Ocala National Forest

Ocala, Florida: At 607 square miles, the Ocala National Forest is the second largest national forest in Florida. Millions of visitors visit the forest each year to enjoy the great outdoors within the forest.

The forest was established in 1908 making it one of the first National Forests east of the Mississippi River.

Stretched out amongst four counties, the forest encompasses 383,000 acres containing over 600 bodies of water. It is home to plenty of wildlife including black bears, alligators, deer foxes and many other animals.

The park is a popular place for hiking, camping, off-roading or just traveling the scenic roads and taking in the beauty of the wilderness. There is a collection of visitor’s center, recreation areas and trails to help visitors enjoy the forest. A few of the popular ones include:
  • Alexander Springs: first magnitude spring.
  • Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway: 60 miles of scenic roads.
  • Juniper Run: top 25 canoe trail.
  • Juniper Springs: one of the oldest recreation areas featuring camping and hiking.
  • Lake Delancy West: OHV recreation area.
  • Lake Dorr Recreation Area: boating and camping area.
  • Silver Glen Springs: important archaeological site.
  • Salt Springs: popular spring.
  • Yearling Trail: used for the filming of the Yearling movie based on the book by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
In addition to the public uses of the forest, there is also a portion of the forest that is used as a bombing range for the US Navy. The Pinecastle Bombing Range is a 5,000 acre portion park in which the Navy almost 20,000 bombs each year as training exercises.

The Ocala National Forest is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Usage fees vary depending upon activities.

Click on the photo above for pictures from the Ocala National Forest.

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