Trails

Putnam County is quickly becoming known as the “Trail Hub” of Northeast Florida.  Palatka is the center point of the Lake Butler to St. Augustine Rails-to-Trails project which is nearly complete and serves as the backbone for an elaborate Trail System.  The Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail currently runs through the communities of Armstrong, Elkton, and Vermont Heights in northeastern Florida. Much of the route follows State Route 207, hence its former name as the State Road 207 Rail-Trail. Views are a mix of woodlands and rural landscapes. Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail is situated in one of the most picturesque areas of the state and is warmly welcomed by this northeast Florida region for the enhanced quality of life and economic benefits it offers many small towns and communities. The trail corridor stretches nearly 47 miles from west of US 17 in Palatka to State Road 238 in Lake Butler, as it runs along the former Norfolk-Southern Railroad right-of-way through Putnam, Clay, Bradford and Union counties.  Long-range plans include a connection to the Palatka to Lake Butler Trail as part of a developing 260-mile, five-county regional network known as the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop. The network is part of the East Coast Greenway.