I drove through here on the way home from the Panhandle. It reminded me of what I thought Florida was like when I was a child growing up in Massachusetts. Forrests and springs, fishing, canoeing, swimming, and yes, gators. There are over 400,000 acres in the Ocala National Forest. It needs more than one visit to fully explore this wonder. There are many opportunities for camping and backpacking. I want to come back soon to go on a nature hike. Like Dave O. says, this is the wilderness so don't be naive. You must go in prepared with water, protein snacks, and emergency supplies. This is not Disney, this is the real Florida adventure. read more

Ocala National Forest - Parks Near Me - Silver Springs, Florida

Another spot of beautiful nature in Wild Florida. I love going on nature hikes, and this trail has plenty of wildlife and plants to see. Even with the paths seeming wild and free, they're easy to follow and I wasn't afraid of getting lost. read more

Horrible Horrible Horrible A third party company claims to own it , claims its a private forest which is a down right lie!!!!! We were treated horrible at the gate by this company called Naventure company I wrote the Federal Government on them denying me access. Our family is so upset at the way these people treated us at the Alexander Springs. We will go to the highest level with this complaint. read more

Exploring the Ocala National Forest requires preparation, as beautiful as it is it's not a county or city park that you just drive up to park and enjoy. The thousands of acres are intriguing to me this forest actually covers over 441,925 acres or 609.5 square miles (as an example of its size Houston, Texas is approximately 637 square miles) this forest is a place I love going off road and exploring areas of the park that maybe inaccessible to the majority of those that venture into this forest but I never take it for grand-it or go unprepared. My 2004 Jeep Wrangler TJ is built for the terrain that encompasses the majority of this National Park, with its off-road over size 33.5" tires, a lift kit and a FOX aftermarket suspension that's rugged and strong, a robust four wheel drivetrain with custom drive shafts and universal joints, a powerful winch and rigging and a strong and a dependable supercharged engine that provides almost double the stock horsepower, but that's only part of it, I grew up exploring remote locations so my experience is the other part of the equation I'm as confident that I'll make good decisions as I am in my equipment. With all of this I still must be prepared to survive the elements so I always carry plenty of water and protein snacks, a backpack filled with emergency supplies and I wear the proper clothing and footwear even for a planned day trip and lastly personal protection. Once I go off-road I'm entering the unknown and an environment that can be hostile with (bears, snakes, alligators, coyotes, wild boar, bobcats and monkeys (yes monkeys) and the the unfriendly plants and insects (Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, Stinging and Wood Nettle to name a few plants to avoid and as far as insects fire ants, scorpions, spiders, mosquitoes and yellow jackets), and unfortunate there's also the criminal elements these are all things I don't want to encounter these hazards with only a pair of hiking sticks or a pocket knife, even if it has a nail file lol so you may want to carry a pistol and / or a rifle if you are qualified and trained, this is legal in the forest if you follow the State of Florida laws, if you can't or don't want to carry I suggest you maybe stick with the county parks and beaches, this is the wilderness so don't be naive. Okay so you're ready to have fun then you've definitely come to the right place whether you hike in, have a ATV or other off-road vehicles this place is a natural playground and filled with amazing structures and trails that will provide you with an unlimited opportunity of adventure and it can all be done safety if you're prepared. I personally love the remoteness, the endless number of trails that will challenge you on every level but most of all I love the beauty of nature. When was the last time you experienced total isolation from the outside world, no noise pollution, no people interactions, no communication, it's such a unique experience and definitely outside the norm for most of us, the adrenaline rush starts with the moments of unsettling thoughts but that passes pretty quick knowing you are prepared, for me it's reconnecting with nature, for some it's maybe the first time they ever disconnected so enjoy the gift that's before you. I'm sure you'll discover somethings you've never experienced and hopefully see things you've never seen before, so whether it's a few hours or a few days this place will provide you with memories that will last a lifetime... read more

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Pretty fun day riding ATVs, hope to come back soon, pretty big place to explore and enjoy nature around!!!

it was so pretty and fun to look at while driving by. recommend !!!! if you have free time and want to visit a gorgeous place in florida, go here. its awesome !!! read more

First off don't believe everything you read, This place is not worth the time or $13.00 per person, everything is closed off or being repaired and by the looks it's not been touched, the woman up front doesn't even tell you, save your money and go a state park cause this is not beautiful or Florida's best keep secret, VERY DISAPPOINTING !!! read more

