View Full Version : Florida Trail - Ocala Nat'l FOrest
Is anyone familiar with the Florida Trail where it passes through the Ocala National Forest? My wife and I are gong to Disney World in a week, and after peak bagging the big three (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain), I'd like to sneak in a day in the woods.
The Ocala Nat'l Forest looks to be the closest place to Orlando in which to find a good trail.
Lone Wolf
01-04-2004, 23:44
Go to Juniper Springs Campground, get a base camp and do an out and back hike from there. The FT goes thru the campground. There's also a great canoe trip at the campground y'all can do. Look it up online. Have fun.
gravityman
01-05-2004, 12:53
The hiking is okay there. Definitely the best hiking is north of Juniper Springs. Probably to Lost Lake (if that's the name. It's been a few years). The section north of that is also good, with a very cool swimming hole not too far along. You can buy a good map from the visitors center that will show you all of this.
The Juniper Springs Wilderness area is probably the best hiking in florida, aside from maybe the Sawannee river. That being said, it ain't THAT great. However, for florida, canoeing is where it is at. The Juniper Springs trip is just spectacular. The concession stand will rent you a canoe and shuttle you. Give youself plenty of time, as it is really really nice to just float along. It is fairly windy at the beginning, and there is a fairly good chance to dump it.
If you do the canoe trip, shortly after the putin (100 yards or so) you will see a branch off to the left. The spring will be coming up out of the sand there, making the sand look like it is "boiling" If you get out of the boat and stand in the boiling sand you will experience what quick sand is like. It is VERY cool! I sunk up to my waist in the sand I believe. It fills you pockets and underwear though!
Have a good trip!
Gravity Man
PS I went to UF for 5 years as a grad student, and spent a lot of time on the water in that area! Ah, find memories...
As a young man with a young wife and three young children which came along in fairly quick succession (until I discovered why) and little money, we found that the best and least expensive family adventure we could have would be camping out over the weekend and Juniper Springs became our favorite place to go. We all have fond memories of that canoe run and I cannot imagine how many times we took it and each trip was equally spectacular and interesting. We would always find a nice bluff somewhere to climb up and explore with the kids and my young bride always had a great picnic lunch for the family to eat along the way as well as a few cold beers for dad (which is me & we did carry our garbage out :p )
And that crystal clear feeder stream with the water boiling out in so many places was also quite an experience for the kids as well. We would all wade up it each time we went and step in each of the holes of boiling water and sink down as far as our weight would let us. It was an adventure that all the kids still speak fondly of today and they are all grown up now.
It is interesting that the water coming up here once fell upon the Appalachians as rain or snow and is it ever cold, crystal clear and tasty :clap
I agree. It is the best of the hiking areas that I have seen in Florida. Not beautiful by most standards, but it is what we have
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-campers0806jan08,0,6113437.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-campers0806jan08,0,6113437.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
thats very,very horrible sad news:cool: neo
I grew up in Ocala National Forest and I remember my grandparents didnt like for me to go back into the forest because people would "grow things" back there and they were worried I would walk up on someone doing some planting. I am sure that still goes on today. You always hate to hear about such awful thing that could happen to you in the woods.
This may not be the best time to be in part of the ONF on the FT. See http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060109/LOCAL/201090316/1078/news
For a nice hike closer to Disney, consider the 6-miler in the Disney Wilderness Preserve (Hike 29, "50 Hikes in Central Florida," Sandra Friend, BAckcountry Guides, Woodstock, VT, www.backcountrypress.com, page 187).
Not an all-day jaunt, but well worth the look-see.
E-Mail me if you want directions to the parking / entrance area.
John "K4KAM"
[email protected]
Law Enforcement reported the arrest of a suspect in the case of the two hikers/campers found shot to death in the Ocala National Forest, close to the Florida Trail.
Law Enforcement reported the arrest of a suspect in the case of the two hikers/campers found shot to death in the Ocala National Forest, close to the Florida Trail.
i hope they catch the person that did this horrible sensless crime :cool:neo
Trooper347
01-11-2006, 11:28
They have a suspect, in custody in Largo, which is way south of ONF in the St. Pete area.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006/1/11/138530.html
Max Power
01-11-2006, 11:38
Yikes. I heard a teaser on the radio that they had the guy. I didn't hear the Largo part. I live in Seminole, which is the city south of Largo. This story seemed bizare and close to home in Ocala, but now it's in my backyard...!
SloHiker
01-11-2006, 11:48
Suspect Arrested
http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060111/LOCAL/201110340/1078/editorials