Welcome to Ocala National Forest
Ocala National Forest is located 16 miles southeast of Gainesville, Florida.Ocala National Forest is the second largest National Forest is Florida. There is much to do at Ocala National Forest. Activities include: Camping, Swimming & Picnicking, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Boating, Canoeing, Off-Road Vehicles, Horseback Riding, and Hunting & Fishing.
Camping
Camping can be enjoyed during all seasons on the Ocala. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as fourteen days in most campgrounds and even longer in other campgrounds, depending on the season. The majority of camping is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Swimming and Picknicking
Day Use Areas are among the many recreational opportunities in the Ocala National Forest. Swimming and picnicking areas are available in almost all of the campgrounds.
Hiking
There are six hiking trails to choose from. The six trails include:
- Florida National Scenic Trail
- The Ocala portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail traverses the forest north to south, winding through multiple ecosystems. Hikers can experience rolling hills in the open longleaf pine forest, vast prairies, wooden boardwalks through swamps, thick scrub oak – sand pine, and oak hammocks. The Trail meanders approximately 67 miles through the Ocala National Forest, making it an excellent choice for backpacking. Hikers may primitive camp while backpacking as long as campsites are at least 200 feet from the trail.
- Salt Springs
- The Salt Springs run provides habitat to many species of wading birds such as; limpkin, little blue heron, great blue heron, snowy egret, and American egret. Eagles and Osprey are frequently seen along the run as are alligators. The Salt Springs Trail winds down to the run where an observation platform has been built. The trail is approximately 2 miles long, depending upon which route you choose, and has benches along the way.
- Lake Eaton Sinkhole
- A choice of 3 different routes lead to the rim of the sinkhole, where an observation deck allows you to take in the magnitude of this geological feature. An interpretive board offers an explanation of the formation of sinkholes and a boardwalk and stairs allow you to walk down into the sinkhole. Here, at the bottom, the vegetation is similar to that of an oak hammock, featuring magnolias, live oak, dogwood, loblolly pine and the sabal palm. The total length of the Lake Eaton Sinkhole trail varies from 1 to 2 miles.
- Lake Eaton Loop
- Across the road from the Lake Eaton Sinkhole Trail begins the Lake Eaton Loop Trail. This trail wanders through several plant communities down to the lake itself, where an observation deck takes you out to the water’s edge. A little more than 2 miles of walking takes hikers through the fire-dependent sand pine scrub down to the hardwoods found along Lake Eaton’s shore. In mature sand pine scrub, the lower story contains scrub oaks, including sand live oak, myrtle oak and Chapman’s oak.
- St. Francis
- For an historical adventure through the forest, hikers may enjoy walking the grounds of an old pioneer town on the bank of the St. Johns River. Originally known as “Old Town”, St. Francis was founded in 1887 and thrived as a shipping community for north Lake County. The advent of railroads and the devastating freeze of 1894 spelled the doom of the small town. The St. Francis Trail is an 8.5 mile experience through riverine swamp and bayhead swamp to open flatwoods and oak hammock.
- Yearling Trail
- The trailhead is located on SR 19 across from the Silver Glen Springs entrance. From there you can hike up to 6 miles visiting various sites of historical significance and enjoy the natural beauty of the island.
Mountain Biking
The Paisley Woods Bicycle Trail is a challenging 22 mile long ride through live oak domes, grassy prairies and stands of pines. Since the trail is in a figure eight shape, shorter loops can be made at the halfway point. Because this trail is not paved, bicycles need to be suited for rough terrain. Mountain bikes are ideal.
Boating
The Ocala National Forest Visitor Centers offer a book, Fishing Opportunities in the Ocala National Forest, which lists and describes boat ramps that are available in the forest. Lake descriptions, sport fishing information, specific regulations, recreation facilities, and lake access are also included in this handy guide.
Canoeing
The Ocala National Forest’s canoeing adventures are many, as it contains approximately 600 lakes and ponds, several streams and has 2 rivers along its boundary. There is no whitewater such as you would find in the mountains, but a variety of streams awaits your visit.
Each stream has its own characteristics that make it unlike any other. Some, like Alexander Spring Creek, begin broad with slow moving water and then become narrow and deep downstream. Others, like Juniper Creek, start scarcely wider than the canoe and end up more than a hundred feet wide.
The five canoeing adventures are:
- Alexander Springs
- The water that pours from the giant spring flows for the first 5 miles as a broad, clear, slow-moving stream. After that, there is a transition to a narrow, winding stream and the once again the stream becomes broad and slow moving. This canoe run is usually open and is an easy trip.
- Juniper Creek
- The canoe trip from Juniper Springs Recreation Area flows about 7 miles through the heart of the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. You will be surrounded by a lush tropical forest comprised of palms, cypress and many kinds of southern hardwoods.
- Salt Springs
- Crystal-clear water gushes year round from the springs and flows about 5 miles before emptying into Lake George.
- Lower Ocklawaha River
- This is a dark, slow-moving, twisting river with little fluctuation in water level. The current is slow enough so that you can paddle upstream.
- Upper Ocklawaha River
- This twisting, dark-water river offers few public access points. There is no problem with logs or fluctuating water levels. The current flows fast enough to make it tiring to paddle upstream. Two days are required to make the entire trip, but you can launch a canoe or take it out at several points along the river, reducing total floating time.
Off-Road Vehicles
There are three types of motorized opportunities on the forest:
- off road motorcycle trails (narrow trail)
- all terrain vehicles (ATV) and off road motorcycles shared use trails (wider trail)
- mixed-use roads that allow ATV and off road motorcycles use
Horseback Riding
Horseback riding on the Ocala National Forest provides opportunities to quietly become part of the woodlands community. Forest riding trails are actually old roads six to eight feet wide, marked at intervals with painted spots – called blazes – on the trees. These trails offer safe passage through the leaning sand pines of the “big scrub”; the straight, sturdy longleaf pines of the “flatwoods”; plus numerous lakes and grassy prairies.
Hunting and Fishing
The Ocala National Forest is a wildlife management area, in which hunting and fishing activities are managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A $26.50 Wildlife Management Area Permit is required for all hunters (except those indicated as exempt) to hunt in this area. A Quota Hunt Permit may also be required during certain time periods or certain game. General hunting information may be found on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s website, or in the current Hunting Handbook available at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Office, their various subagents, or the Forest Service Ranger Stations.
Freshwater fishing is available in the many lakes, streams and ponds of the Ocala National Forest. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also regulates fishing and produces a Fishing Handbook that outlines specific rules, bag limits, licensing, and health advisories. This handbook is available at the same locations as the Hunting Handbook. The Forest Service produced a specific fishing guide for the Ocala National Forest. This handy paperback book, entitled Fishing Opportunities in the Ocala National Forest, identifies 50 bodies of water within the Ocala and provides great detail for each one. These details include: recreation facilities available, ramp access, specific regulations, sport fishing opportunities, and lake description.
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