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Tents used by the Boy Scouts at Camp La-No-Che

Paisley

Home to Camp La-No-Che, one of Florida’s most popular Boy Scout camps, Paisley is a small community along the Florida Trail at the south end of the Ocala National Forest

Alexander Springs

Alexander Springs

Ocala National Forest  |  Astor
( 29.079006, -81.577921 )      

Surrounding one of Florida’s most picturesque first magnitude springs, Alexander Springs is a prime destination for a summer swim or snorkel

Circling Central Florida on the Florida Trail

Canoe Creek Road Florida Trail

September 12, 2015    Sandra Friend

East vs. West: which is best? I hiked both as a loop, so here’s a rundown of how the two corridors of the Florida Trail compare through Central Florida – and a little trail history.

Clearwater Lake Recreation Area

Lake framed by pines

Ocala National Forest  |  Paisley
( 28.978510, -81.553909 )      1.3 miles

With a campground and lakeside day use area at the southeast corner of the Ocala National Forest, Clearwater Lake Recreation Area offers an easy loop hike and access to the Florida Trail.

Ellis Acres Reserve

Hiking at Ellis Acres Reserve

Paisley      ( 28.99472, -81.53860 )      4.3 miles

Protecting the western shore of Lake Akron in Paisley, Ellis Acres Reserve offers rolling pastures and woodlands along its 4.3 miles of trails.

Florida Trail, Cassia

Scrub habitat in Florida

Florida Trail, Orlando  |  Paisley
( 28.890800, -81.461641 )      14.2 miles

14.2 miles. Traversing miles of endangered desert-like scrub habitat through Seminole State Forest, the Cassia section of the Florida Trail offers unique natural observations amongst sparse shade.

Florida Trail, Central Florida

The Florida Trail in Tosohatchee WMA

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.

Florida Trail, Clearwater Lake to Alexander Springs

Florida Trail near Paisley

Florida Trail, Ocala  |  Ocala National Forest
( 28.976418,-81.550423 )      10.5 miles

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

Florida Trail, Ocala

Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida National Scenic Trail  |  Paisley, Palatka, Salt Springs | Ocala National Forest
( 28.976709, -81.550201 )      72.3 miles

72.3 miles. The birthplace of the Florida Trail and home of the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, the Ocala section is Florida’s top backpacking destination

Florida Trail, Orlando

Florida Trail at Forever Florida

Florida National Scenic Trail  |  Christmas, Chuluota, Kenansville, Lake Mary, Longwood, Oviedo, Paisley, Sanford, Titusville, Winter Springs
( 27.927990, -81.122780 )      148.0 miles

148.0 miles. Spanning from the Ocala National Forest south through the prairies of Osceola County, the Orlando section of the Florida Trail encompasses the eastern suburbs of the Orlando metro

In Their Footsteps

Tom Montoya, Margaret Scruggs, and Jim Kern at the 40th Anniversary of the Florida Trail

March 22, 2006    Sandra Friend

A historic moment for the Florida Trail: the reunion of three of the original trailblazers, 40 years after they painted the first blazes of the Florida Trail heading north from Clearwater Lake in the Ocala National Forest.

Lake May Reserve

Lake May near Eustis

Eustis      ( 28.872393, -81.629878 )      1.8 miles

With a loop hike of 1.8 miles circling its namesake lake, Lake May Preserve is a success story in habitat restoration, coaxing scrub and sandhills from a former working orange grove

Ocala National Forest

Florida Trail north of Farles Prairie

Astor, Salt Springs, Silver Springs, Paisley, Palatka      ( 29.25738, -81.681137 )      

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

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