Sweetwater Preserve – Downtown Connector Rail Trail loop from Gainesville

Bike touring routes & trails

Sweetwater Preserve – Downtown Connector Rail Trail loop from Gainesville

Easy

4.5

(1899)

8,501

riders

Sweetwater Preserve – Downtown Connector Rail Trail loop from Gainesville

01:48

30.0km

130m

Cycling

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: October 7, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.46 km

SW 5th Avenue Basin

Highlight • Lake

A paved path circles around this small body of water. It's situated between the campus and downtown and is a great place to be around sunset.

Tip by

2.49 km

Pond with a Fountain in Gainesville

Highlight • Lake

A small park in Gainesville that is very well maintained and forms the connection to a Railtrail.

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4.33 km

Gainesville Rail Trail

Highlight • Cycleway

The beginning of many, many KM on Railtrails in this stage. In addition, with lush nature basically almost in the middle of Gainesville. This is very remarkable.

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6.85 km

Viewpoint

7.17 km

Sweetwater Preserve

Highlight • Forest

Sweetwater Preserve provides a network of well-maintained, clearly marked trails that wind through beautiful American beech and oak forestry.

There is lots of shade on the paths, and you'll pass …

Tip by

8.05 km

The Downtown Connector Rail Trail runs from downtown Gainesville to the Ganesville-Hawthorne State Trail. Together the two trail make a fully paved pathway between the two cities that allows cyclists …

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9.96 km

Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

The Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail is a 16.5 mile that runs from Gainesville to Hawthorne. It is fully paved and although there is a hill or two, it is not too challenging a trail.

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16.0 km

Swamp Landscape near Gainesville

Highlight • Natural

A typical swamp landscape in Florida. A wooden boardwalk was built here and extensive wildlife could be observed.

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23.8 km

Fairy-tale Forest

Highlight • Forest

A section of the Railtrail went through a fairytale forest, as can be seen in the photo. There were only trees like these to the left and right of the path. Maybe the witch lives here too.

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30.0 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

26.0 km

3.14 km

530 m

299 m

Surfaces