My son and I absolutely loved this little adventure through the forest! Being a photographer, I adore going on spontaneous adventures all throughout Florida. I only moved here about two years ago, and I feel as if I've yet to explore 1/10th of what Florida has to offer, in it's nature, and otherwise. I got some amazing photos today, I absolutely cannot wait to upload them once I get a chance. The Ocala national Forest is vast to say the least. I spent about two hours driving through the area that I did, and stopped at a few little nooks and crannies to explore. My son and I will be back to go to Silver Springs, we cannot wait! read more

I love Florida, but the Juniper Springs area of Ocala National Forest is a disgrace. Every boardwalk and many trails were closed due to rotten boards, which appear to have been in poor condition for years. Poor signage, trails hard to navigate. The gate attendant didn't inform us of the trail closures. They didn't take the National Parks Pass. The bathrooms were old and in one the water ran continuously. The park information/store/office attendant didn't know who Marjorie Rawlings was or where I could find her home. Total disappointment all the way around and cost $51 dollars. The park looks like it's run by people with no parks management training. I felt sorry for the campers. The only bright spot was a volunteer (veteran?) at the main hot springs who said hello and was willing to explain a little. Otherwise, pretty sad showing of what could be a cool experience. read more

Old pine farms take up most of the flora of the region with palm bushes under all the canopies. Like oaks and springs are oasis which are throughout the Forest. Hunting here can be dangerous, the locals during hunting season are not the friendliest and I witnessed alot of spot lighting at night for deer. The Forrest service does a great job of managing the forest with controlled burns. Saw a black bear mom with her cubs, they came down and drank from a small pond, incredible to watch. read more

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Went riding through the forest in our jeep. Awesome weather and saw some deer. Definitely a fun time.

Less than Zero. I was a volunteer at Lake Dorr. I was treated like shit, threatened, abandoned, and Ripped off of the expense money I was promised. Don't ever volunteer or work for these people. Worst 3 months of my life. read more

Love this National Forest. I have driven around time and time again and have found lots of new and exciting things to do and hike. This is one of my favorite forests to explore because of the many lakes, trails, and people who come here. I have a blast. This would be a great place to take a Dog or a pet and get lost for a little bit while exploring. The trails are green and their is dirt paths that take you to some pretty cool spots. We were walking in this park and found a beautiful lake. The lake did have a few alligators in it, but they were on the other side and you could see to the bottom of the lake, so I am guessing it was a small spring. This one was not popular because it was off the beaten path, but it was so fun to take pictures and relax here. I highly recommend this park and highly recommend taking a trip here to explore! read more

After driving around for hours in what seemed like the middle of nowhere looking for decent places to snorkel, we were finally guided to Alexander Springs. What an amazing place to swim and snorkel. Drove up paid our fee which I think was about $3 to park asked the kind woman about snorkeling and she told us where to go and also affirmed that there were alligators in the area, but most likely wouldn't come out until dusk or until they got hungry- Great. We set up on the sand, put all of our snorkel gear on and slathered on some SPF and swam out to the hot snorkeling spot. There were a bunch of other people snorkeling also, so I was happy thinking maybe the alligators would go for them first if they ever made an appearance. The water was nice, The clear part was super deep. I think another snorkeler said it was about a 40 foot drop. I did my fair share of snorkeling, but must admit I was a pit paranoid and afraid of running into an unwelcome alligator even though I was the visitor in their habitat. Note to self and potential visitors. Avoid watching when animals attack prior to going snorkeling. The park was clean with not a ton of people. A nice little area to change, bathrooms etc. Would definitely go back and visit. So many great things to see underwater. read more

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Inexpensive and nice glass bottom boat tour. We did the half hour tour which our captain did in 45 minutes which we didn't mind a bit. Educational and fun at the same time read more

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You'll find yourself when your in the middle of a dense forest and there's nothing but greenery and nature around you. All the sounds of the hustle and bustle seem to fade the deeper you go in. Some people camp and others hike. There's hundreds of ways the forest can serve as a refuge or simply a leisure pass time. The trees are taller than those found in South Florida and there's a more textured terrain than the flatter versions down south. Our natural wildlife local to the Sunshine state is dwindling with new construction and developments arising almost daily. Florida is more than just a warm and tropical climate, we are lush and hearty too. Come see it for yourself before it turns into another conglomerate shopping center with three CVS's on the same strip. read more

