Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
With the Ocala National Forest, the Cross Florida Greenway, the Florida Trail, and dozens of waterways, springs, and parks, Ocala provides access to more than 200 miles of trails.
INTERACTIVE MAP
While we were roaming the trails of South Florida, a box of books arrived at our home: our author copies of Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala! We started working on this guide to the best trails in the Gainesville and Ocala vicinity last fall, nibbling away at hikes at the south end of the …
8.6 miles. Dive deep into the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest on this hike through the Big Scrub
2.7 miles. A walk in an urban forest, the Baseline section of the Florida Trail showcases restored sandhill habitat
In Central Florida, the Florida Trail presents two options: east or west around the Orlando metro. Forested public lands provide protection for much of the route.
10.5 miles. Hike the original miles blazed by Florida Trail Association trailblazers in 1966 along one of the most beautiful sections of the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest
43.8 miles. A prime destination for backpacking and day hiking south of Ocala, the Florida Trail follows the Cross Florida Greenway through woodlands between the Withlacoochee and Ocklawaha Rivers
11.5 miles. North of Lake Eaton, immerse in the world’s largest contiguous sand pine scrub, the Big Scrub, on this Florida Trail segment that tunnels into miles and miles of scrub forest
9.7 miles. Follow a ribbon of tall grasses and lily-dotted ponds along Farles Prairie before trekking miles through classic sand pine scrub to the Juniper Prairie Wilderness
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
10.6 miles. Marvel at a mosaic of ancient scrub forest, vast prairies, and pine islands while crossing the Juniper Prairie Wilderness
6.7 miles. Between the Land Bridge Trailhead and Santos, the Florida Trail winds its way around horse farms to meander through stands of oaks and pines.
3 miles. Marvel at towering trees in an ancient forest along this Florida Trail segment on the Cross Florida Greenway
