Bike and Pedestrian Paths in Sebastian, Florida

Sebastian's main off-road routes are the Trans-Florida Central Railroad Trail, the riverfront walkways from Riverview Park, park trails at Hardee Park and Sebastian Harbor Preserve, and the paved SR A1A path through Sebastian Inlet State Park.

On the river side, the City of Sebastian describes Riverview Park as the starting point for the scenic walkways that follow the shores of the Riverfront District, with oak-covered walkways and views of the Indian River (City of Sebastian). Hardee Park, on the north end of Barber Street on the west side of the Lake Drive Bridge, has a 1/2 mile walking and jogging trail (City of Sebastian). The county's Sebastian Harbor Preserve, a 163-acre tract within the Sebastian Highlands, has walking trails open 7:30am to sunset year-round, with no pets allowed and no parking spaces listed (Indian River County).

Across the lagoon, Sebastian Inlet State Park runs a multi-use, paved path parallel to state road A1A and, in sections, parallel to the Indian River Lagoon, which the park describes as a 40-mile-long path with numerous beach access points (Florida State Parks).

The Trans-Florida Central Railroad Trail runs on a trail corridor between Fellsmere and Sebastian, and the county MPO lists a funded 1-mile Fellsmere segment and a requested 4.1-mile Sebastian segment from Sebastian Crossings Boulevard east to US 1.

The Indian River County MPO's planning consultant still listed the Trans-Florida Rail Trail among the successful existing conditions in the county network in October 2024 (Indian River County MPO minutes).

Fellsmere also has a formal trailhead for recreation. The City of Fellsmere says its Trailhead Preserve and Welcome Center opened on November 3, 2016, northwest of the I-95 and CR-512 interchange, on about 86 acres acquired in 2008 with the Florida Communities Trust and Indian River County (City of Fellsmere).

The next pieces are on the MPO's 2025 priority list. The draft list ranks first a 1.0-mile, 12-foot shared use path on the existing unpaved trail from Broadway Street to St. Sebastian River State Park in Fellsmere, funded for construction, and ranks fourth a 4.1-mile, 12-foot shared use path along the trail corridor from Sebastian Crossings Boulevard to US 1, a County and Sebastian project submitted as a 2025 SUN Trail application (Indian River County MPO draft priority list). Until that eastern segment is built, a rider heading from the trail to the Sebastian riverfront leaves the corridor at Sebastian Crossings Boulevard and uses streets.

County Road 510 is getting 7-foot buffered bike lanes and 6-foot sidewalks from CR 512 to 87th Street, CR 512 gets shorter crosswalks at 108 Avenue, and several Sebastian streets are on the county's sidewalk request list.

FDOT's County Road 510 Segment 7, from CR 512 to 87th Street, adds two travel lanes, 7-ft buffered bicycle lanes, 6-ft wide sidewalks on both sides, ADA ramps and countdown pedestrian crosswalk signals; it was let on 8/28/2024 with anticipated completion of 12/31/2026 (FDOT). Segment 8, from 87th Street to west of 82nd Avenue, would add the same bike lanes and sidewalks and upgrade the traffic signal at Treasure Coast Elementary School, but FDOT lists it as not funded for construction (FDOT). That unfunded stretch is the one that passes the Treasure Coast Elementary signal.

On County Road 512, FDOT District Four's widening project from east of I-95 to west of 106 Avenue will reconfigure the pedestrian ramps and crosswalks at 108 Avenue to shorten the distance for pedestrians crossing CR 512 (FDOT District Four). The 0.381-mile project lists a letting date of 12/2/2026, a Winter 2026 start, completion in Summer 2027 and an estimated cost of $2.4 million, with partial pedestrian detours during the crosswalk work. Its public meeting was held August 13, 2025 at the North Indian River County Library on Sebastian Boulevard.

The Barber Street and 101st Avenue entries appear on page 22 of the February 2025 MPO packet (Indian River County MPO), and the South Fleming Street and South Easy Street sidewalks for the City of Sebastian on page 23, none with funding shown (Indian River County MPO). A request on this list is a ranking, not a construction date.

The replacement SR A1A bridge over Sebastian Inlet will carry two 12-foot shared use paths, one on each side, closing what FDOT calls a gap in system linkage for bicyclists and pedestrians.

FDOT's project page lists the new Sebastian Inlet bridge, shifted east of the existing one, with two 12-foot travel lanes, two 8-foot shoulders and two 12-foot shared use paths, plus two fishing pier and observation walks under the bridge (FDOT). South of the inlet the shared use path continues on the west side and a new one is added on the east side, and a crosswalk will cross SR A1A at the State Park's south entrance.

FDOT says the project was let for construction on December 3, 2025, with an anticipated construction start of Spring 2026, an anticipated end of Fall 2031 and an estimated construction cost of $102 Million, and that traffic will be maintained across the inlet at all times (FDOT). As of October 14, 2026 the same page still read that the project is scheduled to start construction in Spring of 2026, so the start date shown there is out of date; the FDOT Treasure Coast Operations office in Fort Pierce, (772) 492-4930, is the contact listed for current work.

Bicycles are not allowed on the Pelican Island refuge trails, pets are barred at Sebastian Harbor Preserve, and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under.

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge manages approximately seven miles of trails off Jungle Trail, including the three-quarter-mile ADA accessible Centennial Trail, and states that bicycles are not allowed on trails and that no pets are allowed, only service animals (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). The Historic Jungle Trail itself begins in the refuge and winds through 8 miles of barrier island hammock habitat (Florida DEP).

At Sebastian Inlet State Park, three mountain bicycle trails mixing off-road and paved courses begin and end at the park's Bayside Marina, and the park asks riders to check with marina staff before venturing out; it also notes that helmets are highly recommended and that Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under (Florida State Parks). Sebastian Harbor Preserve posts no pets, no alcohol and no glass containers (Indian River County).

The Indian River County Metropolitan Planning Organization plans bicycle and pedestrian routes for Sebastian through its Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, last updated in 2024.

The MPO says the plan establishes the blueprint for bicycle and pedestrian facility construction and programming for Indian River County, and lists editions from 2024, 2015, 2004 and 1997 (Indian River County MPO). Minutes of the October 1, 2024 committee meeting record the consultant's view of the network: the Trans-Florida Rail Trail, Jungle Trail and SR A1A were the successful existing conditions, while canals, the Airport, no grade separated crossings and limited at-grade crossings were the challenges; the plan cost $160k from the MPO work program (Indian River County MPO minutes).

Last verified: October 14, 2026, on the Indian River County, FDOT and Florida State Parks websites.