Florida’s oldest national forest has four natural springs and the world’s largest sand pine scrub

It’s older than you’d think

Ocala National Forest covers nearly 400,000 acres of north-central Florida between the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers, sprawling across Marion, Lake and Putnam counties.

Theodore Roosevelt signed it into existence in 1908, making it the third national forest east of the Mississippi and the southernmost in the continental United States.

The name “Ocala” comes from a Timucuan word meaning “fair land” or “big hammock.” You can swim, paddle, hike, ride horses and spot wildlife here year-round, but the springs alone are worth the drive.

The CCC built trails you’re still hiking today

During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps shaped much of what you walk through now. They built campgrounds, trails and picnic areas across the forest.

At Juniper Springs, CCC workers constructed a millhouse between 1935 and 1936 that used the spring’s flow to power a water wheel, generating electricity for the whole recreation area.

Beneath the sandy soil, the porous ground feeds the Floridan Aquifer, one of the most important underground water systems in the Southeast.

Indigenous peoples, including the Timucua, lived near these springs for thousands of years, and their archaeological sites are still visible.

Four springs sit within 30 minutes of each other

Ocala National Forest holds four major springs open to visitors: Juniper Springs, Alexander Springs, Salt Springs and Silver Glen Springs.

Every one of them pushes out crystal-clear water at a constant 72 to 74 degrees year-round. Juniper has a palm-shaded pool.

Alexander spreads across a broad sandy basin. Silver Glen runs deep aquamarine.

All four rank among Florida’s 27 first-magnitude springs, each discharging at least 64.6 million gallons of water per day. You can hit more than one in a single afternoon since they’re all close together.

Swim in 72-degree water at Juniper Springs

Beneath a thick canopy of palms and oaks, hundreds of tiny springs and larger vents bubble up from crevices in the earth. The water holds at a constant 72 degrees.

You can swim, snorkel and explore the spring-fed pool, then walk the nature trail to Fern Hammock Springs, where dozens of sand boils create shifting, swirling patterns in the clear water. The preserved CCC millhouse still stands nearby.

Together, the Juniper and Fern Hammock spring groups push out millions of gallons of fresh water every day.

Paddle seven miles under ancient trees on Juniper Run

Juniper Run winds seven miles through old-growth forest beneath a dense canopy. This is not a lazy float.

Narrow channels, fallen logs and tight turns make it a technical paddle, so beginners should look elsewhere.

Plan about four hours, and pack food and water in reusable containers only, because disposable items are banned on the run.

Along the way, you might spot alligators, river otters, turtles, deer, wading birds and American eels. Near the end, the waterway opens into wetlands full of wading birds before the takeout near State Road 19.

Alexander Springs has the forest’s only scuba diving

Alexander Springs slopes naturally into a broad pool with a sandy bottom, making it one of the easiest places in the forest for families to swim.

The water stays at 72 degrees and runs so clear you can watch fish dart across the rippled sand from the surface.

Certified divers can explore the wide mouth of the spring, the only spot in Ocala National Forest where scuba diving is allowed.

On land, the 0.9-mile Timucuan Trail loops through a palm hammock along the spring run, with boardwalks and observation decks. A six-mile canoe run follows Alexander Creek into the surrounding wilderness.

Ancient shell mounds line the shore at Silver Glen

Silver Glen Springs sends millions of gallons of aquamarine water up from the earth daily at a constant 73 degrees. The swimming hole draws crowds, but the real story sits along the banks.

Enormous shell middens, ancient mounds built by Native Americans who once lived here, rise near the water. Fenced areas protect these sacred spaces, and you should stay off them.

Two trails start nearby: the three-mile round-trip Lake George Trail and the shorter Spring Boils Trail, both running through woods and along the shore of one of Florida’s largest lakes. No campground here, so plan a day trip.

Salt Springs drew visitors for its mineral water a century ago

Back in the early 1900s, people traveled to Salt Springs believing the mineral-rich water could heal them. The spring still pumps out 52 million gallons daily at a constant 74 degrees.

If you want a mellow paddle, Salt Springs Run flows about five miles through cypress-lined waterways before emptying into Lake George.

On foot, the Salt Springs Trail loops about two miles through scrubby flatwoods and hardwood forest, ending at a birdwatching observation deck.

The campground here is the largest in the forest and the only one with full RV hookups.

You’re standing where Florida’s 1,500-mile trail was born

The Florida National Scenic Trail runs more than 60 miles through Ocala National Forest, crossing sandhills, prairies, pine flatwoods and the Big Scrub.

In October 1966, someone blazed the first section right here at Clearwater Lake. That section grew into a roughly 1,500-mile statewide trail.

If you backpack it, you can primitive camp at least 200 feet from the path, with developed campgrounds roughly every 10 to 12 miles. Shorter day hikes work too, like the 8.4-mile Pat’s Island to Hidden Pond route.

Bear bags or bear canisters are required because this forest holds Florida’s largest concentration of black bears.

Ride 100 miles of horse trails through flatwoods and prairies

The Ocala One Hundred Mile Horse Trail splits into three loops: the 40-mile Flatwoods Trail, the 40-mile Prairie Trail and the 20-mile Baptist Lake Trail.

You can also ride the 34-mile LAM Trail along the Ocklawaha River.

Cyclists get the 22-mile Paisley Woods Bicycle Trail, a tough single-track loop through live oak hammocks, grassy prairies and sandhills.

Off-highway vehicles have the 47-mile Ocala Centennial OHV Trail through the heart of the Big Scrub.

Keep in mind that horses are not allowed on the Florida Trail, the Paisley Woods Bicycle Trail or in developed campgrounds.

Manatees swim into the springs every winter

Black bears, Florida scrub-jays and red-cockaded woodpeckers all live in this forest, but from November through February, the springs draw a visitor you might not expect.

West Indian manatees follow the warmer spring water into Silver Glen Springs and Salt Springs when temperatures drop.

Gopher tortoises dig deep burrows in the sandy soil, and those underground shelters end up housing hundreds of other species.

Alligators, white-tailed deer, river otters, bobcats, wild turkeys and a wide range of wading birds and raptors show up throughout the year.

The Big Scrub exists nowhere else on Earth

Spanning the center of Ocala National Forest, the Big Scrub is the largest contiguous sand pine scrub forest on the planet. Fire keeps it alive.

Periodic burns sweep through, and sand pines and scrub oaks come back fast.

The Florida scrub-jay depends on this habitat and lives only in Florida, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

In the northern portions, longleaf pine sandhills open into woodlands carpeted with wiregrass, where deer, fox squirrels and red-cockaded woodpeckers move through the trees.

Four congressionally designated wilderness areas protect sections of this forest from roads and motorized vehicles permanently.

Explore Ocala National Forest in north-central Florida

You can reach Ocala National Forest in about 90 minutes from Orlando.

The forest sits roughly three miles east of the city of Ocala, with State Road 40 cutting east to west and State Road 19 running north to south through the middle.

Ranger district offices in Silver Springs and Umatilla can help you plan your visit. Leashed dogs are welcome in most areas, but you cannot bring them into the spring swimming areas.

No entrance fee covers the whole forest, but individual recreation areas charge day-use fees.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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