E-bike Riding on Amelia Island, FL

We recently spent time on Amelia Island Florida. It was part of an 8 state road trip. We wanted to maximize our time on this adorable island so we decided the best way to see the island was by bike! There are many short term rentals as well as, a few major resorts on the island. This beautiful sunrise view helps to start every morning off right .

We have rented Pedego bikes several times before so we were happy to find a location right in the middle of the island. The store was so helpful, first listening to what we wanted to accomplish in our day, then mapping out a route for us. After some reminders on how to use the bike and a quick safety check we were off.

We first headed North on the road. There are bike paths throughout the island but our map helped us to stay off of most of the main roads.

The store had checked the tides for us and determined if we wanted to do a little beach riding we needed to get out there before the tides came in. We’ve rode bikes on the beach in Cabo San Lucas a couple of years ago, so we were excited to try it out again. After, walking our bikes through the soft sand, we then hopped on. There are miles of beaches on Amelia Island that you can ride bikes on. There are even some spots where cars can drive on the beach. It was really beautiful on this morning in May. Not too hot with a great breeze coming off of the Atlantic.

Hitting the Trail

We came off of the beach at Sadler Road and headed West. About 1/4 of a mile away we turned North onto Egans Creek Trail. This is a beautiful hike and bike trail down the center of the island that was opened in the year 2000.

There were so many beautiful things to see in the very lush greenery. The trail got a bit bumpy in spots, but was mostly easy to ride. At one point, we missed a turn and ended on a very narrow path, right next to a swamp. There were alligator warning signs so we didn’t stop for any photo ops. Note the lighthouse in the distance. We will see it up close later in the trip.

The path stops at Atlantic Avenue. There is a slight jog to the right (heading north) and it picks up again, heading for Ft. Clinch, our next destination. The paths are great, both for walking and bike riding.

Fort Clinch State Park

At the entrance we paid a small fee and headed into the Fort Clinch State Park. We rode on the road for a few miles under a huge canopy of trees.

Once we got to the Fort, we were surprised how intact it still was. For (another) small fee, we entered the actual fort. Construction started in 1847, but by the Civil War only 2/3 of the fort was complete. In fact, the fort was interesting as it was actually largely abandoned during the Civil War. Completion of the fort never took place until the late 1800’s.

Fort Clinch is Florida’s first state park, established in 1935. On the first weekend of every month there are cannon demonstrations and docents walking around in “character” in the times for true history buffs.

You got some sense of what life was like living almost 200 years ago in Fort Clinch. This was an example of officers dining quarters. There were also, barracks, armory rooms, dry storage for food, officers quarters and even a jail within the fort.

After a good walk around the Fort we got back on our bikes and headed toward town. We followed the path back for a bit, then jumped on the bike lane. We soon realized we were right by the lighthouse, so we made a stop.

The Amelia Island Lighthouse is the highest point on the island. It is still operational and is the oldest lighthouse in Florida. The walls are 4 feet thick which would certainly come in handy during a hurricane! The lighthouse is 67 feet high and is said to be visible for up to 15 miles. Pretty cool stop! But we were now really hungry!

We arrived in the center of the historic district and found a restaurant for lunch. The town is so cute, with tons of shopping and restaurants. We stopped for a quick bite and then walked around the town. The island is only 4 miles wide, so now we were on the Amelia rive side in Fernandina Beach. Soon, it was time to start heading back so we got on our bikes again.

We made it back to the bike shop having gone a little less than 30 miles. Pretty good for two people who don’t ride bikes that often!

Back in town that evening, we had dinner at España, a restaurant that was highly recommended. It was very good, serving authentic Spanish Tapas. We had the most delicious scallops, fresh empanadas and a portabella mushroom with Spanish ham in a light sauce. It is one of the most popular restaurants in town so a reservations is needed most nights.