Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Leesburg
Sitting squarely between some of the larger lakes in Lake County, Leesburg has a charming historic downtown dating to 1853.
The heart of Leesburg is on an isthmus between Lake Griffin and Lake Harris, popular destinations for boating and bass fishing.
Paddlers will find access from Lake Griffin State Park and Ski Beach Park adjoining pretty Venetian Gardens.
Once notable for its orange groves, Leesburg is now edged to the west and north by the sprawling retirement community known as The Villages.
Trails and Parks around Leesburg
Dade Battlefield Historic State Park The Second Seminole War began amid the longleaf pines in these woods near Bushnell, the meeting place of Federal troops and Seminole warriors on December 25, 1835.
Flat Island Preserve Established as a botanical preserve for native plants, Flat Island Preserve protects islands in the Okahumpa Marsh, offering hikers and paddlers immersion in a lush wilderness
Lake Griffin Nature Trails While walking two short nature trails at Lake Griffin State Park near Leesburg, marvel at one of Florida's largest live oaks in the uplands above the Dead River Marsh
Lake Griffin State Park Lake Griffin State Park sits along the marshy shore of Lake Griffin, its campground and canoe launch its biggest draws
Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area At Ocklawaha Prairie, east of Lake Weir and south of Marshall Swamp, trails lead to some of the best birding in the region from levees along the extensive marshes of the river basin.
PEAR Environmental Park At PEAR Park south of Leesburg, enjoy a deeply shaded walk on a nature trail that follows the trickle that is now the Palatlakaha River flowing towards Lake Harris. 
Sarah Maude Mason Nature Preserve The 0.6-mile nature trail at Sarah Maude Mason Nature Preserve in Howey-in-the-Hills spends most of its time on a boardwalk over a floodplain forest along Little Lake Harris.
Sunnyhill Levee Trail A linear path along the channelized Ocklawaha River, the Levee Trail at Sunnyhill Restoration Area stretches 7.5 miles from SR 42 north to Moss Bluff.
Sunnyhill Restoration Area Edging the eastern shore of the Ocklawaha River north of Lake Griffin, Sunnyhill Restoration Area protects the channelized river's historic floodplain.Articles
The new 50 Hikes in Central Florida (10/5/2018) We launched a new full-color edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida at the National Trails Festival in Deland the first weekend of October. Take a peek inside.
Fly’n R Ranch (10/30/2014) Raise a Slush Puppie to toast one of Florida's newest public lands, 3,100 acre Fly’n R Ranch along the Ocklawaha River, thanks to conservationist Will Radcliff