Cape Haze Pioneer Trail

The Cape Haze Pioneer Trail is an 8-mile (13 km) rail trail in Charlotte County, Florida on the Cape Haze peninsula running from western Port Charlotte to Placida. A vast majority of the trail runs along the right of way of the former Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway.

Cape Haze Pioneer Trail
Length8 mi (13 km)
LocationPlacida, Florida, United States
Established1999
Hiking details
SeasonYear round
HazardsWeather
SurfaceAsphalt
Right of wayCharlotte Harbor and Northern Railway
Website
Trail map
Map of the Cape Haze Pioneer Trail

Route Description

The trail begins at the intersection of State Road 776 and Pinedale Drive in western Port Charlotte. It runs south along Pinedale Drive briefly before shifting east on to the former railroad corridor. It then proceeds south along the railroad corridor, passing near Rotonda West and crossing over Coral Creek near Coral Creek Airport.[1] At the Coral Creek Country Club, the trail leaves the railroad corridor and runs alongside County Road 771 to Placida, terminating just north of the Boca Grande Causeway.

From here, bicyclist can continue across the causeway to Gasparilla Island and the Boca Grande Bike Path (which runs along the island portion of the railroad corridor).

History
Placida Bunk House on display at northern trailhead. It was built by the railroad to house their employees and originally stood in Placida along the rail line

The Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway, which served Gasparilla Island, existed from 1907 until 1981.[2] Charlotte County gained ownership of the right of way in 1985, and the first portion of the trail was built in 1999 from the Mercer trailhead to Rotonda Boulevard. It was extended over Coral Creek to the Coral Creek Golf Club in 2005. The southernmost portion along County Road 771 from Coral Creek Country Club to Placida was completed in 2010.

Originally, the trail was planned to continue along the railroad corridor all the way to Placida before the Coral Creek Country Club was built, which used up a portion of the corridor. The remaining portion was built along County Road 771. A new bridge carrying CR 771 over Coral Creek was built to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic as part of the trail extension in 2010.[3]

See also
Bridge over Coral Creek

References
  1. Two Florida Trails, Worlds Apart
  2. Turner, Gregg M. (December 1, 1999). Railroads of Southwest Florida. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing.
  3. "Pioneer Trail back on track after golf club's bankruptcy raises doubts". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 19, 2004. Retrieved July 17, 2013.

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