Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Surrounded by the Ocala National Forest, the community of Salt Springs is a hub for outdoor recreation, with direct access to trails on both land and water
INTERACTIVE MAP
As the Florida Trail sweeps in a broad arc through North Florida, hikers are introduced to ancient trees, unusual karst formations, and rolling sandhills.
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
One of the most scenic segments of the Florida Trail, the hike from Pat’s Island to Hidden Pond immerses you in the Big Scrub en route to an oasis in Florida’s desert.
6.5 miles. Providing views across the Cross Florida Barge Canal from a high levee, the Florida Trail between Rodman and Buckman Lock mainly follows the Cross Florida Greenway
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
On November 24, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside a large piece of land east of Ocala for future generations by declaring it the Ocala National Forest, one of the first in the eastern United States. We celebrate its centennial.
For immersion into the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, take a journey along the Florida Trail through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. It’s perennially a getaway for backpackers thanks to its natural beauty.
Experience crystalline waters emerging from the midst of the world’s largest scrub forest in a subtropical forest at Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest.
Go deep into the Ocala National Forest on a staircase leading into a massive sinkhole along the Lake Eaton Sinkhole Trail, a 1.8 mile loop in the Big Scrub
Gently descending from ancient dunes down to the forested shores of its namesake lake, the 2.3-mile Lake Eaton Trail provides a great deal of habitat diversity in a short hike
Connecting Silver Glen Springs with the river it feeds, the Lake George Trail provides an easy day hike to picturesque views of Lake George on the St. Johns River
Effective July 26, 2019, fees go up at many National Forest campgrounds, boat ramps, and recreation areas
