Horizon West Trail Current Map and Proposed Extensions

The below information are excerpts of the Orange County Trails Master Plan (PDF) document from May 2021. Details about the Orange County Trail Network can be found at http://ocfltrailsplan.com. Multi-purpose trails provide for walking, running, bicycling and skating
for both recreation and alternative means of transportation.

2015 Horizon West Trails Study

The 2015 Horizon West Trails Study focused on ways to efficiently identify and maintain the trails within Horizon West to provide a system that links all the Villages within Horizon West and the County’s mainline trail network. Since the trails within Horizon West are owned and/or maintained by Orange County as well as various Homeowners Associations (HOAs), the 2015 Horizon West Trail Study also “details the process Orange County used to classify the ownership and maintenance responsibilities of the Horizon West trails and how they intend to continue to track and manage future trails.” The Horizon West Trails Study examined existing procedures undertaken by the County on the arterial and collector trail systems, summarized as follows:

• The intent of the arterial trail network is to connect the Horizon West Villages and Town Center together. Future arterial trails should be located predominately along County Functionally Classified Roadways.
• The collector trails connect the residential areas to schools, parks, public facilities, and commercial areas. The location of these trails will be determined by the Horizon West development requirements. The policies specify that Collector trails will connect Village amenities such as schools and parks to the residential areas as well as connect to the Arterial network, but the final location of these trails will be determined by the developer. In the existing Villages, many collector trails are either constructed or have approved design plans. For the Villages that have yet to be developed, proposed collector trails are shown along the main roadways anticipated within the Village.

Horizon West Trail

The undeveloped portion of the Horizon West Trail is approximately 4.4 miles long along its primary route and includes a 3-mile connection, extending to the northeast from Daniels Road/CR 535, in a dedicated SR 419 trail corridor, to West Orange Park. The southern limit of the trail is Orange County’s Horizon West Regional Park, where it will connect with the Horizon West trail system, a network that is owned and maintained by multiple agencies and organizations, not solely by Orange County. Phase 1 is being completed by Orange County.

The trail also will connect to the West Orange Trail in Downtown Winter Garden via the existing trail and the identified Winter Garden Project. This portion of the trail travels north along Tiny Road to Tilden Road where it joins the SR 419 ROW easement north to Daniels Road/CR 535. At CR 535, private development and roadway widening within the City of Winter Garden have enabled the trail to be completed to Colonial Drive/SR 50. North of SR 50, the corridor continues to Plant Street where the Horizon West Trail connects to the West Orange Trail and the Winter Garden Station trailhead. Whispering Oak Elementary School and West Orange High School are located along the Horizon West Trail Corridor.

The proposed trail provides access to residential communities, commercial centers and Downtown Winter Garden, allowing both businesses and residents to benefit from further development of the trail. Completion of this trail will tie the County trail system and into the regional trail network as well.

The Tiny Road Roadway Conceptual Analysis (RCA) includes a multi-purpose path on east side of roadway that will connect to the Horizon West Trail.

For more information, visit http://ocfltrailsplan.com.