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2026: The Year North Lake Trail Grows

    After years of study and planning, the first segment of the North Lake River To Hills Trail is set to be constructed.  Lake County has confirmed a segment of the trail running from East Collins Street in Umatilla north to Beach Street at the Silver Beach Heights neighborhood, is expected to be constructed this spring.
    The cost has been estimated at $1.2 million for the segment, which is roughly a mile long. 
    The segment will join with a paved walkway constructed by the City of Umatilla more than a decade ago, which runs from Bulldog Lane to north to East Collins Street.  Eventually, the trail is envisioned to run from Astor to Eustis, where it will connect with the county and state’s larger trail system.
    “We are extremely excited to see the northern end of the North Lake River to Hills Trail finally begin construction,” said Michael Stephens with the Friends of Lake County Trails.  “And it’s also exciting to see that Umatilla, Eustis, Tavares, and Lake County have all agreed to fund a feasibility study for the trail headed south to Eustis.”
    The trail has been under discussion and in varying forms of development for several years.  Much of the trail’s potential path has been decided, but overall development continues.
    “Hopefully, now that the PD&E study of the section of the trail headed north through the Ocala National Forest has been completed and adopted by Lake County, we can move this into design and construction quickly as very little private right of way is needed for this section,” Stephens said. 
    In Umatilla, a proposed trail path loops through the west side of town, leaving SR 19 on the south end of the community and returning at the south end of the existing segment at Bulldog Lane.