Amenities

Seven trail heads for Legacy Trail (additional access points along Venetian Waterway Park), paved multi-use trail, picnic shelters, benches, pet-friendly (hand held leash no more than 6 feet long required), portable restrooms

Trailhead accesses to Legacy Trail are located at: McIntosh Road in Sarasota, Bay Street in Osprey, Oscar Scherer State Park, Laurel Park in Nokomis, Nokomis Community Center, Patriot’s Park in Venice and the Venice Train Depot

Experiences

Jump on the ten mile Legacy Trail and travel from Sarasota to Venice, through Oscar Scherer State Park. The paved trail is perfect for bicycling and rollerblading. Wildlife viewing along the trail is excellent – look for gopher tortoises, fox, bobcats and scrub jays. The trail hosts plenty of areas to stop, rest, learn about its history or just enjoy the surrounding natural beauty. Be prepared for the heat during summer months and bring plenty of water. The Legacy Trail connects to the Venetian Waterway Park that terminates at Caspersen Beach Park on one side of the Intracoastal Waterway, and at Shamrock Park on the opposite side.

History

Sarasota County Government purchased the old Seaboard Airline Railway and began the ‘Rails-to-Trails’ project to convert the rail corridor to a 12 mile multi-use linear trail. It was renamed Legacy Trail.

Habitats

Scrubby flatwoods, pine flatwoods, mangrove forests, fresh and saltwater creeks, blackwater streams

Acreage

12 mile linear park (southern portion in Nokomis and Venice is under construction)

Watershed

Little Sarasota Bay and Dona/Roberts Bay

Who Owns and Maintains

Owned and maintained by Sarasota County

Website

www.scgov.net

SCAT Bus stop and route

Route 17 on U.S. 41 and route 25 in Venice