Ocala National Forest

Address:	FL-40, Silver Springs, FL 34488, USA
Phone:	+1 352-625-2520
Site:	fs.usda.gov
Rating:	4.4

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 13

KTM Mxer No More

***A WORD FROM THE WISE*** Wandering Wiregrass has become a place for the advanced rider. This trail system at the Southeast corner of the ONF is void of even the slightest hint of trail maintenance by the Forestry Service, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO ASSIST AND BEEN IGNORED!!! The entire 17 mile trail is virtually nothing but deep whoops. Couple this fact with the entire 17 mile system is deep sugar-sand, lets just say it makes for a pretty dismal day if youre looking for simply a good trail ride. ***ANOTHER WORD FROM THE WISE*** Im a Pro GNCC rider and have a properly tagged bike and have hit some of the other trails that are forbidden to anything BUT tagged vehicles. You riders who willy-nilly through these trails are doing so at your own risk and I couldnt frankly care less if youre caught and fined. BUT, if my group of rides catch you on the BICYCLE TRAILS and found giving the bicyclists a rash of flaming crappola, like we did two weeks ago, youre going to have A LOT MORE THAN YOU BARGAINED FOR and will LOSE THE ARGUMENT! STAY OFF THE CLEARLY DESIGNATED BICYCLE TRAILS!!!!

daniel summersill

Lake Delancy (West) is a good campground for atv campers but the state has done nothing to up grade the park with running water and electric , which could be done easily . I would gladly pay extra for hook ups and Im sure this park would stay full when they install hook ups to this park. Even a bathhouse would be nice. How can the State expect you to ride atvs for days with no water or hook ups.. The State spent lots on Bathhouses in the Big scrub campground which very few use because there is no hook ups or running water hook ups. There is no shade in this park, Your out in full sun. Lake Delancy (West) has plenty of shade but that is it. Seems the state doesnt want to upgrade any park to help people that like to ride atvs Many people find it hard to drag everything in with you to a park where you stay for several days. Spread the money and upgrade these parks and people will come.

Kevin Tuttle

Great place to take the family camping. You will see a lot of wildlife and signs of wildlife. In the summer in Florida you have to be careful of the heat, and rapid developing thunderstorms. The many beautiful, crystal clear, cool, and refreshing springs that the forest boasts are a great way to escape that heat by diving into the year around 72 degree waters. Make sure to bring insect repellent, and sunscreen, and you are going to have a great time with your family in the Ocala National Forest. If you want to explore the countless trails that spread throughout the forest I recommend a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and a copy of the MVUM which can be found on the national forest website. If you want to stick to the popular rec areas you will be fine in any family vehicle, with your smartphones GPS.

Redoy Raza

Enjoy the wilderness! Great place to hike, camp, and practice some bushcraft. Plenty of wild life from deer, turkey, bear, etc. Bring plenty of water as collection locations can be rare and/or dangerous. Yes theres gators in the waters. Respect the wildlife and use commond sense and you will be fine. Bugs, besides the ticks, are not too bad during the daytime but in the night come out in swarms. For the love of God bring a bug net if you are camping. Simple tarp shelter will get you killed here, haha. Winter would be ideal time to go but it is not too bad even in summer as long as you come prepared. Enjoy the outdoors guys!

William Watson

I love the woods its quiet the people out here or country folks and theyre very kind. My dogs love it out here. Theres lots of hunting fishing and camping. Theres lots of places to go swimming like Salt Springs and Juniper Springs and Jenny Springs. Theres lots of lakes out here so there are tons of places to go fishing. Tons of boat ramps. Theres restaurants bait stores tackle stores lots of churches. No one invade your privacy. Theres lots of places to go hunting. The Ocala National Forest is the best place to live in my opinion.

Christine Ober

Superbe. Nous avons pu voir des alligators dans leur milieu naturel lors d une petite halte ... et un peu plus loin, une maman ours passe devant notre voiture suivie de ses 2 petits.. moment magique. Rouler tranquillement et la nature vous récompensera!

Adam Gillrie

So I did the dirt bike trail first. The area hadnt been kept up, couldnt find a map. I got on the trail and it was so overgrown I couldnt get the bike above around 4 miles an hour, which isnt a speed my dirt bike liked. The trails turned rapidly and were whooped out on top of the overgrowth. Luckily after about a quarter mile I had the sense to turn around and go back. These trails need some work up in the north section. It was disappointing as Id heard great things about those trails.

Beth Barritt

I suggest a warning about the infestation of ticks on the Florida Trail, specifically from Juniper Springs. Mothers Day walk turned into a nightmare with over 50 ticks on me, 30 plus on my husband, and our poor dog having so many in between his toes it was impossible to remove all of them. We finally saturated his feet with insecticide and hoped the ticks would let go. When I contacted the park to suggest a warning I got back a sarcastic and curt response.

Alyx Falis

Being a National Forest, Ocala is a pretty large area of land and requires more driving than your typical "outdoor adventure" might depending on what sites you would like to see. It also likely requires more planning. I attempted to go last minute with some friends who lacked planning skills during Memorial Day weekend and the famous springs were PACKED. But we found an adorable swimming hole and chatted with some locals, so overall a fun experience.

Alexander Babcock

The Ocala National Forest is a prime showcase of the real Florida. You can expect low crowds at the trail heads and the multitude of trail systems for mountain biking, road biking, horses and hiking makes it a great experience. It is a taste of real wilderness. That being said be wary of bears, snakes, and ivy on many of the trails. These are all very common sightings especially during summer, but if you keep open eyes then you should be great.

Scott Dan

I travel the country and have never seen a forest with more wildlife . In the past 2 weeks I have seen in abundance, American bald eagles, sandhill cranes, osprey, night hawks, owls, Turkey, male and female deer young and old, male and female bear and cubs ,alligator large and small, rabbit, fox squirrel, ground pheasant, coyote lone and pack , raccoon, red fox , otters, manatee and a lot more. There is no place like it in the U.S.A.

Stephan Martin

Sehr schön angelegter Park zum Entspannen. Insbesondere der kleine See ist in der heißen Zeit eine super Abkühlung. Allerdings ist es am Wochenende sehr sehr voll und es gibt viele Mosquitos

Scale Lily

Wonderful place to drive through and take in the outdoors. You have Alexander Springs on the lower east side and beautiful Silver River and Silver Springs. This is a great place to kayak, monkey and bird watch. Yes, I said monkeys; they are an invasive that was let go here a long time ago, and have managed to thrive. The forest is also a great place to spot sceloporus and other reptiles.