Black Bear Trail

The Black Bear Trail was named for its passage through the natural habitat of the black bear and was organized by The Black Bear Trail, Inc., an association of officials from Chambers of Commerce, boards of trade, and cities along the route of the new highway, with the goal of providing a direct, safe route to historic and scenic sites from Canada to Florida. In April 1927, members of the association marked the new route through Maitland along what is now Highway 17-92 by placing insignia of a black bear painted on an orange oval background on both sides of telephone poles along the road. At Lake Lily, this road joined the Dixie Highway, and from that point south both names were used for the road. When completed, the Black Bear Trail ran from Quebec, Canada, to St. Petersburg and Miami, Florida, and opened some of the country's most scenic areas to travelers.

Maitland, Florida · United States