The first time I've ever visited the Ocala National Forest was back in the early '90s where I attended the Rainbow Gathering with some friends. Yes we were among the Rainbow people and pot smoking hippies so if you plan on attending, getting arrested could definitely be a possibility. The location was pretty amazing as you're completely surrounded by dense wilderness among nature without all the creature comforts. You will want to bring all of your necessities such as food, water, bug spray, flashlight, etc., since there's no store to be found that I saw during my visit. The Ocala National Forest is what I would consider the REAL Florida and at this particular event, money (at that time) was worthless as currency. For this particular gathering, only bartering and trading was allowed and people were camping in their tents and vehicles. I saw a few campers here, but not sure if any of it was legal. I honestly didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, I came well prepared and was able to trade my hand-rolled offerings which was in high demand (quite literally) for trinkets, handmade art, jewelry, snacks and beverages that other gatherers possessed. The event culminated with a party in the evenings where people were all about peace & love. Another time I camped out in another part of the forest with some friends from college. That time we had our tents, pillows and brought supplies fit for a king including marinated steaks, burgers with all of the fixings, chips, veggies to grill and a full keg. That was the way to go for sure compared to the former. Overall, the Ocala National Forest offers some great opportunities to get out in nature and be a camper. And although I stayed off of the beaten path while visiting, it is definitely a place to experience. 5-STARS read more

Ocala National Forest is the jewel of Central Florida, if you love the outdoors you will really be in heaven here!!! Camping, fishing, canoeing & kayaking the lakes & springs, miles & miles of forest roads & trails to explore.... My favorite is the primitive camping you can really get back to nature!!! read more

Ocala National Forest - Primitive camping in ONF - Parks Near Me - Silver Springs, Florida

I thought Ocala was the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. I was wrong. I didn't realize how many different activities could be done here. 1st class fresh water springs. Canoeing. Swimming. Fishing. ATVs Camping Horses The list goes on because the forest is humongo. Dude, it's like Disney for the Florida outdoors people. read more

What's not to love about this place? When people think of Florida, they tend to think of Disney World and South Beach, but there are plenty of wild places to be discovered too and Ocala National Forest is one of the best! My girlfriend and I always love driving up to Ocala from South FL for a few days of backpacking and camping. We spent a few days last week backpacking out to Hidden Pond in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness, which is a bit north of Juniper Springs and had an amazing time. There was a smallish Rainbow Gathering of about 25 camping at Hidden Pond, but despite the bad rap they get from a lot of people they were all friendly. When it comes to seeing wildlife, Ocala National Forest is the place to go. As soon as we pulled into the parking area at the Pat's Island trailhead, we spotted a coral snake. As a snake-nut, this was a pretty amazing experience, since coral snakes are pretty reclusive and seldom seen, but have some of the most potent venom of any of North America's venomous snakes. Super cool!! In our backcountry campsite at hidden pond we came across a little Florida bark scorpion hanging out under a piece of bark (pretty easy to see where they got their name) and as I was about to climb into the tent, I almost tripped across the biggest wolf spider I've ever seen. This spider had aspirations of being a tarantula, and when I was able to redirect him into the bushes, you could hear him as he walked across the ground. If you can hear a spider walking, you know it's big! It's not unusual to hear the yipping of coyotes at night, and on our way back to the car we spotted some fresh black bear tracks....this is definitely a wild place! If your idea of nature is a day at the beach, Ocala may not be for you, but if you love to experience Florida at its wildest & maybe meet a few interesting characters in the back woods, this is the place to visit. read more

Ocala National Forest - Backpacking in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness in Ocala National Forest - Parks Near Me - Silver Springs, Florida

Beautiful and peaceful spring if you want to take the family on a trip. Clear blue water and little fish that nibble your feet and hands if you let them when you're swimming around. read more

My experience here was fantastic, bordering on amazing. It was entirely solitary and on forest roads, by bicycle. In a day I saw the whole width of the place at 12 mph. If long bike rides are your thing, I'd pick one of the paved forest roads. It can be hard to tell which are paved or at least packed dirt, and which are sand. The sand ones make for a good story, but lots of suffering, walking, pushing, and heatstroke on the way. Forest Road 88, aka NE 231st St Rd (or some like that) is picturesque, quiet, and shady. I camped out here, and that was a little strange. "Dispersed camping," where you camp for a night, a certain distance from the road, and probably not in certain areas, is allowed. I don't know if I'd do it with a car, though, because at least one of those scary redneck types that other reviewers mention, would find your seemingly-abandoned car. That reminds me. Those pickups you see driving around with giant iron cages on the back? Those are for trapping hogs, I hear. I wouldn't have been surprised to see an emaciated figure shrinking in the back of one. Gunshots at 4am in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and bear tracks for miles down a sandy road rounded out the experience. But really, it's an awesome place if you want to see some untouched wilderness. read more

I was kayaking Silver River and put in at Ray wayside park. The park has an easy access boat ramp but a somewhat more difficult hand launch ramp. If you're by yourself it can be difficult to traverse. I launch my kayak from my kayak trailer at the boat ramp and when I came in I use the hand launch and a nice gentleman help me take my kayak up the hill and load it onto my trailer. read more

