City of Tallahassee Coin

Sign In | Register

 

  • Residents
    • Change for Change
    • DigiTally
    • Ethics Board
    • Fire
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • OpenGov
    • Parks and Trails
    • Pet Adoption
    • Police
    • Public Transportation
    • Traffic
    • Title VI
    • Utilities
  • Business
    • Business to Government
    • City Owned Real Estate
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Economic Vitality
    • Employee Login
    • Job Openings
    • Online Permitting
    • Vendor Information
  • Visitors
    • Airport
    • Arts & Culture (COCA)
    • Events
    • Fire
    • Parks and Activities
    • Police
    • Senior Center
    • Visit Tallahassee
  • Our City
    • 2022 Budget
    • Business Directory
    • Charters/Ordinances
    • Citizen Advisory Boards
    • City Attorney
    • City Leadership
    • City Treasurer-Clerk
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Current Projects
    • Ethics Board
    • Inspector General
    • Newsroom
    • OpenGov
    • Retirement
    • Tallahassee Brand Library
    • WCOT City Television
    • Strategic Plan
  • Services
    • Airport
    • Animal Services
    • Business to Government
    • Community Redevelopment
    • City Leadership
    • Current Projects
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Employment
    • Environmental Practices
    • Financial Transparency
    • Fire
    • Growth Management
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Police
    • Public Transportation
    • Senior Services
    • Real Estate Management
    • Report a Problem
    • Retirement
    • Utilities
    • Traffic
    • PLACE
      Planning, Blueprint, Minority Business, Economic Vitality
  • Residents
    • Change for Change
    • DigiTally
    • Ethics Board
    • Fire
    • Meeting Calendar
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • OpenGov
    • Parking
    • Parks and Trails
    • Pet Adoption
    • Police
    • Public Transportation
    • Traffic
    • Title VI
    • Utilities
  • Business
    • Business to Government
    • City Owned Real Estate
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Employee Login
    • Job Openings
    • Online Permitting
    • Starting a Business in Tallahassee
    • Vendor Information
    • Volunteer
  • Visitors
    • Airport
    • Arts & Culture (COCA)
    • Events
    • Fire
    • Parking
    • Parks and Activities
    • Police
    • Senior Center
    • Visit Tallahassee
  • Our City
    • 2022 Budget
    • Business Directory
    • Charters/Ordinances
    • Citizen Advisory Boards
    • City Attorney
    • City Leadership
    • City Treasurer-Clerk
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Current Projects
    • Ethics Board
    • Inspector General
    • OpenGov
    • Retirement
    • Strategic Plan
    • Tallahassee Brand Library
  • Services
    • Airport
    • Animal Services
    • Business to Government
    • Community Redevelopment
    • City Leadership
    • Current Projects
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Employment
    • Environmental Practices
    • Financial Transparency
    • Fire
    • Growth Management
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • Parks & Recreation
    • PLACE
      Planning, Blueprint, Minority Business, Economic Vitality
    • Police
    • Public Transportation
    • Senior Services
    • Real Estate Management
    • Report a Problem
    • Retirement
    • Utilities
    • Traffic
City of Tallahassee
  • Parks Home
  • Sports
  • Parks and Trails
  • Centers
  • Aquatics
  • Event Planning
  • Job Opportunities
COT Facebook COT Twitter Instagram WCOT YouTube

Lafayette Passage Paddling Trail

a serene looking lake

The Lafayette Passage Paddle Trail is currently open.

Fishing reports for Piney Z Lake are good for bass, and some bream catches have been reported. Changes in trail conditions will be noted on this site as they occur. For additional information or questions call Eric Mason at 850-509-5746.

About the Trail

The City Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department (PRNA) has assisted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to accomplish a major maintenance operation on the Lafayette Passage Paddle Trail. Specialized equipment completed a project to shred decades of accumulated muck and floating islands of vegetation that clog much of Lower Lake Lafayette, creating open areas to improve fish and wildlife habitat, and assuring long-term navigability on the trail.

