GENERAL JAMES A. VAN FLEET
STATE TRAIL

By Mike Miller October 21, 2025

OVERVIEW

The General James A. Van Fleet State Trail runs 29.2 miles through Central Florida. It starts in Polk City and ends in Mabel.

The paved path follows an old railroad corridor through the Green Swamp. Bicyclists, hikers, and runners use the 12-foot-wide trail.

It passes swamps, forests, and ranches. The site draws visitors for its rural setting and wildlife sightings, including wild hogs and river otters.

Bikers on the General James A. Van Fleet State Trail

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The trail follows the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's Miami Subdivision. Built in the early 1900s, the line hauled freight and passengers through Polk County.

It connected Tampa to the east coast. The railroad declined after World War II. Freight traffic fell as highways grew. The line abandoned the section in the 1980s.

The state acquired the corridor in 1991. It opened as a dirt trail in 1992, named for General James A. Van Fleet. Van Fleet, born in 1892, graduated from West Point in 1915.

He commanded troops in World War II, including at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He led U.S. forces in Korea from 1951 to 1953.

President Truman called him America's greatest general. Van Fleet retired to Polk City and died there in 1992 at age 100.

Paving finished in 1997 in three phases. The trail joined the National Recreation Trail system in 2000.

VISITING DETAILS

The Van Fleet State Trail begins at the Polk City trailhead, Polk City, FL 33868, about 8 miles west of Auburndale.

From Auburndale, take U.S. 92 west to SR 33 north, then right on County Road 665. The park opens daily at 8 AM and closes at sundown.

Four trailheads offer parking: Polk City (SR 33 and CR 665), Green Pond (Green Pond Road), Bay Lake (CR 565), and Mabel (near SR 50).

The trail is paved and mostly straight. You can rent bikes in nearby Lakeland. Horses are allowed in some sections; check signs on site. Call (863) 984-1375 for updates.

INTERESTING FACTS

The trail cuts through the 322,000-acre Green Swamp, headwaters for the Withlacoochee, Hillsborough, and Peace rivers.

Wildlife includes gopher tortoises, alligators, deer, armadillos, and over 100 bird species like herons and raptors.

A 3.4-mile section overlaps the Florida Trail, linking it to a 1,300-mile statewide path.

The TECO-Auburndale Trail connects to the south, extending the route by 6.5 miles.

Van Fleet's family had military ties back to the Revolutionary War.