Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville and Shoal River Headwaters State Park in DeFuniak Springs will be among the latest Florida state parks to receive e-bikes for ranger use, the Florida State Parks Foundation announced Monday.
- The Foundation unveiled 25 new Velotric Nomad 2 Fat Tire e-bikes during a press conference at Silver Springs State Park near Ocala. The bikes will be distributed to parks across the state, with the two Northwest Florida parks among the recipients.
Each e-bike features a 750-watt motor, a 65-mile range and a maximum payload of more than 500 pounds.
“These e-bikes reduce our state parks’ environmental footprint and encourage sustainability while also helping our amazing park rangers manage natural resources and deliver outstanding visitor services and experiences,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of the Florida State Parks Foundation.
The e-bikes are funded through the Foundation’s Greener Initiative, a campaign to increase environmental sustainability across the state park system. Since 2024, the initiative has provided 75 e-bikes to park rangers statewide, including the 25 announced Tuesday.
Rangers use the e-bikes for transportation across large park landscapes and to navigate rugged, remote areas that may be inaccessible to larger vehicles. The bikes’ quiet motors help preserve peaceful surroundings for visitors and wildlife while producing zero emissions.
- Carousel E-Bikes of Ocala facilitated the purchase, assembly and delivery of the new bikes.
“No matter the park or task, our rangers are finding new and creative uses for these e-bikes all the time,” Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher said. “They are a huge help, our rangers love using them and they make a real difference in so many aspects of park management and operations.”
Beyond e-bikes, the Greener Initiative has funded water-bottle refilling stations at 98 state parks and trails, hundreds of battery-powered tools and machinery through a partnership with STIHL, Inc., LED lighting upgrades and a hybrid-electric river tour boat at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park.
Funding for the initiative comes from community partners and sales of the “Explore Our State Parks” specialty license plate. More than 25,000 plates have been purchased since the plate debuted in 2022.
“This latest fleet of e-bikes is just the latest example, and we are already looking forward to announcing more Greener projects as soon as possible,” Foundation Board President Matt Caldwell said.
