Flatwoods Park

My husband and I have been coming regularly to bike in Flatwoods for the last year, and we love it. We come in all the way from Winthrop in Riverview, and it’s totally worth the drive. There’s nothing like it that we’ve found closer to us. The scenery is gorgeous. And the paved route is so convenient for biking. We do the full loop by bike. With the extra path to/from parking to the loop, it’s about 10 miles. Going at a leisurely pace, it takes us about an hour. Such a great way to get exercise and movement outdoors. We see other recumbent bikes, professional cyclists, and kids on bikes. All coexist peacefully here and enjoy the space together. Lots of walkers, runners, and roller bladers too. Definitely recommend!

Awesome park! Parking was $2. Restrooms at parking area. Was visiting the area looking for a place to RaceWalk. Walked the paved, flat trail which has markings every 1/4 mile. Great for doing some speed work! There were water stations with fresh cold water. I even spotted a tortoise. Sargent Donny Rizer was super friendly and suggested some of the non paved trails. Highly recommend!

Ran the Flatwoods Loop—a very nice and wide paved loop trail of 7 miles. Though it was an extra 1.5 miles back to where I parked in the overflow lot. There are other trails with shorter distances as well. Clear signage of directions and routes. I found the quarter mile markers very helpful as well. There are some water stations here and there, which is greatly appreciated. Overall an awesome trail for long or short runs, biking, walking, and rollerblading!

A quiet beautiful day was just what I needed! Perfect place for a walk, bike ride, or roller skate. Regular park ranger presence is visible too in case you need assistance.

We took our first adventure to Flatwoods Park on a Saturday morning around 8am, entering from the Bruce B. Downs entrance. The parking lot there has a decent number of spaces, but it was already packed when we arrived, so we had to park off in the grass. Parking is $2, which is reasonable. The trail itself is wide, paved, and very well maintained. It’s a popular spot—we saw plenty of walkers, runners, rollerbladers, and lots of cyclists, some going at pretty fast speeds. While the majority of the trail is flat with a few gentle hills, we did find that it can feel a bit crowded, especially in the early hours. Given how busy it gets, slightly wider paths would be ideal for added comfort and safety. There are emergency phones, some water stations, and a couple of restrooms along the trail, which was reassuring and appreciated. The outer loop is long—longer than we realized going in—and while it’s a great route, it proved to be a bit much for our younger daughter. We didn’t see any “cut-through” paths to shorten the loop, which would’ve been helpful in our situation. A friendly cyclist advised against turning back due to how fast some bikers come through, so we continued. My daughter and I ended up branching off to wait at another parking lot off Morris Bridge Road. That area was clean, well-maintained, and even had a bike repair and rinse station, which was a nice touch. However, the parking there is more limited than the Bruce B Downs side, so you might have trouble finding a spot if it’s busy. Overall, Flatwoods Park is a beautiful and well-kept place for outdoor activities. Just be aware of the crowd levels and fast-moving cyclists, especially if you’re bringing younger kids. We’ll definitely be back—next time, with a better plan for the loop!