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Canopy Roads

What makes a canopy road?

Huge moss-draped live oaks, sweet gums, hickory trees and stately pines cast their protective shade over the road, with limbs that meet in a towering canopy to provide cooling shade for the roads beneath them. Tallahassee has several canopy roads that provide a unique contribution to the city's southern charm.

Images of Leon County's Canopy Roads

Old Bainbridge Road

Tallahassee is well known for its canopy roads.  Valued by citizens, the roads offer a peaceful alternative to the typical city view of asphalt, cement, signs and visual clutter. Tallahassee has a long history of protecting trees, going back to the 1843 fire that destroyed the downtown area. When the fire was put out, the citizens made two decisions:  to rebuild the buildings using brick and to plant more trees.

New Canopy Road Designation:

On March 13, 2007, the Leon County Board of County Commissioners adopted an ordinance designating Pisgah Church Road as a canopy road. Pisgah Church Road is a county maintained road 1.2 miles long in northeastern Leon County. At the eastern end of the road is Pisgah United Methodist Church. The church was first established in a log structure in 1830. The current building was erected in 1858, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If you fast-forward to the present, you find beautiful Pisgah Church Road with moss-laden oaks and horse pastures along both sides of the road. You will also find a paved bicycle / pedestrian trail throughout its length

Canopy Roads Citizens Committee

The City and County commissions each appoint four members to this committee. The committee meets on the third Wednesday of every other month in the Frenchtown Renaissance Center 2nd floor conference room at 5:30 p.m. The canopy road system has 78 miles of road in it. Each road has a tree protection area that includes all land within 100 feet of the centerline of the road. There are 20 miles of canopy road within the city limits and 58 miles in the unincorporated area.