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Reported: May 2018

Hancock Trail...

Roadside Training Trail, Crosses South Lake Trail

The 6.5-mile Hancock Trail, centered in Clermont, FL, runs along N. Hancock Road from near the National Training Center at South Lake Hospital to CR 561A. The wide, paved path with long sand ridge hills is popular with road bikers - an excellent training ride. It also passes several schools and residential areas. From the Training Center to Minneola High School the trail runs through a busy area, north of the school it crosses the Florida Turnpike and becomes more open - though it appears development is coming to that area as well. The trail connects with the South Lake Trail which is part of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, creating many miles of continuous biking. (Detailed map and photos below.)

Hancock Trail Map
(includes South Lake Scenic Trail)

Location: Lake County (Clermont)
End Points: Oakley-Seaver/Don Wickham Drive to CR561A
Mileage: 6.5 miles
Surface: Asphalt, 14'
Trailheads/Parking: Cooper Memorial Library, Minneola Athletic Complex, Minneola Park Trailhead (South Lake Trail) (See map)
Nearby Points of Interest: Florida Citrus Tower, Sugarloaf Mountain, Walt Disney World, Bok Tower Gardens

Bike Shops / Rentals:

Clermont Bicycles (Clermont., sales/rentals)

Trek Clermont (Clermont; rentals, sales, service)

Hancock Trail... Comments and Photos

The Hancock Trail (running south-north) and South Lake Trail (east-west) converge for a short distance at Old Highway 50, and both cross N. Hancock Rd. It was somewhat confusing as other than a kiosk there are no directional markers. There are two options for crossing the road (see map) for details as it's hard to describe. This would be a good spot for a trailhead, there is little parking along this trail and none yet at the north end.

Here we bike the Hancock Trail from south to north.

 Page Summary:

1. National Training Center to Old Hwy. 50
2. Old Highway 50 to trail end
3. About the National Training Center
4. More Information and Resources

National Training Center to Old Hwy. 50

A path runs from the National Training Facility along Don Wickham Drive, but the trail technically starts at the corner of Oakley-Seaver Drive. Parking at Cooper Memorial Library is about one-half mile along Oakley-Seaver. An underpass goes under N. Hancock here and the trail continues on the east side of the road to another underpass.

The trail then runs along the western side of N. Hancock to Old Hwy. 50 where it meets the South Lake Trail briefly, and crosses back over to the east side of the road. A trail bridge or underpass at this point would be beneficial, these are busy intersections.

Old Hwy. 50 to trail end

The trail continues roadside to Minneola High School. Across the street, parking is available at Minneola Athletic Complex. Then is the overpass at the Florida Turnpike. From here, it's open vistas and a ride on sand hills to trail end.

About the National Training Center

The National Training Center at South Lake Hospital includes facilities for wellness, group classes and youth programming. The NTC hosts Olympic athletes and provides Triathlon Training for athletes and teams from around the country and the world. The South Lake Hospital campus also houses Special Olympics Florida, Brandy Johnson’s Global Gymnastics, and Florida Sports Injury & Orthopedic Institute.

More Information and Resources

More Nearby Biking:

South Lake Trail
West Orange Trail
Lake County Trails - see Overview Map for more nearby

Watch a Video:

Hancock & South Lake Trail in Minneola and Clermont Florida , from our friend Dave at Phonamana

Related Resources:

Lake County - Parks & Trails
Lake County - South Lake Trails System (.pdf)

See all bike trails in Lake County