Saturday, July 27, 2024
I intended to ride the entirety of the S-Line this hot, sunny morning, but I misread the map. That’s just like me. I can get lost in my bathtub! I had thought the southern terminus of the S-Line was at Emmet Reed Park, but after getting home and writing this post and studying the map further, I discovered that the southern terminus is really at Myrtle Avenue near Union Street. So I’ll have to go back again some day to ride the whole S-Line starting at the true southern terminus.
Anyway, I rode to the S-Line from the LaVilla Link of the Emerald Trail. I was out here riding this trail a couple weeks ago and got lost several times. Some trail signs were missing and I didn’t have a map or directions. I had to search for the map on the website on my phone and figure it out from there. So make sure you have easy access to a map of the trail on your phone, so you won’t get lost!
The pavement of the trail is cracked and bumpy in several places. In most areas it’s smooth, but several areas could be resurfaced. Some areas have good tree cover for shade during the ride. Other areas have no shade. On this day, I didn’t see many people on the trail. A few people were walking on parts of the trail, and I passed a couple of bicyclists, but for the most part it was just me and the trail. I enjoyed riding this trail.
Southern Part
The trail is 4.8 miles long and is divided into two parts, which I call the southern and northern part. The southern terminus begins at Myrtle Avenue near Union Street and goes northeast passing Emmet Reed Park. Then it goes north along Payne Avenue and then curves around going east along West 13th Street. The trail stops at Boulevard and this is where I got lost as the dedicated trail ends and you need to use public streets. This is the end of the southern part.
Signs to direct you on to the northern part of the S-Line exist in some places, in other places the signs were missing. So follow these directions:
Turn Right on Boulevard
Turn Left on 12th Street
Turn Left on Main Street
Go one block and turn right onto the trail.
At the end of the trail, turn Left on Hubbard Street
Turn Right on 14th Street
Turn Left on North Liberty Street
Turn Right on East 21st Street
Go a block past Walnut Street and turn Left onto the trail
(If you get to the railroads, you’ve gone too far)
Northern Part
Once you turn left onto the trail, you’ll be on the northern part. Follow the trail around past Liberty Street and then up a little ways the trail will curve to the right back to Liberty. There are no signs here. You need to turn left and follow the sidewalk a block up to Winona Drive where you’ll see the trail again on the left.
Take the trail to Main Street. Here use the crosswalks to cross Winona Drive and then Main Street. Once across Main Street, go left and up about 50 feet or so and you’ll see the trail again on your right. The trail ends at Norwood Shopping Center.
According to Groundwork Jacksonville, the S-Line trail was the first dedicated urban trail built in 2008 after the city of Jacksonville acquired the land of an abandoned CSX railroad. The S-Line will eventually become part of the Emerald Trail. According to the Emerald Trail Master Plan the two parts of the S-Trail will be connected with wide sidewalks and dedicated use trails. I hope they do a lot of upgrades, paint the centerline emerald green, and include better signs.
Resource Links for More Information:
Metro Jacksonville has an article from 2013 about the S-Line that gives some of the history of the old railroad including some historic pictures. https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-jun-touring-jacksonvilles-s-line-urban-greenway/page/
Groundwork Jacksonville, the organization in charge of the Emerald Trail, also has some information on the S-Line. You can also download and print trail maps: https://www.groundworkjacksonville.org/emerald-trail/s-line/
S-Line Trail Information:
Southern Terminus is at Myrtle Avenue near Union Street.
Northern Terminus is at Norwood Shopping Center near Norwood Avenue and West 44th Street.
Length: 4.8 miles.
Difficulty Level: Beginner/Easy.
Condition: The trail is relatively flat and the trail is older with some cracks and bumps, but mostly in good condition.
Waypoints and GPS Coordinates:
The following are some important waypoints and GPS coordinates for the S-Line Trail.
Southern Terminus at Intersection with Emerald Trail: 30° 20.345N; 81° 40.944W
Northern Terminus at Norwood Shopping Center: 30° 22.469N; 81° 39.880W
Emmet Reed Park: 30° 20.653N; 81° 40.279W
What To Do Next
If you have bicycled on the S-Line, feel free to share your experience in the comments below. Please include the date.
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