National Forests in Florida Implement New Fees
Effective July 26, 2019, fees go up at many National Forest campgrounds, boat ramps, and recreation areas
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.
Ocala National Forest Dog Policy
Except for service dogs, dogs are not permitted at Alexander Springs, Salt Springs, Silver Glen Springs, Juniper Springs, Clearwater Lake, Fore Lake, Lake Dorr and Mill Dam Recreation Areas in the Ocala National Forest
Paddling Juniper Run
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.
Pat’s Island
A ramble through Pat's Island on the Yearling Trail brings home the reality of forest fires sweeping across a once-lush landscape.
Salt Springs Loop
Salt Springs 1.9 milesSavor the beauty of the Big Scrub and habitats along crystalline Salt Springs Run on this easy loop on the outskirts of Salt Springs.
Salt Springs Recreation Area
See the beauty of William Bartram's "amazing crystal fountain" as you gaze into the depths of this rocky spring in the Ocala National Forest
Silver Glen Springs
With a strong aquamarine hue accented by refracted rainbows as sunlight plays across the ripples on its sandy bottom, Silver Glen Springs is a first-magnitude spring in the Ocala National Forest.
Spring Boils Trail
Silver Glen Springs 1.0 milesA delight to visit, the Spring Boils Trail showcases bubbling springs both big and small, starting within sight of the main springs at Silver Glen Springs before it leads you to coves of tiny bubblers
The Weeks Act: a Century of Conservation
A follow-up to the conservation legacy of Teddy Roosevelt's administration, The Weeks Act was signed by William Howard Taft in March 1911. It authorized the Federal government - for the first time - to purchase private land to protect watersheds throughout …
The Yearling Trail
Salt Springs 5.3 milesOn 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.
To Hidden Pond
On a return trek to Hidden Pond, we find that all is well in this oasis in the middle of the Juniper Prairie Wilderness, just waiting for backpackers to savor it.