Orange County community members and officials on Saturday celebrated the grand opening of the Lake Apopka Connector Trail, a $10.2 million project marking the completion of a long-planned loop encircling Lake Apopka and linking communities across two counties. 

Construction of the 4.46-mile connector, which stretches between Magnolia Park and Clarcona Horse Park in Apopka, includes a 10- to 14-foot-wide multi-use path with a boardwalk section. 

The trail is a nexus for horseback riders, cyclists, joggers, pedestrians and families from surrounding Northwest Orange County neighborhoods, said Kyle Kent of Orange County Parks and Recreation Division.   

“We tried to choose a location that would show both the rolling areas of this Northwest Orange County, and the beautiful canopy that you’re going to be able to ride through,” Kent said at the ceremony. “This is probably one of the prettiest stretches of the trail that we have.” 

The connector trail links the West Orange Trail to the North Shore Trail, ultimately completing a 48.32-mile loop around Lake Apopka. The full circuit now connects Orange County trails with the South Lake Trail and the Green Mountain Scenic Overlook in Lake County. 

Orange County broke ground on the Lake Apopka Connector Trail project in February 2025.  

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings noted that the county is growing by nearly 800 new residents a week, which puts pressure on infrastructure and underscores the need to preserve green space and expand recreational amenities. 

“We want to make certain that we have great parks and other amenities for you to be able to enjoy as we move forward,” Demings said. 

Demings credited a long list of partners for bringing the connector to fruition, including the Florida Department of Transportation, Orange County Public Works, the cities of Apopka and Ocoee, the metropolitan planning organization MetroPlan Orlando, private contractors and officials from nonprofits and government agencies. He also thanked current and former county commissioners, including Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson and Betsy VanderLey, for supporting the project over multiple years.  

The first segment of the West Orange Trail opened in 1994 and has since expanded to 22 miles through Oakland, Winter Garden, Apopka and Ocoee. Plans for a continuous multiuse loop around Lake Apopka date back nearly 20 years. Phase One opened in 2012, providing access from Magnolia Park to the North Shore Trail maintained by the St. Johns River Water Management District, Demings said.  

Orange County District 2 Commissioner Christine Moore highlighted the recreational and economic potential of the completed loop. She recounted biking a portion of the trail with her granddaughter and encountering dozens of alligators sunning along the lake’s edge. 

“You have so many adventures awaiting you on this trail,” Moore said, adding that the hills on the west side near Green Mountain offer dramatic views. 

“I look forward to seeing all kinds of groups sponsoring bike rides and events and activities going into the future,” she said.  

Moore said the expanded trail system positions Apopka to do what Winter Garden and Ocoee have done, adding that the Lake Apopka Loop Trail could have tremendous economic impact for Northwest Orange County. 

Joe Dunn of the Friends of Lake Apopka (FOLA) said the vision for a connected loop has been sustained by community advocates for nearly a decade. In 2017, the group launched the annual FOLA 40 bike ride to raise awareness about the Lake Apopka restoration and the need to connect existing trail segments. 

That first ride showed Orange County commissioners firsthand how dangerous it was to bike certain road segments, and Moore later worked with MetroPlan Orlando to get money allocated for the connector, Dunn said.  

Over roughly nine years, Dunn said, county commissioners, regional planners, the West Orange Chamber, trail managers, local businesses and partners in neighboring Lake County collaborated to make the loop a reality, pushing through setbacks that included COVID-related delays. 

“It took a village and nine years, but it’s done,” Dunn said.