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Ormond Loop and Flagler Beach via Emeralda Marsh
(about 190
miles roundtrip starting and ending in Leesburg)
Riding
through Emeralda Marsh, an area of wetlands adjacent to Lake Griffin,
the Oklawaha River, and Emeralda Island, is a relaxing, scenic way to
start your ride. Once you arrive at the Ormond Loop, you’ll enjoy a
beautiful ride along the Halifax River past some of Ormond Beach’s
charming old homes and through the Tomoka State Park, riding under a
canopy of trees over the two-lane highway. The Loop brings you to the
beach and a ride past sand dunes, beaches, flying pelicans and softly
pounding surf in to Flagler Beach. (Key: US—Federal highway; SR—State
Road; CR—County Road)
- Depart Gator HD south
on US441 (get in far-left lane).
- At 1st
traffic light (less than 1 mile from Gator HD) turn left on to SR44.
- Travel east on SR44.
Several miles up the road you will go through a traffic light.
- Just past the traffic
light, turn left off SR44 on to Emeralda Avenue (there is a BP Service
station at the corner of Emeralda Avenue and SR44).
- Go to the stop sign
and turn left on to Emeralda Island Road.
- Continue on Emeralda
Island Road through the marsh and lakes (it winds around and includes
several hairpin curves).
- At intersection of
Emeralda Island Road and CR452, continue straight across CR452.
Emeralda Island Road is now called Em-En-El Grove Road.
- At stop sign
(intersection of Em-En-El Grove Road and Thomas Boat Landing Road)
turn left on to Thomas Boat Landing Road.
- At the ‘Y’
intersection on Thomas Boat Landing Road, stay to the right.
- At the stop sign turn
right on to CR450 and travel east to Umatilla.
- Turn left on to SR19
at the traffic light and travel north on SR19 through Altoona.
- Several miles on the
other side of Altoona, turn right on to CR445 toward Alexander
Springs.
- At stop sign, turn
right on to CR445A.
- At stop sign, turn
right on to SR40 and head east through Barberville to Ormond Beach.
- Continue on SR40 to
Beach Street (the start of the Ormond Loop). Beach Street is the
intersection/traffic light just before the high-rise bridge over the
Halifax River.
- Turn left on to Beach
Street. It will take you along the Halifax River, through Tomoka State
Park, and past the Halifax Plantation Golf Community.
- Turn right on to
Walter Boardman Road, which is just past the Halifax Plantation Golf
Community..
- Turn right on to
Highbridge Road. It will take you to the beach and A1A.
- At the stop sign, turn
left (north) on to A1A to get to Flagler Beach.
There are several
restaurants along A1A in Flagler Beach, including Martin’s, The Pier
Restaurant and Finnegan's. For a modest fee you can walk out on to the
long pier that juts out into the Atlantic. Fishing is also available for
additional fees.
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