The Office of Greenways and Trails coordinates and provides assistance to implement the Florida Greenways and Trails System Plan. If you need assistance or are seeking useful resources to advance a greenways and trails project in Florida, please contact the appropriate Greenways and Trails Coordinator. Your Coordinator can also discuss how a trail or greenway project relates to the Florida Greenways and Trails System Plan.

Please also consult these resources for helpful information:

Trail Design, Planning, Construction, Maintenance and Operation

• Paved Trails/Rail-Trails/Shared Use Paths

  • Pedestrian, Bicycle and Transit Facilities, Chapter 8, Plans Preparation Manual [PDF], Florida Department of Transportation

  • Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access, Federal Highway Administration

  • Generic Cost Per Mile Estimate, Two Directional, 12" Wide Paved Shared Use Path [PDF], Florida Department of Transportation

  • Generic Cost Per Mile Estimate, 12" Wide Paved Rails to Trails Project [PDF], Florida Department of Transportation

  • Shared Use Path Level of Service Calculator, Federal Highway Administration

  • Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, AASHTO (to purchase)

  • Rail-Trail Maintenance and Operation [PDF], Rails to Trails Conservancy

• Unpaved Trails (Hiking, Biking, Equestrian)

  • Trail (Unpaved) Construction and Maintenance Notebook [PDF], US Forest Service

  • Natural Surface Trails by Design, Natureshape (to purchase)

  • Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack, International Mountain Bicycling Association (to purchase)

  • Managing Mountain Biking, International Mountain Bicycling Association (to purchase)

  • Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads and Campgrounds, USDA Forest Service and Federal Highway Administration

• Paddling Trails

  • Guidelines for Creating Paddling Trails, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

  • Logical Lasting Launches - Design Guidance for Canoe and Kayak Launches, National Park Service

  • Establishing and Promoting a Paddling Trail or Blueway System, Office of Greenways and Trails

  • Canoe, Kayak Launch Sites and Accessibility, Office of Greenways and Trails

• Off-Highway Vehicles

  • Park Guidelines for Off Highway Vehicles, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (to purchase)

  • Management Guidelines for Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (to purchase or download)

• General

  • Trail Planning, Design and Development Guidelines, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (to download or purchase)

Economic Impact of Trails and Greenways

• Economic Impact Analysis of Orange County Trails [PDF], East Central Florida Regional Planning Council

• Bicycling Moving America Forward [PDF], Bikes Belong Coalition

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts [PDF], University of Massachusetts

• Pathways to Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Investments in Bicycle Facilities [PDF], North Carolina DOT

• Florida Coast to Coast Connector - Economic Benefits and Marketing Report (Gulf of Mexico to Atlantic Ocean) [PDF], Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation

Trails and Health

• The Power of Trails for Promoting Physical Activity in Communities [PDF], Active Living Research

• Facilitating Development of a Community Trail and Promoting Its Use to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth and Adults [PDF], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• From Fitness Zones to the Medical Mile [PDF], Trust for Public Land

• A Walking Revolution: A Movement Making Americans Happier and Healthier [PDF], everybodywalk.org

Trails as Transportation

• Active Transportation for America [PDF], Rails to Trails Conservancy

• Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers [PDF], Rails to Trails Conservancy

Ecological Greenways

• Green Infrastructure Case Study: Florida's Ecological Network [PDF], Conservation Fund