Longboat Key
Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker has been working to bring a countywide trail system to Manatee County for 25 years.
From Lakewood Ranch to Robinson Preserve, the county has its share of trail systems located within specific parks or communities. However, unlike some neighboring counties, it does not have a county trail system that connects and stretches across different areas.
Hunsicker said the county s staff is optimistic it can create a trail system, called the Gateway Trail, that winds through much of Manatee County and stretches more than 20 miles. It would connect with Sarasota County’s Fruitville Road and Payne Park to the south and Hillsborough County to the north.