Meet at Duette North walkthrough gate (Lat 27.55192, Lon -82.10408), appx 2.5 mi south of Hwy 62 on Duette Rd. Saturday November 16th, 8:00 am roll time. No restrooms or water at the trailhead.
Join the club on this appx 40-mile gravel ride. Gravel bikes or MTBs. Moderate pace with stops. Swamp Club ride guide, Rob DeGraaf, began biking Duette in the 1990s and included the park in his Fat Tire Favorites guidebooks in the 1990s/ early 2000s. At the time, Duette made the “Honorable Mention” section in which some trails were “lacking” for reasons such as limited access, small size, advocacy issues, or poor conditions. For Duette, Rob wrote in 2002 that, “plans are underway to add shell rock to most of the deep sugar sand stretches.” Since then, Manatee County has achieved this goal and continues to improve trail conditions each year. Many miles of the former deep sand have since been improved with hard pack gravel.
At over 21,000 acres, Duette Preserve is the largest conservation land in Manatee and is one of the largest county parks in Florida. The county acquired the land in 1986 from phosphate mining companies for environmental conservation and public drinking water supply (several deep wells tap into the Floridan Aquifer). Fortunately for cyclists, a secondary use was to provide public recreation. Duette consists of xeric scrub, pine/ palmetto flatwoods, dry prairie, and riparian hardwood swamps. The Preserve provides a protective natural buffer for the upper Manatee River watershed. The ride will include fast, flat, hardpack gravel and double track with some grass, sand, and water crossings. We’ll cross the north and east forks of the Manatee River, and will stop by the wildlife observation pavilion. Riders should be self-supported and accustomed to long rides in remote areas. There are no facilities other than the check station which we may pass farther into the ride. Cell reception is poor. Bring hydration, snacks/ lunch, sun screen, bug spray, tools, tubes and flat repair. Ride guide Rob DeGraaf is a Senior Environmental Scientist and past Author of Fat Tire Favorites, Florida Off-Road Bicycling books, and a past director of the Florida Off-Road Bicycling Association (FORBA). Strava Local Legend and Swamp Club member, Garrett Bagby, will be co-leading the ride. Garrett is a Duette guru and rides here frequently.
