Sanford Riverwalk

The Sanford Riverwalk Trail follows the shoreline of Lake Monroe along East Seminole Blvd from Mellonville Avenue to US 17-92 (French Avenue). The one mile MUT is one of the most scenic paved trails in the county, featuring views of Lake Monroe and convenient access to sights and restaurants in historic downtown Sanford, Fort Mellon Park, the Sanford Museum, Lake Monroe Wayside Park, and the Marina, Rivership Romance and Veterans Memorial Park along the waterfront.

On and off street parking is available along the sides of the trail, which offers benches, pavilions with swings, or places to just stop and enjoy the view, or go fishing. Fort Mellon Park is a community focal point, with restrooms, water fountains, a playground, picnic tables, baseball field, and basketball courts. The Sanford Museum is adjacent to Fort Mellon Park.

Fort Mellon was established during the Second Seminole War in 1836, and the town of Mellonville grew up around it. Its location on Lake Monroe (part of the St. John's River system) was advantageous and Mellonville became a commercial center with daily steamship service to Jacksonville in the 19th century. Mellonville was the original county seat of Orange County before Orlando emerged. The town merged with adjacent Sanford in 1883, and today's Sanford serves as county seat of Seminole County.

Sanford officials marked the start of a construction project that will extend the Riverwalk Trail more than half a mile west from U.S. Highway 17-92 (French Avenue) along West Seminole Blvd to the Central Florida Regional Hospital. The expected completion date is Spring of 2014. As of this writing (Nov 2013) traffic is being diverted along a short segment of East/West Seminole Blvd at US 17-92 (French Avenue) during construction.

During my outing I chose to bike further west along West Seminole Blvd to Lake Monroe Wayside Park, which is one mile north of Interstate 4 on US 17-92. The cumulative distance from Mellonville Avenue to Lake Monroe Wayside Park is approximately 4.7 miles. There are bike lanes along West Seminole Blvd, which is a two-way highway, and although vehicle traffic wasn't particularly heavy, the speed limit is moderate and trucks utilize the route, which make the ride both pleasant along the waterfront and slightly precarious if you're not a comfortable highway rider.

Sanford Riverwalk Trail Map

Sanford Riverwalk Trail to Lake Monroe Wayside Park Map