Just south of the Withlacoochee River lies the lesser-known Two Mile Prairie Tract of Withlacoochee State Forest.
Within it, the Johnson Pond Trail provides a walk through sandhills and oak scrub, touching on prairies on its way to the trail’s namesake, a birder’s delight.
Winding pathway along this loopAcross twenty years of visits, we’ve watched this forest change, and not in ways we expected.
A once-shimmering expanse of water shrunk. Deer moss vanished. But at the same time, longleaf pine and wiregrass have flourished.
The trailhead along CR 39Intertwining with an equestrian/mountain bike trail that starts at a different trailhead, the Johnson Pond Trail is now fully blazed in yellow.
Benches are provided along the trail and at the observation deck on Johnson Pond to make this an easy multi-generational hike.
Family members taking a break during a hikeResources
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Overview
Location: Citrus Springs
Length: 2.7 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.005133, -82.384067
Address: 3042 E Withlacoochee Trail, Dunnellon
Fees: Free
Restroom: No
Land Manager: Withlacoochee State Forest
Phone: 352-797-4140
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
Follow SR 200 south from Ocala. From its junction with CR 484, continue 6.2 miles south on SR 200 to the Withlacoochee River bridge. Immediately after crossing the bridge, turn right onto CR 39 between two gas stations. Drive 2.6 miles to the trailhead on the left side of the road.
Hike
From the trailhead kiosk, pass through the split-rail fence and follow the trail as it swings left onto a two-track forest road.
Sand pines mingle throughout this sandhill habitat where young longleaf pines compete to touch the sky.
Forest roadAfter a half mile, make a sharp right past a bench. Thickets of saw palmetto cluster under the turkey oaks.
Turning left, walk through a stand of gnarled old sand live oaks, past a prairie edged by longleaf pines.
Oak hammockBy 0.7 mile, reach Johnson Pond. When it is not dry, lily pads float on the open water of a broad, marshy flatwoods pond.
In recent years, the basin has tended towards dry with one tiny pond in the middle. An observation platform provides a perch for birding.
The edge of Johnson PondContinue along the edge of the basin past a set of picnic benches. Where a forest road comes in from the right, make a left.
Another left leads to an oak hammock behind the pond cypresses on the south side of the pond.
Beyond the pondLeave the forest road for a pine-needle-strewn path along the cypresses.
Emerging to follow a soft sand ridge, turn right to cross a rock causeway, meeting a blue-blazed trail at 1.2 miles.
Trail junctionThis equestrian trail shares the right of way with the Yellow Trail for the next 0.2 miles, leaving it past a barbed-wire fence on the left.
Turn right at the sign, descending through a sand live oak hammock to an area where Florida rosemary grows in the understory. The older shrubs are dead husks.
Rosemary scrubA decade before, deer moss carpeted the forest floor and rosemary flourished. Now both struggle for survival.
It’s a cautionary tale of how forces like shade, air quality, fire, and rain can alter a habitat over time.
Eight years before it was an alleyway of rosemaryAt 1.9 miles, reach a bench. Keep to the right to stay on the correct path, walking through a small rosemary scrub. This one, too, has diminshed greatly over time.
Climb through a showy copse of sand live oaks, their trunks mottled with lichens and mosses.
Sand live oakRise up and over a hill cloaked in longleaf pine and wiregrass, where gopher tortoises browse for delectable grasses.
The trail descends between turkey oaks and pines to complete the loop. Continue straight ahead to return to the parking area.
SandhillsTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Withlacoochee State Forest
Withlacoochee State Forest With more than 155,000 acres spread over several counties, Withlacoochee State Forest is Florida’s second largest state forest, and arguably the most popular for outdoor recreationSlideshow
See our photos from years of hiking this trail
Nearby Adventures
Withlacoochee State Forest Oxbow Trail With two loops along an oxbow in the Withlacoochee River, the Oxbow Trail is the northernmost trail in Withlacoochee State Forest, a scenic short walk.
Florida Trail, Dunnellon 2.3 miles. Tunneling through dense floodplain forests to bridge the Withlacoochee River, the paved Dunnellon Trail segment of the Florida Trail offers accessible users an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.
Blue Run of Dunnellon Park Enjoy a gentle family-friendly hike along the Rainbow River at Blue Run of Dunnellon Park, where woodland footpaths and paved trails keep you mostly in the shade with dry feet as you explore the river floodplain.
Withlacoochee State Trail Tracing 44 miles of railroad history down forested corridors, past big lakes and city parks, and through quaint communities, the Withlacoochee State Trail is one sweet ride
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