In the thick of the Big Scrub (Phyllis Malinski)
Get acquainted with Big Scrub on this 8.4-mile stretch of the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest as it rises through longleaf pine forests to meet the world’s largest sand pine scrub, punctuated by a variety of ponds and prairies. Connecting a first-magnitude spring with one of the more beautiful lakes in the Ocala National Forest, it’s a delightful immersion into the woods.
Resources
Overview
Location: Ocala National Forest
Length: 8.4 miles
Lat-Long: 29.078871, -81.577816 (Alexander Springs), 29.103519, -81.674882 (Farles Lake)
Type: linear
Fees / Permits: $5 fee to enter / park at Alexander Springs, day use fee at Farles Lake for parking
Difficulty: moderate
Bug factor: low to moderate
Restroom: at Alexander Springs
Designated camping is at Alexander Springs. Buck Lake is a group campsite available only by reservation for groups.
Directions & Map
Alexander Springs: From SR 40 east of Astor, turn south on CR 445A and follow the signs. After 0.4 mile, turn left on CR 445 and continue south into the Ocala National Forest for 5.7 miles to the recreation area entrance on the right, just after the bridge over Alexander Run. From the south, follow SR 19 north past Altoona until you encounter the turnoff for CR 445 on the right. Turn right and continue several miles up to the park entrance on the left. There is a $4 per person fee for parking at Alexander Springs, which is well worth a visit on its own for swimming, snorkeling, paddling, camping, and the interpretive Timucuan Trail, one of my favorites in Florida.
If you’d rather start from the road crossing, saving 1.4 miles of hiking the blue blaze and hiking out to CR 445, park well off the road at the road crossing (marked with Florida Trail signs) along CR 445, which is south of Alexander Springs. It is riskier, however, from a safety perspective to leave your car along the road while hiking.
Farles Lake: From the intersection of SR 40 and SR 19, drive south 4.6 miles to where you see the sign for Farles Lake. Turn right on FR 535. The road jogs after a half mile and becomes FR 595C. After another 0.9 mile, turn right on FR 595-2 and continue 0.9 mile. The road becomes FR 595. Drive another 1.2 miles – following signs all the while – to get to the parking area. A day use fee applies.
Hike
Start your hike by following the blue blazes from the campground at Alexander Springs Recreation Area. You’ll cross CR 445 en route as you walk through sandhills habitat back to the trail junction with the Florida Trail. Turn right at the junction. Longleaf pines tower overhead as you continue through the forest to cross CR 445 again at 1.4 miles.
The trail rises up into longleaf pine flatwoods and then into the open scrub, a desert-like place with diminutive trees. Listen for the swoosh of wings and a blur of blue as Florida scrub-jays settle into the branches. These friendly and curious birds are a threatened species, and they travel in family groups. The Ocala National Forest is their largest stronghold in the state. The next paved road you encounter is SR 19, at 3.8 miles. Use particular caution crossing here, as traffic moves at high speed. Just beyond is a side trail leading to an official trailhead parking area along SR 19.
West of the trailhead, the footpath has been improved over the next mile in an effort to create an accessible trail to Brook Pond, past the Coon Hollow campsite. Rounding Brook Pond, a reliable water source, the trail continues through the tall pines to the south end of Buck Lake, at 6.1 miles. A blue blazed side trail takes off to the right to loop 0.7 mile around the east side of the lake to the Buck Lake Recreation Area, a primitive recreation area for group camping. It has water from a pitcher pump and latrines. Large groups often camp here in winter, and the campground is not open to solo hikers. If you need water, take the blue-blazed loop around the lake and continue up the Florida Trail. You reach the other end of the blue loop trail in another half mile.
Leaving Buck Lake, the trail continues through the dense pine flatwoods and tunnels back into the scrub before reaching Farles Lake, which is now a day use area. Camping is no longer allowed here.
NOTE: If you’re backpacking through, you may want to stop here for water and continue north for better primitive camping along the prairies north of the lake
I phoned the Ocala National Forest Ranger Station today (1/4/17) to get details on the Farles Lake Campground (we hiked from there to Alexander Springs in May 2016 as a day hike) and they told me that it is day use only with no camping allowed. That was a shock, as I plan to be there with a group in two weeks. Did the Ranger misunderstand me? Buck Lake is already booked. Is there a suitable campsite nearby? (We plan to start from Hwy 19 and hike to Farles Lake Day 1, and then on to Juniper Springs Day 2, BTW.)