Share the trail for Duck Season - Duck hunting is a traditional activity on Lake Lafayette. Trail maintenance and improvement is partially funded through efforts to manage waterfowl habitat and hunting access. In Leon County, hunting is allowed on Wednesdays and weekends, sunrise to sunset, November through February. Hunters are usually present during early morning and late afternoon. During those times, paddlers can show proper courtesy by enjoying only those portions of the trail that are located on City of Tallahassee property, especially all of the 200 acre Piney Z Lake. Hunting is allowed on most of Lower Lake Lafayette. For more information, visit myfwc.com. To contact PRNA staff, call 850-891-3866 or 850-891-5314.

  • Lafayette Passage Paddling Guide (1MB PDF)
  • View the online map of this trail (PDF)

General Information
This trail is a 7.8 mile round trip from the boat ramp at Piney Z Lake, or a 6 mile round trip from the boat ramp at the end of "Road to The Lake" in Chaires. Be sure to plan your trip accordingly. Have plenty of water, snacks, proper clothing and know your ability. Paddling the entire trail from Piney Z Lake will take about 4 hours or more. Currently, there are no dry land rest areas provided along the trail.

Entering Lower Lake Lafayette from Piney Z Lake requires a portage over the earthen dam between the lakes. The portage includes a 25' slope from the Piney Z take-out to the top of the dam, and a similar decline to the put-in area on Lower Lake Lafayette. The entire distance is roughly 50'' over a grassed earth. A beach area, covered with small gravel, is located at each end of the portage to facilitate exiting and entering boats.

The "Road to the Lake" is an actual road that follows the railroad track in Chaires. Follow the road to the end, it will enter a wooded area, to a small dirt ramp and small parking area. Boats may be trailer launched. To enter the trail from Piney Z Lake, take Heritage Park Blvd., which goes through the Piney Z Plantation neighborhood, off of Conner Blvd. Heritage Park Blvd. will end at the Lafayette Heritage Trail Park parking area. A large dirt parking area is provided at the south end of the parking lot and signs show how to reach the hand boat launch located there. Boats must be carried 120' to the launch.

Piney Z Rules

  • Fishing license required - including cane poles
  • Swimming, firearms, and alcoholic beverages prohibited
  • Hand-launched watercraft only, no gasoline motors
  • No motor vehicles on dams, spillways or fishing fingers
  • Use or possession of minnow seines or cast nets prohibited
  • No person shall kill or possess any black bass
  • No person shall take in any one day:
    • More than 20 panfish in the aggregate
    • More than 6 channel catfish

The Piney Z Lake Fish Management Area is cooperatively managed by The City of Tallahassee and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

star Tallahasee logo
  • Contact Info
    • Lafayette Heritage Trail Park
    • 49000 Heritage Park Blvd.
    • Tallahassee FL 32311
    • 850-891-3866
    • Maps and Directions
    • Contact Us
  • City Commission
    • John E. Dailey, Mayor
    • Jeremy Matlow
    • Jacqueline "Jack" Porter
    • Curtis Richardson
    • Dianne Williams-Cox
  • City Officials
    • Reese Goad
      City Manager
    • Cassandra K. Jackson
      City Attorney
    • Dennis R. Sutton
      Inspector General
    • Jim Cooke
      City Treasurer-Clerk
  • City Services
    • Utility Accounts
    • Parking Tickets
    • Report a Problem
    • TPD Online Reporting
    • Accessibility
    • Email Subscriptions
  • ADA/Non-Discrimination
  • Online Kennel
  • Driver Info Service
  • Athletics Registration
  • Public Records
  • WCOT Online
  • Talgov.com
    • Talgov Apps
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Site Feedback
    • Employee Login
  • Contact Information Displayed Below
    • Lafayette Heritage Trail Park
    • 49000 Heritage Park Blvd.
    • Tallahassee FL 32311
    • 850-891-3866
    • Maps and Directions
    • Contact Us
    • Translate This Site
Privacy Policy Disclaimer
Loading... Loading...