POLK COUNTY, Fla. — For John Rials, there is no better way to start his day than at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
“I came out here and the sun wasn’t even up. I watched the sunrise and I listened to some really great music, and I did some more writing,” said Rials.
He said it’s about being able to clear his mind and create.
“It’s a meditative moment just to center myself. Self-awareness and calm from the everyday thing,” said Rials.
MLK Park is part of the City of Winter Haven’s trail network, which spans more than 14 miles.
“Our trail system, the way it integrates into our downtown and connects our neighborhoods and parks and our places to eat and work and play, that’s what we’re really proud of,” said Andy Palmer, Parks Planning & Strategic Initiatives Manager.
For this reason, Winter Haven was designated a Trail Town by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
According to DEP, a Trail Town is a destination where trail users can venture off to enjoy the amenities and unique heritage of the community, benefiting the town socially and economically.
“We have a hotel that’s going up right now. That’s our first hotel downtown and it’s right on the trail system. We have some apartments and our breweries and cafés and eateries are all either right on the trail system or right off of the trail system. They're all walkable,” said Palmer.
Only 13 cities in Florida have earned the Trail Town title. The City of Winter Haven has several more miles of trails in the works.
“The coast-to-coast connector which connects the east coast of Florida to the west coast of Florida. It’s a network of trails. We are one trail short of connecting to that system,” said Palmer.