What's not to love beautiful scenery cool refreshing Springs to go swimming in lakes to go fishing in beautiful Woods to drive in or hiking. Also so many places to camp saltsprings is one of my favorite ones. read more

Rude receptionist from rangers over the phone. Apart from that, during the winter they open doors for hunters killing nature. And doors for dispersed campers who love nature are closed. read more

My dad and I did a 45-mile hike through the Florida Trail in Ocala National Forest. We started at the Hopkins Prairie trailhead then walked 12 miles to the Juniper Springs Campground. The next day, we walked 17 miles to Alexander Springs. The third day, we walked 10 miles to our final destination of Clearwater Lake. For a multi-day hike, the Florida Trail is satisfactory. There is not much to see. About 25% of the trail is open to the sun, so avoid the summer months. We came across 5 dear and a pygmy rattlesnake. Definitely apply bug spray to avoid the numerous ticks! read more

Well run, clean campgrounds and great camping. Some trails too close to highway in spots. Very nice!

I've been here a couple of times so first things first bring bug spray and make sure your dog is on flea/tick prevention if you bring them because there are ticks EVERYWHERE. This is like most national forests I've been to with lots of dirt roads,scenic drives, and very little information about trails etc. Beware that the scenic drives are tight, my explorer just barely fit between the trees and got tons of scratches (thankfully it's old and I couldn't care less). There are tons of trails for hiking and ATVs. In addition, there are huge lakes you can boat or fish in with trails wrapping around many of them. One cool thing to see is the giant sinkhole which is on a well marked trail, and there are stairs that take you down into it. Whenever I come here I just wing it and drive around but if you're shorter on time or not so adventurous they have an information center to help plan your visit. There are nearby springs you can swim in with campgrounds. You can also camp off the trails but I wouldn't recommend it. There are lots of questionable people lurking around here in the woods so I would highly recommend not coming alone and only camping in actual campgrounds. If you stay in the popular areas then you'll be fine, it's just the low populated areas that are dicey. Also the nearby towns around the forest give me the creeps because they give off a cultish vibe but maybe that's just me. There is also a Christian youth camp within the forest that seemed a little off to me, especially after looking into it. Anyway, if you love nature and solitude like me then this is a nice place to visit but please just be prepared and again DO NOT GO ALONE! read more

Scariest fucking place! We drove around on dirt roads trying to reach our campground. As soon as we entered the forest, it felt like a scene from "Deliverance". First clue we should have turned back. My poor bf, it was his first time camping and I introduced him to this! We found a campground that was supposed to be on a lake. no lake existed (i understand the drought) on Lake Delancy East. We were there with a couple of RVs. We thought we scored in solitude. Turns out we were dumb asses. One of the nice RV inhabitants warned us against "red necks" although he was one himself. okey dokey. that night as we lay in our tent, a series (i mean maybe 50 or so) high powered rifles went off that sounded dangerously close to us. It froze us in place. we scrambled to our car (not that that would have saved us) and slept in it. The next day we went off to find a fishing hole and another set of red necks warned us against red necks and Rainbow people. "make sure you got a knife nearby or screwdriver will do" said the nice men. we hauled ass back to lake death, i mean delancy, grabbed our camping gear and left quickly. came back home and googled ocala and of course there are multiple tales of death in the "death forest". sheesh. read more

Great place to come if you love to party! Live band at the front of the resort every Saturday (Friday night is karaoke if you are brave), and most weekends you can find some form of live music and plenty of games at someone's campsite as well. There are two pools, a clubhouse with pool and ping-pong tables, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, and both a kid and dog park for human and fur babies alike. Don't be shy! Walk up and introduce yourself and join us to have a great time. A lot of us long term owners and renters love to see new faces! There is always good food and entertainment, and with the lake, springs, and trails being only steps away there is never a dull moment. Only draw back is some mentally unstable people living here full time and working for the park that pride themselves on harassing the fun-lovers (calling the police when nothing is wrong, assaulting young girls, leaving bags of dog poop on people's doorsteps with threatening letters, discriminating against visitors). Please be aware that if you are a "younger" visitor you may be made to feel uncomfortable by certain staff. They may even initially try to turn you away (we have seen this happening a lot lately) but please pay the rude staff that treats you this way no mind! They live in the park and would prefer to see this place turned into a quiet retirement community (the 55+ community is about a half mile down the road past this resort if that is what you are looking for!). Come have a great time here with us in Salt Springs! All you need to bring is your bathing suit and some good vibes 8) ! read more

beautiful forest no trash very clean. a lot of mud on the trail in the shady spots and no trail maps posted or bathrooms unlocked . otherwise very cool forest trails read more

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