Exploring Salt Springs
With fish camps on Lake Kerr, campgrounds, and cabins for rent, Salt Springs is a great destination from which to base explorations in the Ocala National Forest. There are many nearby trails and waterways, including the Ocklawaha River and the St. Johns River. A small marina provides a launch point into Salt Springs Run. Based around its namesake spring, Salt Springs Recreation Area draws many visitors for swimming, paddling, and camping.
Right in the community, trailheads provide direct access to both an extensive system of ATV trails and to the Florida Trail, which circles around Salt Springs to the south and west. A ride through the forest to the historic Fort Gates Ferry connects you with Bartram Trail sites in Welaka, on the opposite side of the St. Johns River.
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Articles
National Forests in Florida Implement New Fees
Effective July 26, 2019, fees go up at many National Forest campgrounds, boat ramps, and recreation areas
Do Not Feed the Bears
Bear bagging is the art of hanging your food properly out of reach of bears. If you’re a Florida backpacker and haven’t learned how, here’s a short course. Securing your food from bears is required in the Ocala, Osceola, and Apalachicola National Forests.
Paddling Juniper Run
Paddling Juniper Run from Juniper Springs to the take out at SR 19 in the Ocala National Forest, a popular paddling trip along this sinuous, spring-fed waterway that winds through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness.
NEARBY: Cross Florida Greenway, Ocala, Palatka, Silver Springs, Welaka | PART OF: North Florida, Ocala National Forest