Sadly, this is true. The only people allowed to camp there are hunters during deer hunting season. Supposedly it was closed to camping because of bear activity but we truly wonder why since it’s still open to hunters to camp. This was a designated campsite for the Florida Trail and it’s a real shame it is no longer accessible to hikers. The only other nearby camp is indeed Buck Lake. We’d asked a year ago about reopening it to hikers, but that hasn’t happened.
Sandra you seem intensely devoted to helping people enjoy central Florida so I think I am going to send you a direct email on your site about how best to play a 3/4 night solo camping loop starting at Alexander Springs. The ranger I spoke to at Pittman Visitor Center on the phone, bless his heart, super nice guy, but described himself as “not a backpacker” and the conversation kind of meandered from there. I can be more specific in an email. Hope you hear back from you, I’ve been checking out your books at my local library and seeing your photos everywhere!
The trick is the “loop” part! The Florida Trail is linear, so the only loop I can suggest – and I’ve hiked all of this at one point or another – is to go north from Alexander Springs through Juniper Springs and Hopkins Prairie up to the 88 Store at Salt Springs. Just north of it is the junction for the Western Corridor of the Florida Trail. Head south on the Western Corridor – but important note, there are no designated campsites along it, so don’t try it during deer hunting season. Once you get to Sharpes Ferry Rd, you would have to walk along roads to get back to Alexander Springs: SE 1st Rd to SE 24th St Rd to SE 137th Ave Rd gets you to CR 314A at Moss Bluff. Follow SE 95th Ave Rd east to SE 182nd Ave Rd south. Hop into Sunnyhill Restoration Area at the first trailhead you encounter and stay with whatever trail is closest to the eastern property line until you get to the pass-thru across from the Ocala National Forest at the road to Big Scrub and Doe Lake (I think it’s FR 14, but marked 127th St on Google Maps). Walk along that road. You can random camp anywhere along it, and it’s quite hilly. Finally, use Railroad Street just west of SR 19 to go north to meet the Florida Trail just a little west of the SR 19 trailhead, and head south to Alexander Springs on the main trail again. I did this as a series of day hikes, and the roadwalk isn’t bad except on that little stretch of paved roads through Moss Bluff. FR 14 is surprisingly open and hilly!
Hello – Is it reasonable to hike Alexander Springs to Juniper Rec area in a day? (16miles) Would this be very challenging or fairly normal? 16 miles would be a long day by my North East standards but maybe in FL this is flat and easy? Is there a preferred direction to hike (N to S or S to N?)
If you’re used to doing 10-12 miles a day in mountainous terrain you should have no problem with that. There are gentle rolling hills, not so much that you’d notice. The footpath is the oldest part of the Florida Trail in the state so it’s well-worn. Having hiked it both directions, I prefer going north. Enjoy!
I think there should be a note that overnight parking is not allowed at Farles Prarie Recreation area. Had to reroute our hike, I thought we were allowed to overnight park here.
Thanks for the update: overnight parking was indeed permitted in the past.
I’m planning a through hike from Rodman Dam to Clearwater. I’m having my wife drop me at Rodman and I was going to trek through to Clearwater where I’m planning to leave a car. The forest website is a bit confusing. Can I park at Clearwater, or will I need to use the trailhead off of 19. I’m planning on doing the trail in 5 days is that too aggressive a route. I did the trail 8 years ago and it took me 6 days, but I was taking much more gear. Any advise would be appreciated. Planning on heading out Saturday.
You can park at Clearwater Lake but there is a fee for leaving your car behind the gates of the recreation area. Well worth it since there has been vandalism at the actual trailhead along the entrance road to Clearwater Lake over the decades. The camp hosts are nice folks. As for number of days, all depends on your stamina! That’s about 14 miles a day. The mileage is roughly the same as it was eight years ago. Some portions have been burned this season so it may be trickier to find the blazes, but the path is well worn.