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
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
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.
With two loops along an oxbow in the Withlacoochee River, the Oxbow Trail is the northernmost trail in Withlacoochee State Forest and a scenic short walk.
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.
What to do on a hot summer’s day? Try the naturally air-conditioned Silver River for a paddling trip.
The Sandhill Trail at Rainbow Springs State Park leads hikers into rolling terrain punctuated with ravines created by mining and restored by nature, and offers a new perspective on the Rainbow River
A place of beauty that morphed from phosphate pits to botanical attraction over the course of a century, Rainbow Springs State Park cradles one of Florida’s most beautiful first-magnitude springs
Ready for some nostalgia? Here’s a peek at what Rainbow Springs used to be like back in the 1960s.
3.5 miles. Circling the largest prairie ecosystem on the Cross Florida Greenway, the Ross Prairie Loop showcases massive oaks and panoramic views
With miles of twisting, winding off-road bicycle trails that dip into old limestone pits, the Santos Trails south of Ocala are a mecca for cyclists who enjoy riding through the woods
Meditative walking: that’s what’s expected at Sholom Park, a private sanctuary in Ocala that opens its gates daily for the public to enjoy meandering trails through its well-manicured 45 acres.
Built to showcase the Cross Florida Greenway, the Silver River Connector is a 3-mile round-trip from the Ocklawaha Visitor Center to Ray Wayside Park.
