Route #92 Auburndale – Polk City – Mabel – Van Fleet Trail

Route #92 covers 73 round-trip miles across central Florida, following two former railroad corridors converted into dedicated bike trails: the TECO-Auburndale Trail and the Van Fleet Trail. The route begins along the western shore of Lake Ariana in Auburndale and heads north to Polk City, where the two greenways connect and continue along one of the longest uninterrupted cycling routes in the state.

Along the way, the trail passes the former sites of railroad towns such as Poyner, Green Pond, and Withla, now reduced to open fields and scattered rural properties. The landscape gradually shifts into protected natural regions, including the Green Swamp and the Richloam Wildlife Management Area, part of the Withlacoochee State Forest, where several of Florida’s major rivers originate.

Crossing Polk, Lake, and Sumter counties, the route ends in the small community of Mabel, where the paved surface of the Van Fleet Trail concludes. Surrounded by wetlands, forests, and open prairies, this itinerary highlights the interior landscapes of Florida while preserving the legacy of its historic rail corridors.

This route can be found in Discovering Florida – Volume 4.