Author Topic: Key West, Florida  (Read 11778 times)

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Offline scarcellagv

Key West, Florida
« on: January 25, 2004, 05:22:42 pm »
Does anyone know why the Adventure Cycling East Coast route ends in Fort Meyers, Florida and doesn't go any further south?  I'd like to keep going to Key West and would welcome any suggestions for bike routes and maps that are available.  Do you have to work you way back to the Atlantic coast or is there a way to get there staying on the Gulf coast?  Any pros/cons to either way?  My tentative plans would put me in Fort Meyers in late September or early October.


Offline TRobertson

Key West, Florida
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2004, 03:15:40 pm »
The Atlantic Coast route that we (Adventure Cycling) has,
has been around for quite some time....and I'm not even sure
why it ends in Fort Myers. We have had discussions with one
of our researchers in the area and we've been looking at
changing the route.

We hear a lot of good things about the route that goes
straight down the Atlantic Coast of the state....using the route
from the book "Bicycling the Atlantic Coast". (http://
www.adventurecycling.org/store/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=
120)

The route in the book takes you down to the Miami area.
From there, I would get in touch with the bike coordinator for
the state of Florida (Dennis Scott at
dennis.scott@dot.state.fl.us) and find out what information
they have to get you down to the Keys. (I do know that there
are bike paths being built in the Miami area). Also CR 997 (to
the east of US 1) is the way to go....down to CR 995....and
then following US 1 out to Key West (I've heard that there is a
shouler/path for most of the way).

From there, there is a ferry available to get back to the Fort
Myers area. I'm sure that they bike coordinator for the state of
Florida knows the schedule of the ferry.

Hope that this helps.

Tom Robertson
routes and mapping



 

Lucky13

  • Guest
Key West, Florida
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2004, 02:43:41 am »
>>Do you have to work you way back to the Atlantic coast>>

Yep.

You can ride as far south as Everglades City/Chokoloskee. Crossing the state would be required to reach the Keys. Unless you are prepared to backtrack, your only option would be on the Tamiami Trail (US 41). This is a heavily used, two-lane highway...often with little or no shoulder. If you were to make it across the Trail, then Hwy 997 would take you south to Homestead.

From there, US 1 leads to the Keys, as does the alternate route along Card Sound Rd. Traffic can be very heavy on both routes. Homestead does provide the option of cycling into Everglades National Park.