Imagine you were moving to FL. Where's the best area for riding?

[HomeMadeSin]

The wife is hell bent on moving to Florida one day.  I'm not all that keen on the idea, but if forced, I'd like to consider the best place to be for riding ;)

If it matters, I'm more interested in GNCC and Hare Scrambles than MX.

It may not happen for a few years, but if it does, I think a new motorcycle would be req'd to get me to go, he he.

 

[WideOpen]

well, your talking to the right guy :thumb:

For racing, we have Florida Trail Riders. they have a 13 race HS season, a 7 race enduro season and a 10 race Mx season.

there aren't alot of riding areas in south florida (other than mx)

I ride ocala NF mainly, sometimes i go to a place near orlando or go to a local honda test track.

Florida Trail Riders

 

[HiG4s]

Mid Florida, say North West of Orlando, has the most access to riding. Not too far from Ocala national forest which has riding. Not too far from Tampa, actually just North in Brooksville, where there is Croom (A state park just for dirt riding, bikes and ATV, no trucks or jeeps) with 2800 acres and camping. Reasonable distance from Gainsville, big amature national MX race there every Thanksgiving. Several MX tracks near Orlando.

I moved down 5 years ago and live in North East Florida. We have two tracks south of Saint Augustine, Ocala is a reasonable distance, and North Florida MX track (Hwy 1 right by the Georgia border) has a clay track, a sand track and some trails. That is where we end up most of the time as my son always wants to be on a track and I like to ride trails. It is the only place I know where we can do both.

 

[Speedway]

While in Ocala national forest, go to Big Scrub campground, you can camp and ride right from your campsite. Bring a GPS or compus, you can get very lost out there however.

 

[WideOpen]

hiG4,

what places south of st aug? i live in st aug and can only think of pax track. wheres the other?

 

[eibellk]

Having raced all over our country and in several other countries, I have to say Florida rates top 3. The Florida Trail Riders have probably the best "State Championship" available with Missouri a close second. The FTR is extreamly active in state riding activities beyond racing too. Croom in Brooksville is a renouned riding area. Central Florida (Ocala to Ft Myers) has hundreds of riding areas with various levels of "legality". Tallahasse riders are totally spoiled with new forest access. You have "world class events" such as the Alligator Enduro and the most popular of the GNCC's. I can't imagine living anywhere in the state that would put you more than 1 hour from somewhere to ride!

Having said that, I am a natural born Floridian, and I hate it here. I want the one thing Florida can't give me...Mountains.

Kurt.

 

[WBBLUE272]

I've ridden every inch of Florida from trails to tracks. There is plenty to keep you busy especially in the Central Florida area. Northwest Florida which is west of Tallahassee is starting to grow. Our club is establishing a riding area in Chipley, FL and working with the state for a State run OHV park near Pensacola/Ft. Walton Florida. Many people in the Northwest part of the state ride in Alabama and Mississippi which have some nice terrain and some elevation. North Georgia Mountains are a 7 hour trip and make a nice 3 day weekend. For more information go to our club website www.nfsamc.com We have links to Florida Trail Riders, Tallahassee Trail Riders, Southern Enduro Racing Association and several other links. You can also e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll be happy to tell you everything I know.
Wayne

PS The FTR Hare Scramble series is one of the best in the country with over 500 riders usually attending events.

 

[Rev]

Hey WideOpen, just spent X-mas in Sarasota, while it snowed big time back here in Indiana, I see no reason ever to spend X-Mas in Indiana ever again. I told my wife that I should take my bike down there, but she quickly explain to me that it would be really cold to ride durning our X-mas vaction.Well we are going back next year and bring all the bikes with us, maybe about 5 of them. I know about Ocala but where around Tampa?

 

[HomeMadeSin]

Eibellk:

I've heard the same sentiment from other Floridians....but my wife misses water and warmth. 

We have the mountains (and then some) up here in Colorado, but the hard terrain is tought to get used to and still enjoy it.  I miss the fertile dirt east of the Mississppi......

 

[eibellk]

There is plenty of riding in the Tampa and Sarasota areas. I was just riding there New Years week and had it not stormed so bad New Years eve, I would have raced the FTR event the following weekend. I rode 2 areas just off I-75 near Sarasota - exactilly 1 hr from my brothers house in St. Petersburg. It took us 40 minutes to get to the FTR event location (that was cancelled). Croom is 1 hr north. Ya gotta love wearing shorts to the riding area in January!

Dude, I loved riding in Colorado and used to look forward to going there every year on our club excursion.