South of Ocala · Cross Florida Greenway · Mountain bike trails
Santos Trailhead
Ride Florida’s best-known mountain bike trails, from easy pine-woods loops to the expert-only Vortex in an old limerock quarry, or roll the paved Greenway trail west over the I-75 Land Bridge. Day use is free.
Opens Florida State Parks’ Santos page. Day use is free, and the trails are open from 8 a.m. to sunset.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Trailhead and trail system
Part of the Cross Florida Greenway state lands
Admission
Free
No day-use fee; camping is separate
Hours
8 am to sunset
Open 365 days a year
Time needed
A few hours
Visit Florida’s advice; a full ride takes all day
Parking
Extensive parking
No RV size rules posted
Bike trails
80+ miles
Florida State Parks’ count of singletrack
What you’ll see
Singletrack for every level
Santos is the hub for mountain biking on the Cross Florida Greenway: a trailhead with parking, restrooms and a bike wash, and color-coded loops that start right from the lot.
Photo: Florida State Parks
Start here
Start on the yellow loops
Florida State Parks color-codes the trails: yellow for beginners, blue for intermediate riders and red for experts only. New riders can warm up on the beginner loops near the trailhead; the Pine Tree loop is about 3 miles, and Florida Hikes counts about 20 miles of singletrack inside the two beginner loops.
RV tip: skip the singletrack right after heavy rain and ride the paved trail instead, and ride early in summer. Helmets are recommended for everyone and required by Florida law for riders 16 and under.
More to see
- The VortexAn expert-only freeride area in a former limerock quarry. The Ocala/Marion County visitors bureau describes a vertical drop of about 20 feet, and Florida State Parks warns it is dangerous if you aren’t a highly skilled rider.
- The paved Greenway trailA 16-mile paved multi-use trail runs west from Santos to SR 200, crossing I-75 on the Land Bridge, a planted overpass shared by cyclists, hikers, horses and wildlife.
- Hiking and horsesThe Florida National Scenic Trail passes through the trailhead, and Florida State Parks says riders can reach 60-plus miles of Greenway horse trails from Santos.
- Pump track and skills parkRight at the trailhead, along with a bike wash, picnic pavilions and drinking water.
Why go
Florida mountain biking, without the mountains
Volunteers began building trails on this land in 1993, and the Ocala Mountain Bike Association still helps look after them. Florida State Parks says the network is an International Mountain Bicycling Association Bronze-level Ride Center, and the Santos Fat Tire Festival draws riders each March.
The land has a long story. Santos was a Black community founded in 1882, a railroad flag stop that hosted Negro League baseball in the 1890s, and its settlers were displaced in the 1930s for the Cross Florida Barge Canal. The canal was stopped in 1971 and deauthorized in 1990, and in 1998 the corridor became the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway.
For RVers it is an easy day: day use is free, the trailhead is just off US 441 between Ocala and Belleview, and Florida State Parks runs a small campground right beside the lot.
Photo: Ebyabe on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Why it made our list
- 80-plus miles of mountain bike trails
- Free day use, 8 a.m. to sunset
- Beginner loops to the expert Vortex
- A 16-mile paved trail over the I-75 Land Bridge
- A state park campground at the trailhead
For RVers
Visiting Santos with an RV
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Day use is free
Florida State Parks charges no day-use fee at Santos. The trailhead has extensive parking, restrooms, drinking water, a bike wash and picnic pavilions. The campground bathhouse is for registered campers.
Parking a bigger rig
The park doesn’t post RV size limits for the trailhead lot. If you’re towing, call (352) 369-2693 first. The Land Bridge Trailhead, west of I-75, advertises paved day-use parking for cars and RVs.
Dogs on a short leash
Pets must be on a hand-held leash no longer than 6 feet and can’t be left unattended, and owners must pick up after them. Service animals are welcome everywhere.
E-bikes and trail rules
Electric bikes are allowed on designated trails under Florida law. Bikes, hikers and horses each have their own trails; stay on the ones marked for you, and leave the Vortex to experts.
What visitors say about Santos Trailhead
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 25–28, 2026.
Explore some of the best mountain biking in Florida and even internationally.
Florida State Parks, describing Santos · floridastateparks.org
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Google’s review topics
Mountain bikingPaved trailTrail system
Google’s review topics point to mountain biking (56 reviews), the mountain bike trails (44), the paved trail (40) and the trail system as a whole (25). Checked October 25, 2026.
Miles of trail you can reach from Santos
Miles from Florida State Parks’ Santos pages, checked October 25, 2026. Bike trail counts vary by source: one Florida State Parks page lists 63.4 miles at Santos itself, and the Ocala Mountain Bike Association says more than 85.
Good to know
Day useFree no fee
Trailhead parkingFree extensive lot
Campsite$22 per night, plus fees
At the trailheadRestroomsDrinking waterBike washPump track
Fees from Florida State Parks’ Santos hours and fees page, checked October 25, 2026. Camping adds a $6.70 reservation fee and a $7 nightly utility fee. Bike shops on US 441 near the trailhead rent bikes; call them for prices.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Santos Trailhead
- Address3080 SE 80th St., Ocala, FL 34480
- Hours8 am to sunset
Open 365 days a year - Phone(352) 369-2693
- FeesFree day use; see fees
- Getting thereFrom US 441 between Ocala and Belleview, turn west on SE 80th St., across from the Marion County Sheriff’s Santos station, and follow the entrance road to the trailhead.
- ParkingExtensive free parking at the trailhead, plus a fenced grassy staging area for horse trailers. No RV size rules are posted.
Some trails can close on prescribed-burn days or after storms. Check Florida State Parks’ alerts before you ride.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Santos Trailhead
These are the Ocala-area parks we have visited and written up, closest first. The Santos campground shares the trailhead, so you can ride straight from your site.
Santos Trailhead & Campground
A small Florida State Parks campground with about two dozen water-and-electric sites, steps from the trails.
Southern Springs RV Resort
A new, gated 55+ resort off I-75 Exit 352 with landscaped concrete sites, a heated pool and pickleball.
Ocala RV Camp Resort
An older, budget-friendly park beside I-75 Exit 350 with shady grass sites, ponds and a big pool.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Free · 8 am to sunset
Ready to ride Santos?
Start on the yellow loops, save the Vortex for the experts, and ride early when it’s hot.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Florida State Parks (rider and the trailhead from above) and Ebyabe (barge canal piers; CC BY 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: VISIT FLORIDA on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Santos Trailhead unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including Florida State Parks’ published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by Florida State Parks and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Santos Trailhead at floridastateparks.org or (352) 369-2693. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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