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Location: 3755 Tenoroc Mine Rd., Lakeland. Picnic Lake Trailhead. July 20th. Wheels roll by 8:00am. $2 park entrance fee. Join the SWAMP Club for this 25 – 30 mile mixed surfaces ride at the historic Coronet phosphate mine. This will be a moderately paced challenging ride which will include a combination of hard pack dirt/ gravel roads, rugged grassy trails, old mining routes, and appx 4.5 miles of seldom ridden “Navy Blue” (blue/ black) singletrack at the beginning and middle of the ride. *Note – if you plan to ride the singletrack sections, we recommend a mountain bike. Riders will have an option to sit out these harder sections if desired. Sections of the route are slow going, wild, and potentially overgrown so be prepared for difficult stretches. Mud and at least one water crossing should also be expected. Tenoroc (Coronet spelled backwards) is one of only two PUAs (public use areas) in Florida and is only open four days a week (Fri to Mon). Consisting of 8,386 acres with 29 lakes, the property forms a contiguous linkage of lakes and marshes, densely wooded areas, and open grasslands between the Green Swamp and the Peace River, and serves as the headwaters of Saddle Creek. By phosphate mining standards, Tenoroc is relatively young since mining began here in the 1950s. Former owners including Coronet, Borden and Smith Douglass donated and/ or sold former phosphate mining lands to the FWC dating back to 1982. The route bisects several large lakes and wetlands. The Picnic Lake trailhead has good shade, bathrooms, and water. The main check-in station has drinks for sale. The route will be sunny & hot in many long stretches. It’s July! Bring plenty of hydration, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, tools and tubes. Rob DeGraaf is a Senior Environmental Scientist and past author of Fat Tire Favorites, Guide to West-Central (and South Florida) Florida Off-Road Bicycling books, and a past director of the Florida Off-Road Bicycling Association
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Tenoroc Shooting Range, 3755 Tenoroc Mine Rd,Lakeland,FL,United States
