When people learn that I ride my bike from North Tampa down to the wonderful new Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail, they are almost always amazed that there is a nice way to bicycle down to there, and want to know what route I use.

Well, THIS is the route that people often want to know about! It is a combination of two of Tampa's landmark and most popular paved Trails, the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and the Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail, connecting between them using mostly neighborhoods and another paved trail. You can ride any portion of the two Trails linked above, or you can enjoy a wonderful trip by combining the two together!

Starting from Citrus Park in North Tampa, this combination route will guide you along the Upper Tampa Bay Trail from the Ehrlich Road trailhead to its southern end near Memorial Highway. From there, you cross a channel of water using a trail bridge, cut through a neighborhood, and you will find yourself a block away from the west end of the hidden gem that is the Town-n-Country Greenway. From this trail's east end, it is not too far down George Road to Skyway Park, and then only a short trail ride to the Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail, which will take you alongside and across the sparkling waters of Upper Tampa Bay.

This is an out-and-back route, with several parking areas where you can start your ride, so the distance can be adjusted from as little as 8 miles, up to 48 miles.

(more details can be found for each of these two great Trails via the headline links below)

The Upper Tampa Bay Trail

This nicely paved trail has lots of sections where trees canopy over the pavement, various bridges (one with a spillover waterfall) which cross over Rocky Creek and a brackish water channel flowing out to Tampa Bay, underpasses that allow you to bypass busy roadways, and includes lots of oak, pine and cypress trees, benches, restrooms, water stations and more. There are 5 public parking areas associated with the UTBT, plus shopping and restaurants nearby.

The relatively unknown Town-n-Country Greenway trail starts a little east of the UTBT, and runs past a couple of parking locations if you want to ride shorter distances, and will take you over to the north end of George Road.

The Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail

At the south end of George Road you will find Skyway Park, which connects to the Causeway Trail via the paved Veterans Memorial Trail.

Once you cross under State Road 60, you will soon begin riding alongside the waters of upper Tampa Bay, and out onto the Courtney Campbell Causeway. There you will see some of the best of Florida bicycling, as this bay-side section is the crown jewel of this route. You will enjoy vistas looking out over the Bay waters, towards Tampa International Airport and downtown Tampa to the east, downtown St Petersburg to the southwest, further west where Clearwater Beach is located, or even northwest to the resort town of Safety Harbor. On a clear day, a ride on the Causeway Trail is a ride that you will long remember for its beauty, fresh salty breezes, sandy beaches, seabirds, fishermen, sunbathers, swimmers, lots of other sights, all usually accompanied by the seasoned aromas of food cooking on the grill.

Alternate Parking for various distances:

Any of the distances listed below can be shortened once you get to the Causeway Trail by turning around before you get all the way to the Pinellas County side of Tampa Bay. But, I would highly recommend that you at least go to the top of the bridge! It is a beautiful scenic location, and a popular spot for photos.

• Citrus Park Trailhead at Ehrlich Road
  • Turn south off Ehrlich Rd onto Basswood Av
  • Public parking behind Citrus Computer (7512 Ehrlich Rd, Tampa 33625)
  • Water station
  • Round-trip mileage: up to 47 miles

• Wilsky Boulevard Trailhead, 10314 Wilsky Blvd, Tampa 33625
  • just north of Linebaugh Road, west of Veteran's Expressway
  • Public parking
  • Restrooms and water station
  • 1/4-mile ride to this route
  • Round-trip mileage: up to 43 miles

• Channel Park Trailhead, 9201 W. Waters Avenus, Tampa 33615
  • just west of Sheldon Road
  • Restrooms, soda machines, water fountain
  • Round-trip mileage: up to 38 miles

• Memorial Trailhead, 8304 Montague Street, Tampa 33635
  • water station
  • Round-trip mileage: up to 35 miles

• Shimberg Baseball Park, 7309 Baseball Road, Tampa 33604
  • Restrooms and water fountain
  • Round-trip mileage: up to 28 miles

• Skyway Park, 3901 George Road, Tampa 33634
  • enter Park by turning left at stop sign at Dana Shores Dr
  • Restrooms and water fountain usually accessible
  • Round-trip mileage: up to 21 miles

• Ben T. Davis Beach, 7650 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa 33607
  • Restrooms, water fountain, self-service bike repair station with air pump
  • Parking fee in some locations, bring small bills
  • Round-trip mileage: up to 17 miles

More resources

To check the weather before you head out, go to

For seasonal weather conditions,

or

for up-to-the-hour weather details.

Important Reminders

Although almost all of this route uses paved multi-use trails and neighborhoods, there are some sections where caution is advised.

• The Upper Tampa Bay Trail and the Causeway Trail are both popular multi-use trails for reasons that will become obvious when you see them. Because of that, there are times like Saturday mornings when there could be many other users, and you will want to be alert and cautious, such as at tight corners, blind corners, around people wearing earbuds or headphones, when children are on the paths, at road crossings, etc. Common sense things, I know, but heeding a word to the wise can make your ride more enjoyable.
• The crossing at Gardner Road has limited sight for the trail users and for the drivers on the crossroad. You will want to slow down and double check before crossing Gardner Road.
• One tight corner on the UTBT is right after the wooden bridge south of Gardner Road. It is an acute angled turn, so slow down and watch for other trail users.
• Another tight corner is at the Linebaugh Avenue underpass, where the trail goes between supports for the railroad tracks above. I usually give out a "whoop" holler to alert any potential users coming from the other direction, but going slow and staying on your side of the lane should be a minumum precaution.
• At the east end of the neighborhood off old Memorial Highway (a road no where near as busy as the name makes it sound!) you will find yourself at Sheldon Road. You will need to cross over, sometimes waiting in the median for a clearing in traffic, then go left one-half block, and make an immediate right at the crossing light to enter the Town-n-Country Greenway Trail. Easy to do if you are paying attention.
• Once on George Road south of Hillsborough Avenue, there is a 1-mile section of only two lanes where the lanes are narrow. This is a place where legally-allowed riding near the middle of the traffic lane is recommended. It would be good to read and maybe print the Florida Bicycle Law Enforcement Guide, if you are uncertain about your legal right to control the traffic lane for your own safety. Another good resource is Florida Bicycle Law organization's web site. Alternately, you could use the sidewalk. (There are plans under way to create a bike path or lane along this section in the future.)
• Along the Causeway Trail, you will want to be alert at all the crossings. This is a popular fishing, picnicing, beach area with lots of activity.
• Another thing to watch for on sections of the Causeway Trail would be fishermen back-casting their lines, and people crossing the trail to fish and sightsee.
• Most of the above cautions are included in the custom cues that I have created for this route, but you would need to be using the Ride with GPS app to get the full benefit of all the custom cues with these cautions and other points of interest.

I hope you enjoy this route which includes some of the best bicycling vistas in the Tampa Bay area.
Feel free to drop me a line at craig.bicycling@yahoo.com if you have any questions or comments.