beach and the Fletcher Avenue intersection).
Pedal through the park -- it's one of
the best places on the island to explore by bicycle. This vast park of 1,200+ acres includes
beachfront as well as hiking/nature trails that wind through natural
maritime forest, with tidal marsh and sandy dunes. From the
entrance to the park on Atlantic Avenue, it is a 3-mile bike ride into the
park to the Fort, on the main park road.
Experience a
lovely, natural habitat with areas of thick overhead tree canopy, laden
with Spanish moss. Plus there are additional trails to ride
bikes on -- ask the Park Ranger who greets you at the main entrance.
But here's a tip: bring some bug
spray, especially if you plan to ride on wooded trails within the park
or go to the playground/picnic area. The park has a very nice
playground area with picnic tables and barbeques, shaded by tree
canopy. However, you don't want to be there without some
repellent! Take a tour of the brick fort, it's really interesting,
with huge cannons pointing out to the Cumberland Sound.
Beach Riding
If you like to ride bikes and your
legs are in shape from riding fairly regularly, low tide often provides a hard enough surface that allows bikers (with the wider
mountain bike tires), to pedal in the hard-packed sand toward the
water.
Riding a bike
on the beach, as you enjoy the ocean breeze and breath the salt air,
may
be one of the most satisfying biking experiences of your lifetime,
and a great workout, too! However, if there is a stiff ocean
breeze, riding against the wind will be a challenge and a tough workout,
especially if you hit patches of softer sand. (You may have to cut
your bike ride short under these conditions, unless you are in very good
athletic shape.)
Bike Rentals
If you are planning a visit, the Ritz-Carlton
provides hotel guests the opportunity to
rent bicycles. The Amelia
Island Village Store, on the Plantation, also rents bikes. (The very large
Amelia Island Plantation resort,
itself, is another wonderful place to take a bike ride.)
Near the historic district, the BikeSmyth (904)277-0031,
located at 1743 S. Eighth Street and the Cycling & Fitness Center
(904)277-3227, located at 11 S. Eighth Street offer bicycles for
rent. Close to the beach, there is also a rental shop located
near the round-about on Sadler Rd. and South Fletcher Ave. near the
beach (across from Seaside Park, and Slider's grill/bar).
Florida Bicycle Safety Laws
In Florida, bicycle
riders, or passengers under 16 years old, are required to wear helmets.
Bicycles are considered
"vehicles" in Florida. Cyclists must follow same traffic
laws as vehicle drivers. Cyclists have the same roadway rights as
vehicles. Cyclists are required to ride with flow of traffic and
follow traffic laws.
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