For a hint of fall color in the Ocala National Forest, the Salt Springs Loop Trail just south of the town of Salt Springs showcases a variety of habitats.
Among them is a floodplain forest along placid Salt Springs Run. Ospreys cry from the skies as the leaves of sweetgum and red maple turn brilliant hues.
The hike starts with an immersion in the Big ScrubResources
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Overview
Location: Salt Springs
Length: 1.9 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.340072, -81.728832
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: National Forests in Florida
Phone: 352-625-2520
Day use only. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From Ocala, take Interstate 75 exit 352 and drive east on SR 40 through downtown Ocala and Silver Springs en route to the Ocala National Forest. Once you cross over the high bridge over the Ocklawaha, turn left at Nuby’s Corner at the light. Drive north on SR 314 to Salt Springs. Turn right at the junction of SR 314 and SR 19. The trailhead is a half mile south on the left.
Hike
The trailhead is marked by a large Forest Service sign. At the trail kiosk, a map shows the loop and its two connectors.
Turn right to walk beneath sand live oaks, their trunks painted with pink and white lichens.
Trailhead kioskThe loop junction is a quarter mile in. Continue straight through a narrow, shaded corridor.
Each sand live oak limb nurtures its own hanging garden of lichens. Flanked by two dogwoods, a southern magnolia stands in a prominent spot.
Narrow pathway in the scrubReach a trail junction after 0.7 mile. Turn right to follow a broad path between loblolly pines.
Dropping into a bayhead swamp, cross a bridge. The trail descends into an oak hammock with spreading live oaks.
Sign for boardwalk at junctionAfter passing a bench, the trail curves gently, carpeted by pine needles. Reach a boardwalk into a floodplain forest.
Cinnamon ferns and royal ferns thrive under the shade of sweetgum and cypress.
BoardwalkAt a mile, reach the observation platform on Salt Springs Run, its waters flowing towards the St. Johns River.
Fed by 52 million gallons of water a day pouring out from between the rocks at Salt Springs, it is a crystalline stream busy with bird life.
View downstream from the observation deckRetrace your route along the boardwalk, following the broad footpath back to the trail junction. This time, continue straight.
Climbing into the Big Scrub habitat, notice how the temperature changes. The trail curves at a split-rail fence at 1.5 miles.
Magnolias on higher groundMake one final sharp ascent through the scrub to reach the beginning of the loop. Turn right.
At the interpretive kiosk, the trail jogs left and uphill, ending at the parking area after 1.9 miles.
Final stretch of scrubTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about the Ocala National Forest
Ocala National Forest Established in 1908 as the first National Forest east of the Mississippi, the Ocala National Forest is a mecca for hikers and campers, and the birthplace of the Florida Trail.Slideshow
See our photos from this hike
Nearby Adventures
Florida Trail, Salt Springs to Kerr Island 10.4 miles. Crossing a patchwork of scrub ridges and longleaf pine islands, the Florida Trail makes its way southwest of Salt Springs around Lake Kerr to The 88 Store. 
Bear Swamp Trail Little known except to those who frequent Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest, the Bear Swamp Trail provides a walk into an ancient forest.
Florida Trail, Hopkins Prairie to Salt Springs 9.6 miles. Sweeping along the shoreline of one of the largest prairies in the Ocala National Forest, this section of the Florida Trail lingers on prairie panoramas.
The Yearling Trail On Pat's Island, discover the landscape and the history that inspired Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings to write her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Yearling in 1938.
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