The Town of Cedar Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast has been described as the way Key West was 50 years ago. Visiting Cedar Key is a trip back to an older, quieter Florida, where hustle and bustle is left behind as you quickly adapt to the leisurely pace of island life.
Cedar Key in the 19th century was an important port with lumbering and other manufacturing; today tourism and clamming are the major industries. The town’s ability to avoid rampant Florida overdevelopment is partly due to its remote location and partly due to its position in the Cedar Keys, a chain of barrier islands which are a National Wildlife Refuge.
The town is located 50 miles southwest of Gainesville and 135 miles north of Tampa. From US 19/98, go west on CR 24 at Otter Creek, then proceed about 22 miles past pine forest, cypress and marshes to Cedar Key.
The town is approximately two by three miles, so biking is a great way to get around. There are no formal bike trails, the whole town is bikeable and golf carts are as common as cars. Quaint homes, historic buildings and the commercial clamming docks all add to the “old Florida” mystique. Visit the restaurants for fresh seafood, shops and art galleries, go fishing, bird watching, kayaking or just sit back and relax — there are no megastores, shopping centers or movie theaters, so if you need one be prepared to take a day-long round trip drive.
Cedar Key Bike Tour
A Cedar Key bike tour starts in the historic district on 2nd Street with its vintage buildings, restaurants, shops, and art galleries. Visit the Island Hotel and Restaurant (1859, on the National Register of Historic Places) at the corner of B Street, then stop at the Historical Society at the corner of CR 24 for exhibits about Cedar Key from prehistoric times to the present.
Turn south on C Street and bike over the bridge to one-way Dock Street with its restaurants and shops. The fishing dock at the foot of the bridge is a draw for pelicans, though it seems fewer now that the new hurricane-proof dock replaced the old wooden structure. A parking lot, marina/boat launch, and playground are at the end of Dock Street.
At 1st Street turn left and ride about a half mile past homes and cottages on the gulf shore to the intersection with G Street. Stop and enjoy the view of the Gulf and Atsena Otie Key, an abandoned island that was site of a lumber mill for the Faber pencil factory (ruins can still be seen). Proceed along G Street about 0.3 mile until it dead-ends at Whiddon Avenue. Turn left, passing Cedar Key School, and continue another 0.25 mile to Gulf Blvd.
The Cedar Key (George T. Lewis) Airport is a little over a half mile south (turn left), biking along a causeway with homes and views of the town and the Gulf. Small planes are parked along the airport’s 2300 foot runway and the adjacent road accesses private hangar homes.
Returning back to the intersection of Gulf Blvd. and Whiddon Avenue, go straight on Gulf 0.25 mile and across a wooden foot/bike bridge. A boardwalk leads to Cemetery Point Park with views of a marsh. Back on Gulf Blvd. is the entrance to the Cedar Key Cemetery (1886), a serene memorial park with paved roads and some rolling hills.
Continuing along Gulf Blvd. to Hodges Avenue (0.25 mile), turn left and go 0.4 mile to Museum Drive and Cedar Key Museum State Park which includes the museum with its historical exhibits and displays of sea shells and Indian artifacts collected by St. Clair Whitman. The park also includes a walking/nature trail and the St. Clair Whitman House, which depicts family life in the 1920’s and 30’s.
To end your bike tour, return to town and go to the beach along G Street between 1st and 3rd Streets to view a (usually) colorful Florida sunset.
Check-out ==> BikeFlorida.net for a listing of top Florida bike trails. Here Cedar Key is featured as a “Top 10” ride – with photos and recommendations on the best areas for biking.
